Tourists Cook Sausage, Brew Coffee Near Erupting Mount Etna, Inviting Backlash

Tourists flocking to Mount Etna to witness Europe's most active volcano erupting have been slammed for their boorish behaviour. After Mount Etna erupted on February 8, some of the tourists could be seen cooking sausages on the searing lava rocks and brewing coffee, according to Giuseppe Distefano, a photojournalist who has extensively covered the region in the last 20 years.

"Someone roasted a sausage on a lava rock, and another guy I know brewed a coffee with an Italian coffee maker," Mr Distefano told The Telegraph.

The sausage stunt highlights a troubling trend of disrespect and danger at the UNESCO World Heritage site where amateurs in tennis shoes and little knowledge of the terrain are arriving for social media clout. Currently, restrictions require people to stay at least 500 meters away from the lava flow. However, images and videos going viral on social media show people routinely flouting the rules.

"During these 12 days of eruptions, we have seen so many absurd situations. There are some walking to the lava flow with plastic bags on their feet so as to not wet their shoes with snow and ice," said Mr Distefano.

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Bizarre requests

Whenever Mount Etna erupts, Mr Distefano receives requests from all sorts of prospective clients. This year, a wine producer reached out to him and asked if he could photograph a bottle of wine next to lava and then wait and photograph the destruction of the bottle by the lava.

"I have received other requests, like people who want to walk on a lava flow. One guy wanted to cook something on a lava flow with me, but I said no," he added.

People skiing during an eruption on Mt Etna

[📹 Dario Teri]pic.twitter.com/WW46htcQWc

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 18, 2025

A snow-whitened Mount #Etna covered in lava from its latest eruption, creating a stunning landscape as fire and ice contrasted ❄️🌋

📹Giovanni Benintende#visitsicilyinfo #etna #volcano #unesco #worldheritagesite pic.twitter.com/tohlT025xp

— Visit Sicily (@VisitSicilyOP) February 18, 2025

Apart from being the most active stratovolcano in the world, Mount Etna is also Europe's highest volcano, at about 3,350 meters (almost 11,000 feet) tall.

In 2023, a cloud of volcanic ash spewing from the volcano prompted the closure of one of Sicily's largest airports, leading to flights being delayed, canceled, and diverted.