The Circumetnea is an opportunity for an original discovery of the Etna region by train, which runs along an old railway line over much of the circuit around the volcano, between the Catania Borgo station in Catania and the one in Riposto. It allows you to discover beautiful landscapes with old lava flows, and passes through the interesting villages of Paternò, Adrano, Bronte and Randazzo.
The most beautiful part of the route – which is enough if you just want to do some sightseeing – is the section between Adrano and Randazzo, where you cross a wild landscape with large old lava flows.
The carriages, however, are mostly quite rustic, some of them without air conditioning. In addition, the journey is relatively long, with the train travelling at nearly 35 km/h.
Presentation of the Circumetnea railway
Catania Borgo
The main departure station of the Circumetnea, in Catania, is called Catania Borgo, on via Caronda, where an old Belgian steam locomotive from the Ateliers de constructions de la Meuse (built around 1910) is on display.
In operation since 1895, the Circumetnea is still nowadays an “ordinary train”, although it lives largely off tourism in summer. It was originally an essential means of opening up the rural villages on the slopes of the volcano, which had long remained isolated.
The railway track is a single, narrow-gauge line (950 mm), with a current length of about 111 kilometres. The journey, which is made in both directions, takes a total of 3h10, crossing 6 tunnels (the longest being 264 metres at Roccacalanna), 11 arch viaducts and 11 metal-girder bridges. The commercial speed is 35 km/h and the maximum operating speed is 60 km/h.
Route of the Circumetnea
Having left the Catania Borgo station (which can be reached by various means of transport including the metro), the train first crosses the western districts of Catania before crossing the 1669 lava flow that destroyed the city. It continues out of the built-up area, passing through villages and a landscape of black volcanic rock mingled with citrus groves, then olive trees and a few vineyards.
The villages passed through during the first hour of the journey are Paternò, Santa Maria di Licodia, Biancavilla and Adrano.
As some stops are optional, the train may stop a little in the middle of nowhere! These stops originally served the peasants to reach their fields, but today they can be starting points for excursions. For example, from the Passo Zingaro station, a mule track crosses crops and old lava flows up to Mount Minardo. From the Gurrida stop, you can reach the small Lake Gurrida.
Another path can be taken from the Maletto station (see this interactive map of the trails).
From Adrano onwards, the landscape becomes wilder with more lava flows, pistachio and fig trees, until reaching the Bronte station (30 min from Adrano). You then cross a large lava flow, reaching the highest point of the route at almost 1000 metres above sea level at Rocca Calanna on the Maletto plateau, from where the view of the summit craters is unobstructed.
At Randazzo station
The next stop is Maletto, known for its strawberry growing, before that of Randazzo (30 min after Bronte), one of the main towns on the route and one that deserves a visit. It is characterised by its black stone facades, located north of the volcano opposite Catania, and halfway along the Circumetnea.
The train then descends to run alongside the Alcantara valley, and the landscape becomes less austere. You pass through the vineyards of Solicchiata and citrus plantations, where from April to May the colours and scent of orange blossom dominate.
The route ends at Riposto station. However, to return directly to Catania, you need to get off at the previous station of Giarre (1h15 between Randazzo and Giarre), to take one of the frequent trains on the Messina-Catania line.
Practical information
The cost of the ticket depends on the distance you travel (determined by the departure and arrival stations). The maximum price for a single journey is €7.90 (in 2025), and a day pass costs €15. (see the official FCE website for more information, fare updates and all timetables).
If you are coming from northern Catania, such as Taormina, you can quite easily choose the direction of the journey, starting either from Giarre station (for an anti-clockwise route around Etna) or from Catania station (for a clockwise route). These stations are frequently served by the regular train on the Messina-Catania line. In Catania, however, you need to reach the Catania Borgo station, via the metro (the simplest option), or any other means of transport.
Note that the Circumetnea does not make a complete circuit. Instead of retracing the route in the opposite direction (about 3h10), it is easy to find direct rail connections between Giarre and Catania to “close the loop”.
Trains run every day except Sundays and public holidays, with the first trains departing at around 6 a.m. and the last at around 8 p.m. Some trains do not make the full journey, being limited to the Catania-Randazzo or Riposto-Randazzo sections.
A bus line parallels the train route, with a higher frequency.
More information
External sites
- Official Circumetnea website: www.circumetnea.it
- Wikipedia page (in Italian): en.wikipedia.org