Catania is a city of surprises. It’s one of the few European cities you can swim in the sea, even off season, and ski on an active volcano with a view of the Ionian Sea.
Visiting Catania and its surrounding area, even off season, not only allows you to enjoy the city less as a tourist and more as a visitor, but will give you the opportunity to visit little towns and villages off the beaten track. Let’s go discover the places just an hour’s drive from Catania.
Savoca and mini-Sicily
If you like picturesque historic towns and are a fan of the “The Godfather”, the town of Savoca, in the province of Messina is for you. The town is just over an hour away from Catania. Lose yourself in the atmosphere of Sicily of times gone by.
Brought to fame by Francis Ford Coppola when he filmed some of the scenes of The Godfather there in 1972, it’s a good alternative to the more sophisticated and touristy Taormina. Go to Bar Vitelli and try a granita (a type of slushy) or a Sicilian speciality, imagining you’re the star of Seventies American film.
But there is more to Savoca than Bar Vitelli! Take a stroll around the town to discover its churches and monuments with no specific destination in mind. Go and discover the hidden nooks and crannies, taking in the town hall, Palazzo Archimandritale, San Michele church, San Nicolò church and the Chiesa Madre church.
What about the kids? Did you know that just 3 km from Savoca there is a Sicily theme park?
Kontiland is a cultural and artistic park on the theme of mini-Sicily. In less than an hour, you can take a fun trip with the kids to visit the most important monuments on the island
Acireale and its traditions
Citrus groves as far as the eye can see, Sicilian puppets and master ice-cream makers; these are just a few of the characteristics that will strike you in Acireale. The little city is just half an hour from Catania and is undoubtedly worth a visit for a morning or afternoon checking out the baroque churches (there are forty in all) and popular traditions.
Acireale is also known for its Carnival with the processions of floats and celebrations along the streets of the city. If you visit the town when it is not carnival time, go to the Carnival Museum, inside Palazzo del Turismo, via Ruggero Settimo, 5. There are guided tours by appointment.
Acireale is also well-known for its tradition for Sicilian Puppets, an art that captivates young and old alike. Go to the Opera dei Pupi Siciliani Museum and get lost in the chivalric mood with Orlando, Rinaldo and Angelica. Acireale offers one of the best water ices in Eastern Sicily. My favourite bar is Caffè Cipriani, in Piazza Leonardo Vigo, just a few steps from the Cathedral.
Looking for a playground surrounded by Mediterranean trees and plants? Head to Villa Belvedere, the biggest public garden in the city with an incredible view over the Ionian Sea. See if you can find a fountain that tells the story of a popular Etnean legend: Aci and Galatea, the two unfortunate lovers that fell victim to the ire of the Cyclops Polyphemus. Had you ever heard that legend before?
The Gorges of Alcantara, natural open-air geological museum
The power of the volcano of Mount Etna has no limits or boundaries. You really have to admit it when you see the basalt columns of the Gorges of Larderia, better known as the Gorges of Alcantara.
The formation of the riverbed of Alcantara has a history dating back around 300,000 years, but Mount Etna, with its lava flows has altered the appearance of the river over the last 8,000 years. Cooling of the magmatic mass has given rise to deep irregular cracks on which prismatic and hexagonal forms are entwined, known as basalt columns.
The best time of year to visit the Gorges of Alcantara (with children too) is undoubtedly off season. You can choose to reach the gorges via the municipal entrance, in this case, around one hundred steps (first going down and then back up) separate you from the spectacular geological sight of the gorges, or you can use the private entrance in the Botanical and Geological Park. The park offers several services, such as lifts to get down to the gorges (and to get all the way back up), a little train with guided tours, body rafting, river trekking and for little ones, there is also a Spray Park, with a water play area.
Aci Trezza, land of the Cyclopes
Stories of fishermen, giants and Cyclopes, of simple things and paces of life punctuated by the sea’s waves, this is Aci Trezza for me. This little fishing town in the province of Catania known through the story of the Malavoglia family, in the novel by Giovanni Verga. You can walk around Aci Trezza on foot and its businesses meander around the small port and along the waterfront.
You can’t miss the Cyclopean Isles, five enormous masses located in the sea, mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey. If you want to get a closer look at the Cyclopean Isles and visit Lachea Island, situated right in front of the little port, ask one of the local fishermen, who will take you on a tour of the isles for a few euros.
Go and visit Rodolico Boatyard where, to this day, shipwrights shape wood to create fishing boats and other vessels.
You can’t leave Aci Trezza without having tasted a local fish dish while enjoying the sea view. I recommend Anchovy’s Fish Bar, a little street food place that offers traditional local recipes reinterpreted for younger palates.
Finish up with a water ice at Cafè Solaire and enjoy the slow pace of Sicilian tradition of doing sweet nothing.
For kids, there is also a playground in the gardens of Villa Fortuna, home to the Aci Castello and Aci Trezza Pro Loco, which promotes local tourism.
Randazzo, the “black” town
Randazzo is a medieval city situated at the foot of Mount Etna. I call it “black” because it has been built almost entirely with lava rock, making it feel like you are walking through a town lava field.
One of the things I like most about this medieval city is its picturesque Via degli Archi, a classic example of Aragonese architecture in Sicily. This is a very narrow street surmounted by four lava rock arches, evenly spaced at regular intervals.
Don’t miss Carcere Castle and San Martino church, with its bell tower, said to be the best in all Sicily.
But if the kids look like they’re cracking under the strain and don’t want to visit any more churches and monuments, try House of Music and Lutherie, an unusual building that dates back to 1200, where the owner will take you on a sensory voyage to discover medieval and even prehistoric sounds and melodies.
If you’re interested in natural history, head to Randazzo’s small but interesting Natural History Museum (Museo di Scienze Naturali), which exhibits several examples of typical Sicilian bird life, a geological collection with some Etnean artefacts and several examples of fish fossils.
For a family picnic, go to Parco Sciarone, which is located around 1 km from Randazzo. The green area is immersed in Etna Park, with woods stretching between the lava rocks and abounding in birch, chestnut and downy oak trees. In the park, you will find a barbecue area, toilets, nature walks and a children’s playground.
As you can see, there is plenty to do around Catania. Itineraries including ancient towns, geological parks, fishing villages and popular traditions. All you need to do now is book your Volotea flight and set off to discover Catania and its surrounding area!
