Hiking Italy, Volcano to Volcano Davide Caudullo, Lapresse/Associated Press Mount Etna during an eruption in April. IF you're seeking a memorable walking experience in Italy, climbing a volcano may not be the first thing you think of. And yet a hiking tour of four volcanoes in southern Italy - Mount Vesuvius, Stromboli, Vulcano and Mount Etna - is an experience that will remain vivid long after the smell of sulfur has faded. Since Vesuvius is the least demanding for hikers, and Etna the most, your best bet is to arrange your hikes from north to south: first Vesuvius (near Naples) followed by Stromboli and Vulcano (each on its own eponymous island off the northeast coast of Sicily) and Etna (near Catania in eastern Sicily). For the best chance of good weather, the volcano tour is optimally done from late May to July and in September. But with good planning and a willingness to challenge the elements, it can also be done in April and October. In August you will find crowds and a scorching sun. Mount Vesuvius The Urban One Vesuvius, about six miles east of Naples, is famous for having wiped out Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 A.D. A trip to the ruins of one of the two towns is an excellent way to witness the power of this slumbering 4,200-foot volcano, which last erupted in 1944. THE WALK The steep walk up a wide, well-maintained trail to the cone of Vesuvius takes 30 minutes, making it the briefest trek of the four volcanoes. Once at the top you can walk around half of the cone while peering directly inside - an experience that is simultaneously captivating (it's impossible not think of the eruption that buried Pompeii) and forbidding (volcanologists predict Vesuvius will have a major eruption in the future). For a more extensive exploration, hire a guide who will meet you at the parking lot (guidevesuvio.it; 120 euros for a half day or 160 euros for the full day, $144 and $192, at $1.20 to the euro). GETTING THERE The Circumvesuviana train from Naples's Stazione Centrale leaves every 30 minutes from early morning to late into the evening, with stops at Herculaneum and Pompeii. The trip takes about 15 minutes for Herculaneum and twice that for Pompeii. Buses outside the train stations leave every half-hour for the 30-minute ride up to the parking lot near the trail. WHERE TO EAT Locanda N'Tretella (Salita Sant'Anna del Palazzo 25, Naples; 39-081-427-783) is as typically Neapolitan as you can get, from the mozzarella di bufala to the octopus and excellent pasta. Show up early (that means 8 p.m. here) or reserve; 30 euros a person without wine. WHERE TO SLEEP Decumani Hotel de Charme (Via San Giovanni Maggiore Pignatelli 15; 39-081-551-8188; decumani.com; doubles, 120 to 160 euros), a pleasant hotel in a 19th-century building in the center of Naples, is walking distance of both the train station and the port. Stromboli The Hyperactive One Don't let the easy climb up Vesuvius make you overconfident about your next hike. Getting to the top of 3,030-foot Stromboli is much more difficult. Hikers must be with a guided group, and adding to the theatrics of the regular eruptions that occur every 15 to 20 minutes, guides time their departure from town to ensure their groups are at the top for sunset. That means a 90-minute scamper back down with only the moon and flashlights to light the way. THE WALK The steep trail cuts through vegetation stained with ominous patches of black (the results of falling volcanic material) and across a black lunar landscape. The trip up takes about two and a half to three hours, factoring in a few rest stops. The guides give you about an hour at the top, where you can stare right down into the three craters. If you do not feel comfortable trekking to the top of Stromboli, at least find the energy to make it to the L'Osservatorio restaurant, which offers views of the eruptions. It is about 45 minutes by foot from the center of town. There are several tour companies in town, including Il Vulcano a Piedi (Via Roma in front of the tobacco shop; 39-090-986-144; stromboliguide.it), which charges 28 euros a person. Wear hiking shoes (or at least sneakers) and bring a windbreaker, a few extra layers and a flashlight. The helmet and goggles are included. GETTING THERE There are boats twice weekly from Naples that make the 10-hour trip to Stromboli. A more expensive hydrofoil does the trip in four and a half hours daily in summer. Ontano (39-081-551-7164), a tour operator at the Beverello pier where the boats depart, sells tickets. Coming up from Sicily, there are several boats and hydrofoils a day from Milazzo that stop at the other islands before reaching Stromboli. During the summer there are also hydrofoils from Palermo and Messina. WHERE TO EAT Trattoria ai Gechi (Vico Salina, 12; 39-338-357-7559; 32 euros a person without wine) is not the tourist trap that many of the restaurants on the islands are. The pasta is homemade and topped with Sicilian sauces, and there is an excellent list of Sicilian wines. WHERE TO SLEEP Unlike the spartan rooms and pensions that have popped up around the island, Hotel Ossidiana (Via Marina; 39-090-986-006; www.hotelossidiana.it; doubles, 59 to 256 euros), 100 yards past the one small pier that passes as Stromboli's port, has all the comforts of a traditional hotel. Vulcano The Overlooked One An overpowering smell of sulfur is likely to hit you even before you get off the ferry, reminding you there is a reason this island is called Vulcano. Not that you will need any reminding as the 1,640-foot volcano looms over the port, continually shooting up steam and other gases. THE WALK From the port it is a 10-minute stroll to the trail that takes you to the volcano crater. The hike up is about 45 minutes on a relentlessly steep trail. From the top a lovely panorama of the other Aeolian Islands awaits. Another 15 minutes gets you to a higher crest and a great view into the crater. GETTING THERE There are daily boats and hydrofoils from the other islands as well as from Sicily. WHERE TO EAT Don Piricuddu (Via Lentia, 33; 39-090-985-2131; 27 euros a person without wine) serves up all the local specialties, including spaghetti with sea urchins and fresh grilled fish. WHERE TO SLEEP Garden Hotel (Porto Ponente; 39-090-985-2106; gardenvulcano.com; doubles, 80 to 175 euros) is about 15 minutes by foot from the port. The large rooms have views across the island to the volcano. Mount Etna The Big One