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1 Mount Etna (overview)
2 Riviera of the Cyclops (overview)
3 Simeto Valley (overview)
4 Information

Mount Etna (overview)

In the environs of Catania, the Etna park offers a spectacular discovery of the highest active volcano in Europe, with its lunar landscapes and the surrounding unspoiled nature.
One of the “gateways” to the park is Nicolosi, a village at the foot of Etna near Catania.

→ See the section dedicated to Mount Etna.

Riviera of the Cyclops (overview)

Along the coast north of Catania, the “Riviera of the Cyclops” (riviera dei ciclopi in Italian) stretches between Aci Castello and Acireale, with several fishing villages and an interesting coastline, although the volcanic stone beaches are not among the most beautiful, and road traffic is sometimes congested.
From Catania, you first reach Aci Castello and its Norman castle built on a promontory of volcanic rock. At Aci Trezza, the “Faraglioni of the Cyclops” emerge from the waters, curious rocks that in Homer’s tale were hurled by the cyclops Polyphemus at Ulysses. The small fishing port of Capo Mulini is a good place to have lunch or dinner on seafood.

→ See the page on the Riviera of the Cyclops.

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Simeto Valley (overview)

The Simeto valley stretches west of Catania, south of Etna. It is little frequented by tourism, running alongside the nearly 113 km long river, with gorges of volcanic rock before reaching the Ionian Sea in the plain of Catania. Its long human occupation has left us archaeological sites, necropolises and remains of ancient cities (Mendolito, Adrano, Centuripe), as well as Norman fortresses: Motta Sant’Anastasia, Paternò, Adrano.

→ See the page on the Simeto Valley

Information

External sites

Further afield in the surroundings

Articles about Catania