When you visit Naples it’s a must to take a visit at the Gran Cono of the volcano Vesuvius.

Going up the Gran Cono path is a unique experience, for the thrill of walking along the crater of an active volcano and for the view that can be enjoyed over a large part of Campania up to Lazio. The main itinerary runs along the western part of the crater rim, while an alternative route, under construction, will allow you to walk the entire circle of the crater with a guided tour.

We can organize your round trip ap until the The nature trails n. 5 “The Great Cone” starting point, from there you proceed by walking up until the crater of the volcano.

Ask for info in the contact form!!

ABOUT VESUVIUS

Vesuvius is one of the most studied and well-known volcanoes in the world. Symbol of the city of Naples with its unmistakable shape, it has a typical truncated cone shape whose highest point reaches 1,277 m a.s.l. The crater currently has a diameter of 450 m and a depth of 300 m.

It’s a typical example of an enclosed volcano consisting of a truncated external cone, Monte Somma, with a largely demolished crater enclosure within which there is a smaller cone represented by Vesuvius, separated by a depression called Valle del Gigante, part of the ancient caldera, where later, presumably during the eruption of 79 AD, the Gran Cono or Vesuvius was formed.

The Valle del Gigante is in turn divided into Atrio del Cavallo to the west and Valle dell’Inferno to the east. The enclosure of the Somma is well preserved throughout its northern part, in fact in historical times it was less exposed to the devastating fury of the volcano, because it was sheltered by the height of the internal wall which prevented the outflow of lava on its slopes.

The slopes, variously degrading, are furrowed by deep radial valleys produced by the erosion of rainwater. Its walls on the side of the cone appear to peak. The whole section is then scattered with spikes and dikes of dark volcanic rock. The old crater rim is a succession of peaks called cognoli. While the height of the Somma and its profile have remained the same over the centuries, the height and profile of Vesuvius have undergone considerable variations, due to subsequent eruptions, with rises and falls.

Vesuvius is a characteristic polygenic and mixed volcano, i.e. made up of lavas of different chemical composition (for example trachytes, tephrites, leucitites) and formed by both lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. All the areas on the slopes of the mountain are to be considered formed by land transported by mud lavas that descend from the steep slopes in the rainy seasons through deep and narrow valleys called river beds or more commonly lagni. The high banks are formed by heaps of lava slag, which precipitated in the incandescent state and spread towards the lower slopes, are now revealed because of their fertile material, rich in silicon and potassium, precious for the vegetation.