Catania

Sicily's second-largest city at the foot of Mount Etna, with a UNESCO-listed Baroque old town built of lava stone, a boisterous fish market, and easy access to Etna and the Riviera dei Ciclopi.

Catania lies on Sicily's east coast on the southern slopes of Mount Etna; it is the island's second-largest city and the transport hub of eastern Sicily. After the great earthquake of 1693 the whole city was rebuilt in black lava stone and white limestone, giving it a distinctive late Baroque look, and the old town is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto” together with Noto, Ragusa and other towns. The heart of the city is around Piazza del Duomo: the Elephant Fountain, the cathedral, the fish market (La Pescheria), Castello Ursino, the Roman Theatre, Via dei Crociferi and the Benedictine Monastery are all within a 15-minute walk, while Via Etnea runs north past Piazza Università, the Roman Amphitheatre and Villa Bellini. North of the city the coast is lined with lava rocks and small fishing harbours, leading on to the Cyclops rocks of Aci Castello and Aci Trezza; to the south stretches the long sandy beach of La Playa. The classic day trip is up Mount Etna: Rifugio Sapienza on the south slope is about an hour's drive from the city, served by buses and plenty of tours. The best times to visit are April–June and September–October; July–August is hot, and in early February the whole city celebrates the Feast of Saint Agatha. Fontanarossa Airport is only about 5 km from the centre, with an airport bus straight to the central station; Taormina and Syracuse are each about an hour away by road. Allow 2–3 days (including one for Etna). Some parts of the old town are quiet at night, so keep an eye on your belongings; the fish market is open only in the morning and closed on Sundays.

Top sights

• Mount Etna South Slope: Silvestri Craters & Rifugio Sapienza – The main entry point for climbing Mount Etna from Catania, at 1,900 meters above sea level. The dormant crater group can be walked for free…
• Piazza del Duomo & Elephant Fountain, Catania – In the heart of Catania, a lava-stone elephant bears an Egyptian obelisk on its back, with the baroque Cathedral of Sant’Agata rising behin…
• La Pescheria, Catania – A lively open-air fish market behind the cathedral square, where swordfish, sea urchins, and red prawns are sold on the spot, and nearby ea…
• Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena – One of Europe’s largest Benedictine monasteries, featuring a baroque cloister and underground Roman ruins; today it is home to the Faculty…
• Castello Ursino – A 13th-century square castle built by Frederick II. Originally on the coast, it was enclosed by an 1669 lava flow that left it inland; it n…
• Roman Theatre of Catania – A 2nd-century Roman theatre wedged between old city houses, seating about 7,000, with a small music hall called the Odeon beside it and wel…
• Aci Castello – A Norman castle built on a black basalt reef in the sea, which together with the lava reefs along the coast creates a distinctive volcanic…
• Aci Trezza & Cyclops Islands – Basalt sea stacks said to be the boulders the Cyclops hurled at Odysseus, with seafood restaurants lining the harbor of this fishing villag…
• Via Etnea – Catania’s main north-south shopping street, linking the cathedral square, University Square, and Villa Bellini, with Mount Etna visible at…
• Via dei Crociferi – Catania’s most refined baroque street, with four churches and monasteries packed into less than 200 meters and an entrance through the Arch…
• Badia di Sant'Agata – A baroque masterpiece beside the cathedral, where you can climb to the dome’s outer gallery for a 360-degree view of the old city rooftops…
• Teatro Massimo Bellini – A 19th-century opera house named after Catania-born composer Bellini, with a lavish gold-and-red horseshoe auditorium; visitors can catch a…
• Villa Bellini – Catania’s oldest city park, built on a slope, with a flower clock, a music pavilion, and a small hill offering views of Mount Etna.
• Roman Amphitheatre of Catania – Roman amphitheatre ruins exposed beneath Piazza Stesicoro, once second in size only to the Colosseum; visitors can descend into the vaulted…
• Terme Achilliane – Roman bath ruins beneath the cathedral, entered through the building beside it, with a vaulted hall and ancient water channels well preserv…
• Palazzo Biscari – Catania’s most magnificent private baroque palace, with a richly carved seaside facade; its ballroom is hailed as the most beautiful rococo…
• Museo Civico Belliniano – The birthplace of composer Bellini, displaying manuscripts, scores, a piano, and reconstructed opera stage models; admission is free or low…
• Historical Museum of the Allied Landing in Sicily 1943 – Housed in a former sulfur factory turned cultural complex, this museum uses scene reconstructions and audiovisual displays to recreate the…
• Piazza Carlo Alberto Market (Fera 'o Luni) – Catania’s largest open-air street market, known locally as the “Monday Market,” where stalls selling produce, cheese, clothing, and groceri…
• San Giovanni li Cuti – A small fishing harbor north of the city, with a black lava-stone beach and colorful fishing boats, where locals gather in summer to swim a…
• La Playa di Catania – A golden sandy beach stretching about 18 km south of the city, lined with seaside lidos; it is Catania’s main summer swimming beach.

Where to eat

• Trattoria del Cavaliere – An old-school, inexpensive trattoria in Catania that nearly every local food guide mentions; its pasta alla Norma is th…
• A Putia do Calabrisi – A neighborhood spot with no printed menu, where you order by word of mouth and share tables with locals for the most au…
• Osteria Antica Marina – A seafood spot tucked inside the Pescheria fish market; the fish comes from the stalls next door, and the raw seafood p…
• Me Cumpari Turiddu – A traditional Sicilian restaurant recommended by the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand for several years, with old chandeli…
• Pasticceria Savia – An old-established pastry shop founded in 1897, facing Villa Bellini; go for granita with brioche in the morning and ar…

Itineraries

• Classic Sicily Road Trip: West to East – Fly into Palermo and out of Catania, connecting ancient temples, Roman mosaics, Baroque towns, and Mount Etna.
• Car-Free Sicily: Train & Bus Itinerary – Explore the northern and eastern coasts using only trains and buses, from Palermo and Cefalù to Taormina and Syracuse.
• Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto – A short loop in the southeastern corner starting and ending in Catania, combining World Heritage towns with the Vendica…
• Malta & Southeast Sicily Cross-Border – Take a fast ferry from Valletta to Pozzallo, connecting the Val di Noto, Syracuse, Mount Etna, and Taormina.
• Grand Southern Italy: Naples to Sicily – Cross from Naples to Puglia, travel down the toe of Italy to cross the strait to Taormina, using trains and buses with…