Catania
Historic, volcanic, lively, affordable
what to whilst visiting
We have to caveat this one by saying we’ve only ever spent one night in Catania, so we definitely only scratched the surface — there is so much more here to discover.
Catania feels quite different to both Palermo and Taormina. It’s less polished, very lively, full of Baroque architecture and built around the presence of Mount Etna, which you can see looming over the city.
Beaches
The Beaches Are... Different
Catania’s beach set-up is definitely a little different from places like Mondello or Cefalù.
To the south of the city is La Playa, a huge stretch of sandy coastline lined with lidos and private beach clubs. Rather than simply turning up with a towel, lots of people pay for a lido where you’ll have loungers, umbrellas and facilities for the day. The wider Playa coastline stretches for around 18km.
Churches, Buildings & History
You don’t have to go far in Catania before finding something historic.
Start around Piazza del Duomo, where you’ll find Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata and Catania’s famous elephant fountain.
From there, just wander.
Via dei Crociferi is particularly beautiful if you love architecture. In just around 200 metres there are four churches alongside monasteries and Baroque buildings, so it’s one of those streets where there’s something to look at every few steps.
There’s also the Roman Theatre, Roman Amphitheatre, Castello Ursino and the Benedictine Monastery if you want to spend more time exploring the city’s history.
Drinks With a View
One of our favourite finds in Catania was actually on top of a hostel.
Don’t be put off by that sentence.
Ostello degli Elefanti Hostel Catania has a rooftop bar right in the historic centre with views across the city towards Mount Etna.
We went for sunset and loved it — really relaxed atmosphere, inexpensive drinks and one of those places that feels much better than you expect when someone tells you “the bar is on top of a hostel.”
The rooftop currently opens from sunset until around 11:30 PM.
Definitely one we’d go back to.
Catania Airport
Catania is also home to Catania–Fontanarossa Airport, one of Sicily’s main international airports, so it can be a really convenient starting point if you’re exploring the east coast of the island.
From Manchester, both Jet2 and easyJet operate direct flights to Catania, with a flight time of around 3½ hours.
If you’re planning to visit Catania, Taormina, Mount Etna or Syracuse, flying into Catania can make a lot of sense. Just remember that it’s on the opposite side of Sicily from our wedding venue, so if you’re traveling over for the wedding afterwards, allow plenty of time to make your way across the island.
Mount Etna
Do I need to anything else? If you’re coming to Catania, Etna is the big one.
Europe’s highest active volcano sits just outside the city and there are loads of ways to experience it.
From there, depending on conditions, you can take the cable car higher up the volcano and continue further with organised 4x4 excursions and guides.
Even if you don’t go all the way to the upper craters, just seeing the volcanic landscape is incredible.
Weather and volcanic activity can affect access, so we’d always check conditions before heading up.
Dinner Without Spending a Fortune
Catania was also noticeably cheaper for food than some of the more tourist-heavy places we visited.
We ate at Trattoria del Cavaliere and honestly couldn’t believe how inexpensive it was.
Nothing overly fancy — just really good, straightforward Sicilian food at brilliant prices.
Wine on the Slopes of Etna
Something we didn’t have time to do — but absolutely would on a longer visit — is an Etna vineyard day.
The volcanic soil around Etna has created one of Sicily’s most interesting wine regions, and there are wineries all around the slopes offering tastings, vineyard tours and lunches.
You can either book an organised wine tour from Catania or build it into a day exploring Etna.
Aci Trezza & the Cyclops Coast
If you have another day, head north of Catania towards Aci Trezza.
It’s a small seaside town known for the huge volcanic rock formations sitting just offshore — the Faraglioni dei Ciclopi, or Cyclops Rocks.
It’s a nice option if you want to get out of the city for a few hours, have lunch by the water and see another side of the volcanic coastline.