La Fucina di Vulcano

Bronte, Catania
Hotel
+39 095 693730
Visit owner's website

From
€150 - €200
per night

A small, family-run boutique hotel sitting right at the foot of Etna with wonderful views, garden, pool and ambrosial Sicilian breakfasts

Bedroom

9 rooms

Sleeps

Rooms sleep 2

Pets welcome
Babies welcome

€150 - €200 per night

The Experience

Mount Etna looms beside you, sometimes snow-capped or spouting smoke and fire – at others completely silent. A one-car village train runs through twice a day so you can hop on and explore more closely, enjoying panoramic views from its peaks – walkers and nature lovers will be in their element. Bedrooms (with small terraces) are individually styled, with a different scene etched onto the glass dividing each room from a sleek en suite bathroom, rich in marble and travertine.

Breakfast and dinner are served in the restaurant with its big picture windows. Chef Sandro Rinaldo Chiù creates refined dishes using only local produce and traditional Sicilian recipes. You are in the heart of the pistachio growing region, so much use is made of the prized nut – try spaghetti with pistachio pesto.

Yoga retreats, cooking classes, joining the pistachio harvest – all can be arranged. Return to watch dreamy sunsets from your own terrace. Calming.

La Fucina di Vulcano - Gallery

We think you'll love

  • Feeling comfortable and so well looked after and well fed by the lovely owner, Irene
  • Watching enigmatic Etna watching you while you eat breakfast and supper
  • Exploring the land of pistachios, fine mineral wines and stunning scenery
La Fucina di Vulcano - Gallery

You should know

  • If you come without a car you need to arrange a transfer from the station in advance
  • All of the rooms are doubles

Essentials

  • EV charger
  • Swimming pool
  • Hot tub
  • Garden
  • Open fire / woodburner
  • Breakfast included
  • Breakfast available
  • Meals available
  • Vegetarian meals
  • Parking on premises
  • Free parking nearby
  • Accessible by public transport
  • WiFi
  • Television
  • Spa
  • Central heating
  • Limited mobility
  • Wheelchair access
  • Mobile reception
  • Hob
  • Bar
  • Barbecue
  • Licensed premises
  • Paid parking nearby
  • Air conditioning
  • Relaxation areas
  • Washing machine
  • Tennis court
  • No smoking
  • Credit cards
  • Working farm
  • Owner has pets
  • Pets welcome

Family friendly

  • Baby monitor
  • Books and toys
  • Children welcome
  • Babies welcome
  • Stair gates
  • High chair
  • Fire guard
  • Cot available

Nearby

  • Pub/bar within 3 miles
  • Restaurant within 3 miles
  • Shop within 3 miles

Activities

  • Bikes available
  • Food courses
  • Kayaking
  • Other courses
  • Sailing
  • Surfing
  • Wild swimming

Accommodation

Pricing

Nightly price
from €150
9 Doubles
From €150

Information

Booking information

Check in
3pm-9pm
Check out
Flexible
No smoking
Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.

Reviews

Irene's lovely boutique hotel is an ideal base from which to explore this marvellous corner of Sicily positioned at the foothills of Mount Etna reserve park, a UNESCO site. There's plenty to see between volcano hikes (or explore by jeep, quad or on horseback), river walks at the gorge of Alcantara, winery hopping, and discovering the world of the pistachio harvest. The food is divine as is the warm hospitality.

Nicole, Sawday's Inspector

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Location

The neighbourhood

It's just a 2km walk into town if you want to find other places to eat – Ristorante Pepe Rosa is on the main street. Visit the pistachio farm for a tasting and to learn about biannual harvesting. Drive 10 minutes to the Piano dei Grilli refuge to start your walks around Etna – in spring a carpet of wildflowers. There are over 80 small wine producers in the area producing some very fine wines, mainly reds.

Local points of interest from Irene Foti

  • Hiking on Mount Etna
  • Picnics between the pistachio groves
  • Visit the Museo del Carretto Siciliano, a museum of traditional Sicilian carts
  • Ducea dell'ammiraglio Nelson
  • Take part in a cooking class at Fucina di Vulcano in the afternoon
  • Taste the locally grown Pistacchio di Bronte DOP

Introducing

Irene Foti

Warm welcoming Irene is originally from Bronte where her family have a pistachio farm. She grew up in Catania and studied to be a pharmacist, but when she was offered the opportunity to take over the management of the newly-opened hotel she made a quick turnaround and accepted the challenge – she and her team are brilliant. Her sister (an architect) designed the bedrooms and bathrooms.