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Travel InformationCatania (for Mount Etna & Taormina) Cruises, Sicily
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Built out of limestone and lava, this black and white city’s the second biggest in Sicily. Think palazzo-lined boulevards, shop-fringed squares and designer bars stuffed into Baroque buildings. An ancient port, it comes with a history dating back to the 8th century BC. Plus, it’s got a reputation as the hottest spot in Italy, and it’s not just the 40-degree summers that earn it the title. It also sits at the foot of Mount Etna – Europe’s tallest active volcano. In fact, Catania’s been buried by sizzling hot lava flows more than once. One of its eruptions even gained Hollywood credentials – it featured in Star Wars: Episode III.
- Call in at Ursino Castle. It’s one of the few Medieval buildings still standing – its moat diverted the lava flow from a volcanic eruption – and it’s now home to the city’s Civic Museum.
- Enter a timewarp at the Greco-Roman amphitheatre. It bears a passing resemblance to Rome’s magnificent Colosseum, and you can easily imagine gladiators locked in battle in the arena.
- Take a daytrip to Mount Etna and fill your camera with snaps of cones, craters and red-hot lava streams. You can catch a cable car, which will whisk you up to over 8,000 feet.
SHORE EXCURSIONS View all excursions
Venture up the Mount Etna volcano
Today, you’ll head up the slopes of Europe’s tallest volcano, the 3,350-metre-high Mount Etna. From the port, you’ll be taken on a 90-minute panoramic drive through the countryside to the Crateri Silvestri, a giant crater 1,950 metres above sea level. Up here, you can take in views of the city of Catania down on the coast, as well as the surrounding gulf. After a photo stop, your guide will help you get your bearings, after which you’ll have free time to explore. You can hike along the former lava streams, and there’s a restaurant that serves snacks and soft drinks. Before the return journey back to the port, you’ll have a chance to visit the souvenir shop for some trinkets made out of volcanic rock, too.
Catania sightseeing tour and wine tasting
This tour’s an easy introduction to Catania’s sights, and it’s a chance to sample some of the local wines, too. First, you’ll travel from the port to Tenuta de Gelso, a 65-hectare area on the slopes of Mount Etna that uses the mineral-rich volcanic soil to grown grapes, citrus fruits and olives. You’ll be shown around the winery, before sitting down to try a couple of them along with bread, cheeses, salami slices and olives. When you’re done here, you’ll then set off for a drive through Catania’s bustling, Baroque-style centre. The majority of the city had to be rebuilt after an earthquake in 1693, so a lot of the pastel-yellow buildings have a lot of history behind them. Before stopping off for 30 minutes’ free time, you’ll pass by 100-year-old water fountains dedicated to famous Catania authors, like Giovanni Verga. And Piazza Stesicoro is a city square where you’ll see the remains of an ancient Roman amphitheatre. You’ll have some time to browse for souvenirs made of the area’s volcanic rock, too, before setting off back to the port.
The heights of Mount Etna, with lunch
Mount Etna is Europe’s tallest volcano, at 3,350 metres, and on this tour you’ll head to one of its highest points. You’ll travel from the port with your guide up the slopes of the volcano, to the 1,950-metre mark, near Crateri Silvestri. When you arrive, you’ll trade the coach for a cable car as you head another 1,000 metres up towards the summit. There’s also a short drive in a 4x4 towards the end, too. The views from up here are really something. Snap photos of the city of Catania and the gulf down below, and stroll along the ancient lava streams that have turned to ebony-black rock. When you’re done, you’ll head back down to Crateri Silvestri for a group meal, after which you can go for a 30-minute wander on your own. You can hike up to a few of the big craters close by, then stop off in one of the souvenir shops – some of them sell trinkets made out of volcanic rock. From here, all that’s left is the drive back to the port.