Monte Rinatu on Etna – Milo

Il Mount Rinatu on Etna it's a crater of prehistoric origin from which you can enjoy the panorama of the Valle del Bove. The climb is very interesting because over the years a very rich forest has grown in the lower part of the mountain, while at the top there is lava sand which prevents the vegetation from growing. Throughout the area there are over 250 lava flow caves that give rise to tunnels.

The history of Monte Rinatu on Etna

Mount Rinatu is a crater of Etna today idle which is located in Cubania in the municipality of Milo in province of Catania.

The mountain on top reaches 1668.6 m asl and visitors from the peak can enjoy the panorama of the Bove Valley and a particular lunar landscape. In fact, the crater was formed in prehistoric times and is covered by the sand expelled from Etna over the centuries. The presence of this material on the crater does not allow vegetation to grow but, in the highest part of the mountain, there is a rich forest of beech and maple trees and in the lower part there are oaks, downy oaks, pines and brooms.

The cone has always been a favorite place for hikers, who often leave from Milo, an ancient village not far from the top of the mountain. The town became the political center of Sicily in the mid-300s when Duke Giovanni D'Aragona, brother of King Peter II, invited the notables of the island to his residence on the mountain in the summer. In Milo over the years there is also a community of charcoal burners who manage to support themselves even in periods of economic crisis thanks to coals from Etna.

The secrets of Monte Rinatu on Etna in Milo

The destructive and constructive process of the entire volcanic area makes Monte Rinatu an interesting place to study. In fact, the crater has changed several times over the years until it reaches its current shape. The area still bears the signs of a volcano previous to Etna, called Elliptical, present on the Earth between 60.000 and 18.000 years ago which, for millennia, has a continuous eruptive activity. About 14.000 years ago the Ellittico was affected by a succession of violent eruptions which caused the collapse of the volcano and the expulsion of material of different conformations. The debris of this prehistoric volcano are still present in the lower area of ​​Monte Rinatu with sediments of several meters which make the area one of the most fertile of Etna, in fact the Cuban forest it is the second closest pine forest to the volcano.

What you can do on Monte Rinatu and in the surrounding area

A walk on Monte Rinatu is an opportunity to learn to distinguish the older lava flows from the more recent ones.
In fact, the easiest element to consider to evaluate the age of a lava flow is the difference in color since the materials expelled in not too distant times appear black, while the older ones become yellow or red due to the oxidation of the minerals .

The whole area is rich in vegetation therefore Monte Rinatu is the ideal destination for botany enthusiasts. On Etna they are also recorded further 250 caves to be visited only with an expert guide and which are a great treasure not to be missed. One of the best known is the Cave of the Thieves, a small lava flow tunnel located in Piano delle Donne. The cavity has two entrances, in fact it can be accessed by a staircase or a narrow slide and inside there are three wells probably built by brigands or local farmers who for years used the cave to keep food cool. They are also very interesting Cave of the English, Cave of Saints or the Cave of the Rolls where you can see large lava tubes forming natural rolls.

How to get to Monte Rinatu on Etna

By car:, from Catania take the A18 in the direction of via delle Querce a Miscarello and continue for 30 km. Follow the road on via Crisafulli in the direction of corso Italia on the SP59. Then continue for 10km as far as Sant'Alfio on the Mareneve regional road where the ascent to Monte Rinatu begins.