Catania City Break from the UK — Weekend Guide & Itinerary

Overview

Why Catania for a city break?

Catania is Sicily's second city and its most viscerally alive — a baroque lava-stone city at the foot of Mount Etna that has been destroyed by eruptions and earthquakes multiple times and rebuilt each time with increasingly magnificent architecture. The Piazza del Duomo, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that destroyed most of eastern Sicily, is the finest baroque square in Sicily. The street food culture — arancini, granita, horse meat sandwiches, fried ricotta, the entire Sicilian street-food vocabulary — is the best on the island and cheaper than Palermo. Etna is an active volcano that you can drive to the summit of: the craters, the lava fields and the views over the Ionian Sea from 3,330 metres are extraordinary.

From London and several UK airports it's just over three hours — Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air fly from Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester and several regional airports. Catania Fontanarossa Airport is 7km from the centre (AMT bus, 20 minutes, €4 or taxi €15). Go from April to June or September to November: temperatures are warm, the street food culture is at its finest and Etna is accessible. July and August are very hot; the beaches at Aci Trezza and the lido resorts north of the city fill with Sicilian summer visitors.

Where to stay & explore

Catania's best neighbourhoods

Centro Storico & Piazza del Duomo

The baroque heart rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake — the Cathedral, the elephant fountain (Catania's symbol), the Palazzo degli Elefanti and the densest concentration of street food in the city.

Via Etnea & Pescheria

The main street running towards Etna and the famous fish market (Pescheria) — one of the most theatrical food markets in Italy, open every morning except Sunday.

San Berillo & the Piano

The most local and increasingly creative neighbourhood — independent bars, the best granita, the least touristic version of Catania.

Things to do

What to see in Catania

1

Mount Etna

The most active volcano in Europe and the highest peak south of the Alps — Etna's summit craters (3,330m) produce spectacular eruptions that locals watch from their terraces. The Etna North route from Linguaglossa (90 minutes by bus from Catania) and the Etna South route from Nicolosi (45 minutes by bus) both access the upper flanks. The Funivia dell'Etna cable car (€13 one way) and jeep tours reach the crater area — a lunar landscape of lava fields, sulphurous steam vents and extraordinary views over the Ionian coast. Book Etna tours from any Catania agency; allow a full day.

2

Pescheria (Fish Market) and Piazza del Duomo

The Pescheria — Catania's daily fish market behind the Piazza del Duomo — is one of the most theatrical markets in Italy: fresh swordfish, red tuna, sea urchins and every cephalopod of the Mediterranean laid on beds of ice, with vendors selling in the Catanese dialect at maximum volume. Open Monday to Saturday, 7am–1pm. The Piazza del Duomo behind it — the finest baroque square in Sicily — has the elephant fountain (lava stone elephant, Roman obelisk, the whole thing commissioned in 1736) and the Cathedral of Sant'Agata.

3

Castello Ursino and the Museo Civico

The 13th-century Hohenstaufen castle that Frederick II of Sicily built to defend the coast — now stranded inland by the 1669 lava eruption that extended the coastline, with an excellent municipal museum of Sicilian antiquity and medieval art inside. The castle exterior, with its massive cylindrical towers, is the finest surviving Norman-Swabian architecture in Catania. Free entry to the courtyard; museum admission €6.

4

Teatro Romano and the baroque streets

A 2nd-century Roman theatre (capacity 7,000) excavated in the middle of the historic centre — largely intact, with the seating and stage area visible and accessible. The adjacent Odeon (a smaller covered theatre) is also open. The surrounding streets of the post-1693 baroque city — Via Crociferi (the most beautiful baroque street in Catania, lined with 18th-century churches and monasteries) and the area around the Piazza Bellini — reward slow walking and sudden discoveries.

Food & drink

Where to eat in Catania

Osteria Antica Marina

Sicilian seafood / Pescheria

The finest seafood restaurant in Catania — directly beside the Pescheria fish market, buying its fish from the stalls each morning. The grilled sword fish, the spaghetti alle vongole and the mixed grilled catch are all extraordinary. The dining room fills with locals and market vendors at lunch. Book ahead.

Trattoria da Nino

Traditional Sicilian / family

The most beloved traditional Catanese trattoria — pasta alla Norma (the Catanese dish of pasta, aubergine, tomato and ricotta salata, named after Bellini's opera), horsemeat rolls (involtini di cavallo) and caponata of extraordinary depth. Tables outside in summer; always full with locals. No booking — arrive early.

Prestipino granita

Bar / granita / Catanese institution

The finest granita in Catania — the Sicilian breakfast of champions: almond granita (the definitive one, pale and extraordinarily fragrant) or mulberry, pistachio or coffee, served with a warm brioche for dipping. Under €3 for the finest start to a Sicilian day. Open from 6.30am; the almond granita sells out by 9am.

Itinerary

3 days in Catania — a suggested itinerary

Day 1

Pescheria, Piazza del Duomo, street food evening

Bus from the airport to the centre (20 minutes). The Pescheria fish market at 8am — the swordfish, the sea urchins, the vendor theatre. Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral of Sant'Agata (the Chapel of the Madonna and the Treasury — the extraordinary 18th-century silverwork of Sicilian baroque). Castello Ursino and the civic museum. The Via Etnea for the afternoon walk towards Etna (visible at the end of the long straight boulevard on clear days). Arancino from any street stall for the classic Catanese snack. Osteria Antica Marina for dinner (booked ahead).

Day 2

Mount Etna full day

Full-day Etna excursion — booked through any Catania agency or independently by bus to Nicolosi then the cable car. The Funivia dell'Etna to 2,500m, then the guided walk to the 3,000m crater area (mandatory with a licensed guide above 2,900m). The lava fields — some still warm — the sulphur craters and the 360-degree view over Sicily and the Ionian Sea. Lunch at the Rifugio Sapienza on the volcano flank. Return to Catania by late afternoon for a granita at Prestipino and dinner in the historic centre.

Day 3

Taormina day trip, one last arancino

Taormina — 45km north, 90 minutes by Interbus from Catania station (€5 return) — is the most dramatically situated town in Sicily: a medieval hilltop above the Ionian Sea, with the ancient Greek theatre giving a view of Etna that the Greeks chose deliberately for its symbolic force. The Teatro Antico di Taormina (3rd century BC, still used for summer concerts) is the finest ancient theatre setting in Europe. The Corso Umberto pedestrian street, the public gardens (Villa Comunale) and the cable car down to the Mazzarò beach complete the day. Return to Catania for a final arancino and the airport bus.

Also worth considering

Cities similar to Catania