The ascent to the top of the volcano of Stromboli to observe the explosions is an exciting and unique excursion, only recommended for the daring and strongest hikers (not children and elderly).

Due to the complicated and abrupt road, especially in its last phases, and the potentially dangerous weather, it is indispensable to go accompanied by a professional guide.

The habitual excursion, about three hours of ascent, starts in the afternoon to arrive at the summit when it is dark.

The first phase of the march elapses among the little roads, paths and stairs that reflect among the local houses widespread by some zones of the foot of the volcano. Once the human settlements are abandoned, the excursion continues along a road of cobblestones, only apt to walk, that winds for the lower part of the geological colossus.

Approximately an hour after the exit arrives the first stop of the excursion, the one that transmits more calm and beauty at the same time: el Filo dei Fuoco; depending the time (the guide is conscious of it) the sun creates a thread of fire on the sea that arrives to our feet from the distant horizon, being without any doubt an unforgotten image that is impossible to deviate the eyes.

Forced by guide advance, one continues elevating and no much time after arrives the second attraction of the visit: the Sciara dei Fuoco, a very bluff slope in where the magma is poured from the crater in the shape of already dull black ashes, to the sea.

What reduces of the road elapses for lands increasingly more abrupt by the ones that often they should resort to our simian abilities to surpass and arrives finally to the last phase of the ascent, the hardest one of all the traveled through: a "beach" in slope of finísima and deep black sand in which they sink the feet at every step and that conducts to it more Of the island (926 m), above the active crater.

Once there, already in night closed, where the winds blow with force and where is indispensable to be with warm clothing even in summer, the explosions of lava can admire themselves that, snoring deeply and every ten minutes approximately, they arise since the deeper of the Land.

After an hour of inequable spectacle begins the descent, this time by the northeastern side to San Vicenzo. The descent, of little but of hour and a half, begins with a lowering al jog for a slope of the same fine sand which this time, far from complicating the march facilitates it, since one more has not to give long leaps ahead and to be left to brake for the sand each time that sinks the foot some twenty centimeters under the surface, causing a very similar sensation to ski On virgin snow.

Once passed this zone and emptied the shoes of the kilograms of sand that have been strained in its interior, continues descending for paths hidden among glens, lightings by our flashlights, to finish, finally, in the most important nucleus of the island, San Vicenzo, where can be found algun good restaurant where to replace the forces spent and some baretos where to be going to take a cup after the supper Under the stars.