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What to do, see and eat
Sicily can be visited with the eyes and the mouth, so advice cannot be missing
on clubs, restaurants and mandatory street food stops.
This is a tour suggestion, with some recommendations optimized and summarized.
I steal the words of Goethe to explain why my journey to Sicily starts here: «Whoever places himself at the highest point, once occupied by the spectators, cannot help confessing that perhaps the audience of a theater never had before to himself a similar show. […] The look also embraces all the long mountainous back of Etna, on the left the beach up to Catania, or rather up to Syracuse ». It refers to the Ancient Theater, a wonderful place in which it is possible to attend shows and concerts in the evening and is open for sightseeing during the day.
Taormina is visited walking along its narrow streets, it is small but rich in beauty at every glimpse. From the alleys that start from the main street (Corso Umberto I) where fruit and ceramics shops follow one another, to the belvedere overlooking the sea, passing by the BamBar to taste the best granita of Taormina (to photograph the splendid tables in ceramic).
In the list of things to see absolutely marked:
* Cathedral of Taormina
* Porta Messina
* Porta Catania
* Corvaja Palace
* Gardens of the Villa Comunale
* Piazza IX Aprile
From Piazza IX Aprile you can admire a beautiful view of the Ionian sea, see the portraitists and street artists and visit the baroque church of San Giuseppe and the clock tower. The landscape is breathtaking, ideal for taking some pictures even with just your eyes. If your vacation also includes the sea, these are some of the best beaches to visit:
* Spisone beach
* Mazzarò beach
* Blue Cave
* Beautiful island
Taormina is also shopping and fun, carve out an entire day to enjoy it to the full.
Saracens, Swabians, Aragonese, have passed from peoples on the soil of Catania, the city as we know it today, stands on the ruins of the old city, the one submerged by lava in 1669 and devastated by a tragic earthquake in 1693.
The historic center and its small streets guard the city’s greatest treasure: the Baroque. In Catania the baroque is black and white thanks to the use of lava stone (black) and limestone (light) to admire it all you can walk from Piazza Stesicoro to Piazza Duomo walking towards the Archi della Marina. Arrived at the Duomo you find yourself in front of the Liotru, the elephant symbol of the city, as the Catanians call it (distortion of the name Eliondro, protagonist of one of the many popular stories that tell Catania).
In the list of things to see absolutely marked:
* Cathedral of the Duomo
* Afiteatro Romano
* The Collegiate
* Cathedral of Catania
* Fountain of the Elephant
* Badia di Sant’Agata
* Villa Bellini
* Via Crociferi
* Jesuit College
* Church of San Giuliano
* The fish store
* A Fera or Luni
* University Square
* Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini
* Villa Cerami
* Benedictine monastery
* San Berillo District
* The Amenano river that flows into the hostel of Piazza Currò
If you are in Catania on vacation, with a few minutes by car you can reach the nearby Acicastello and Acitrezza, to take a walk admiring the Faraglioni and let yourself be conquered by the village that inspired Verga’s I Malavoglia.
What and where to eat in Catania
In Catania the beauty mixes with the good, so remember to visit the city while enjoying its best foods: for arancini, pizzette, cartocciate, but also cannoli, cassate etc. from Savia (Via Etnea), for the best syrups at Chiosco Giammona (Piazza Umberto I), for a street food style fish fry from Scirocco (Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto 7), to sit at the table and eat excellent fish from Mm !! Trattoria (Via Pardo, 34). Pr a young, smart and above all kitchen based on the excellence of the FUD territory Bottega Sicula (Via Santa Filomena, 35).
The best view from above
For a memorable view of the city visit the Badia di Sant’Agata, located next to the cathedral, on Via V. Emanuele, once inside visit the inside, the dome and the terraces to enjoy a splendid view from the top of the Cathedral , of the square and of Etna in all its beauty (if the sky is clear and it almost always is). La Badia is closed on Mondays, then open all week except lunchtime.
For a nocturnal and evocative view of the city you don’t need to go too far, the Elephant Hostel (Via Etnea, 28 the door is next to the Prestipino Bar) is the right location for an aperitif with a view. This is a classic, unpretentious hostel, but the real gem is the view, expect to enjoy only that and a good drink (with € 1 more you can also enjoy something to eat). Upon entry you are asked to register, it’s free and it’s just a formality. Book if you can, it’s always full!
You are in Catania and you cannot miss the volcano, the great mother, the mountain.
You cannot literally not see it because Etna can be seen from all over the city, imposing, majestic and splendid, plus I suggest you visit it.
There are different types of excursions, suitable for everyone, to visit the volcano and the craters with trekking and jeep tours.
Less than 40 kilometers of road separate Catania from Siracusa, I suggest you to spend more days in Syracuse and its surroundings, to visit also the neighboring cities, but if you have little time, be sure to visit Ortigia, the historical heart of Syracuse, at least for an aperitif at sunset.
