Guides who offer tourists breathtaking views of Sicily’s iconic Mount Etna find themselves at odds with local authorities following the imposition of stricter regulations. These measures come in the wake of recent eruptions from the towering volcano and have sparked a wave of discontent among those who make their living showcasing its natural wonders.

In Catania, authorities have decided to either suspend or limit excursions that allow visitors to witness the mesmerizing lava flows. This decision has prompted the guides to strike for the first time in decades, leaving many tourists disappointed with reduced chances to experience the spectacle up close and personal.

Earlier this week, scores of guides gathered in protest at the access point to Etna’s lava flow. They argue that the new restrictions are overly cautious, insisting that the lava flows move at a pace slow enough to be safely observed, just as they have been in the past.

“These measures effectively nullify the role of guides, stripping them of their skills, function, and professional responsibility,” stated the regional board representing the guides, expressing their disapproval of the restrictions.

The restrictions are particularly impactful during the evenings when the lava flows are most dazzling. Current regulations prohibit excursions beyond dusk and enforce a safe distance of no closer than 200 meters (approximately 660 feet) from the flowing lava. Furthermore, a pre-existing rule limiting group sizes to 10 people is now being strictly monitored, employing drones to ensure compliance.

Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano and the continent’s largest. It attracts hikers and backpackers to its slopes, while less adventurous tourists can take it in from a distance, most stunningly from the Ionian Sea.

At 3,350 meters (almost 10,990 feet) tall and 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) wide, the Sicilian giant frequently offers a front-row seat to nature’s power. Last June, a massive eruption forced tourists to flee the volcano after a plume of high-temperature gases, ash and rock several kilometers high billowed into the air above them.

The latest restrictions were adopted after Mount Etna started a round of eruptions on Christmas Eve.

The most advanced lava front reached 1,360 meters (4,460 feet) above sea level, before stopping and entering a cooling phase after a journey of approximately 3.4 kilometers (about 2 miles), local authorities said. The lava flow poses no danger to nearby residential areas, volcanologists say.

Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology confirmed this week that Mount Etna’s eruption is ongoing, but said the lava fronts are cooling and not advancing further.

“This is a lava flow that is descending very slowly on an area that is now also flat or semi-flat,” said Dario Teri, 43, a member of Sicily’s association of alpine and volcano guides who participated in Wednesday’s protest.

The guides, who are expected to continue their strike in the coming days, hope to come to a compromise with authorities that can protect their profession while also ensuring the safety of visitors.

Claudia Mancini, a 32-year-old tourist, said she came from Palermo for an excursion with a guide at Mount Etna.

“Unfortunately, we got the bad news of the cancelling of all activity,” Mancini said, adding that she sympathized with the guides over a situation that ”is not making anyone happy.”

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Zampano reported from Rome.