Catania and Etna
Attractions, Products, Handicrafts.
Tourist Attractions
Catania and the Etnea area is a Sicilian tourist area well suitable for any type of holiday.
This area offers splendid paths of history and art through the numerous itineraries to discover
the Baroque heritage of the city of Catania and the many cities and towns that rise at the base of the volcano.
The Etna volcano offers unique nature trails to discover suggestive landscapes furrowed and shaped by the numerous lava flows.
Finally, the Catania area offers a wonderful sea with a variety of landscapes ranging from the golden beaches of the Playa di Catania to the wonderful rocky coves of the Riviera dei Ciclopi.
The volcano Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe declared a UNESCO heritage, has forged the landscape of this area, both on land and in the sea, and has influenced the appearance of all the cities and villages that arise in the his feet.
If you are planning a holiday in Sicily, in the Catania area you can decide to spend a few days or a weekend, to discover the main things to see in Catania and in the Etnea area, or decide to spend a few more days discovering the many beauties guarded at the foot of the Etna volcano, tasting the flavors and enjoying the places, colors and traditions of this splendid place in Sicily.
The tourist area of Catania and Mount Etna offers a splendid historical and artistic itinerary to discover the Sicilian Baroque.
The city of Catania is a splendid Baroque city, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in its many monuments it also hides cultural heritage from the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Swabian, Angevin, Aragonese and Spanish eras.
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What to see in Catania
If you are interested in a historical and artistic itinerary in the Catania area, we recommends that you visit the nearby town of Acireale, a picturesque baroque town that rises at the foot of the Etna volcano, on a promontory overlooking the sea. To an interesting historical and cultural itinerary to discover the valuable monuments in Baroque art, it is also possible to combine a suggestive naturalistic itinerary to discover the Timpa and the little spots.
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What to see in Acireale
As part of a historical-artistic tour in the Etnea area, we recommend that you visit the city of Randazzo. It is a delightful medieval village, surrounded by nature, characterized by a historic center entirely covered with lava stone.
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What to see in Randazzo
Among the itineraries of art and history of the Etnea area of particular interest are the Norman fortresses of Adrano, Paternò and Motta Sant'Anastasia which were part of a defensive system dating back to the eleventh century intended for the control of the Simeto Valley, of the city of Catania and the steps that led to Troina, Regalbuto and Randazzo.
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If you are interested in a holiday in Sicily dedicated to nature and sport, the Etna area offers many opportunities.
The Etna Park has numerous nature trails to discover ancient and new craters, old and recent flows, lava caves, ancient trees, suggestive landscapes and breathtaking views.
In the Etnea area it is possible to practice various sports including trekking, cycling, quad biking, horseback riding and various winter sports, from traditional skiing through the various skiing disciplines, such as cross-country skiing and alpine skiing, up to get to snowboard.
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What to see in the Etna Park
There are many Etna villages that represent a convenient access point to things to see and activities to do in the Etna park:
Nicolosi, known as Porta dell'Etna thanks to its strategic position; Zafferana, the Pearl of Etna, which rises on the eastern slopes of the volcano; Viagrande, located in a hilly position, halfway between Etna and the sea.
In other places it is possible to discover villages submerged by ancient lava flows, such as in the city of Misterbianco, where it is possible to visit the Mother Church of the ancient Misterbianco partially submerged by lava.
If you are interested in spending a beach holiday in Sicily, the Catania area is a perfect destination suitable for meeting the needs of any type of holiday.
It is possible to spend a wonderful beach holiday on the golden beaches of Playa di Catania, an ideal beach for families who can take advantage of the services offered by the numerous bathing establishments in the area.
The Playa di Catania beach is also suitable for young people given the numerous clubs, lidos and discos and the possibility of practicing all kinds of sports:
beach soccer, beach volleyball, Kayaking, windsurfing, kitesurfing...
The Catania area also offers the splendid sea of the Riviera dei Ciclopi, a coast where the volcanic rock reaches the sea creating suggestive coves with wonderful
backdrops rich in flora and fauna, ideal for snorkelling and diving lovers.
Right in the splendid setting of the Riviera dei Ciclopi there are numerous and picturesque villages such as Aci Castello and Aci Trezza.
Towns and Villages
Towns and Villages to visit in Catania surroundings
Aci Castello Aci Catena Aci Trezza Acireale Adrano Belpasso Biancavilla Bronte Catania Giarre Linguaglossa Maletto Maniace Milo Misterbianco Motta Sant'Anastasia Nicolosi Parco dell'Etna Paternò Pedara Piedimonte Etneo Ragalna Randazzo San Pietro Clarenza Sant'Alfio Santa Venerina Trecastagni Tremestieri Etneo Valverde Viagrande Zafferana Etnea
Typical Products
Typical food, traditional dishes, street food, wine, beer, desserts, agricultural products,...
To fully enjoy your holiday in Sicily you must absolutely savor the typical Sicilian products and in particular those of Etna. In the Etna area, in fact, along the slopes of the volcano, the particularly fertile lava soil has favored the birth of food products of absolute excellence and exclusively on the Etna soil they find their natural cradle.
During your visit in Catania and in the Etnea area you will be able to taste the typical Catania street food that of course you can find in Catania but also in the cities and towns throughout the area.
If you prefer to stop in a restaurant to eat the delicacies of the local traditional Sicilian cuisine, we suggest some of the typical dishes of Catania and the Etnea area.
Your holiday in Sicily cannot be complete without having tasted a good Sicilian Cannoli and tasted the traditional Sicilian Cassata, but if you are in Catania and in the Etnea area we advise you to taste some sweets that you can find with more difficulty in other areas of Sicily, because here they were conceived, here they are very popular and only in this area are they cooked according to the original recipe as tradition commands.
Finally, we suggest two typical specialties of this area that you will not be able to find even in other places in Sicily. The first is lemon and salt seltzer, a drink that you can easily find in one of the many kiosks in the Catania area. The second is mauro, a delicious and very tasty seaweed, very difficult to find.
Handicrafts
During your stay in Sicily you will surely be interested in objects, gift ideas, souvenirs that will represent a memory of your holiday.
In the Catania area you will find many typical Sicilian handicraft items:
Sicilian ceramics, pine cones and Moor's heads, decorated tiles, Sicilian coffees and caps, tambourines and other typical Sicilian musical instruments, clothing in a typical Sicilian style...
However, if you want to buy something truly typical and characteristic of Catania and the Etnea area, something that you will find with difficulty in other areas of Sicily, something that has its roots in this area and is linked to ancient traditions, we point out the processing of the lava stone of Etna.
In the many Etna centers you will find skilled artisans specialized in the creation of ornamental objects, artistic artifacts, souvenirs, and in the creation of jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Another characteristic object of this place is the Sicilian puppet from Catania which, compared to the Palermo version, has some peculiar characteristics that make it a very characteristic object of the place.
Events in Catania and inTowns and Villages of Etna Park
Nearby Areas
Touristic areas you can visit close to Catania area
