Cruise ships sailing the Mediterranean often stopover in Messina, Sicily in order for passengers to visit the Mt. Etna volcano or the charming Sicilian village of Taormina. The drive from Messina to Mt. Etna is about an hour, and the bus drives along the coast, passing by many lemon trees, before starting the long, winding climb to the visitors' center on Mt. Etna.
Mt. Etna is high enough to have skiing in the winter, and the lava flows and volcanic sites are quite interesting. The visitors' center also has a hotel, a couple of restaurants, and a few souvenir shops.
We visited Messina and Mt. Etna on the Carnival Liberty in May and thoroughly enjoyed our day on the island. A few cruise ship passengers managed to fit in time for one of Messina's famous canolis, which were excellent.
Sicily Travel Essentials from About Guide to Travel in Italy
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