10 Best Day Trips From Catania
Are you thinking of basing yourself in Catania for part or all of your trip to Sicily? Many people do! To help with your planning, I want to share 10 day trips you can make from Catania.
What are the benefits of staying in Catania and using it as a home base to visit the east coast of Sicily? First and foremost in my mind, Catania is an incredible food city. You’ll eat so well and at good prices.
Of course, being a large city, Catania is lively at night. You’ll never be without something to do in the evenings. It is also centrally located on the east coast of Sicily and close to many interesting and beautiful destinations.
If you’re a city person, you will want to use Catania as a home base during your Sicilian vacation. This post features day trip destinations that are all within 90 minutes of the city.
Do you need a car to get to these destinations? No, not all of them. I’ll be sure to mention which ones you can reach by public transportation.
Here are the 10 best day trips from Catania to include in your Sicily itinerary.
Note: A will not be including Taormina and Ortigia on this list. Those two destinations are the most common and obvious day trips from Catania, but I already have posts about how to spend a wonderful day in each of them. Here I’m going to feature some other beautiful towns and areas that are also well-worth a visit!
Aci Castello & Aci Trezza
A short distance from Catania, Aci Castello and Aci Trezza lie right next to each other along the coast. They are small villages, but each has an interesting attraction and a relaxing coastal atmosphere.
Aci Castello features a 1000-year-old Norman Castle built into the rock along the water. It’s beautiful to look at, but you can also enter the castle for a small admission fee.
Aci Castello
From Aci Castello, you can walk to Aci Trezza in under 20 minutes. Aci Trezza is famous for its three volcanic stone peaks that jut out of the sea, known as the “cyclopi.” The town is also known for its annual swordfish festival every June.
Historically a fishing village, Aci Trezza is a great place to enjoy some seafood. There are many restaurants along the waterfront, but for a more casual and affordable meal, we liked going to Ristosnack Pistorio.
Aci Trezza
If you visit the area by car, I suggest also checking out Acireale, only 10 minutes down the road from Aci Trezza. It’s a beautiful town perched high above the sea. Be sure to stop by Al San Domenico Bar for incredible granita!
Another food stop you could make near these “Aci” towns is in Capo Mulini. For a tiny village, Capo Mulini has several restaurants lined along its waterfront. It is an amazing location to enjoy a long, indulgent lunch or dinner.
Getting There
You can arrive in Aci Castello in about 15 minutes by car from Catania.
Unfortunately, you cannot go by train, but it is possible to get there by bus. The 534 city bus goes to Aci Castello and takes about 50 minutes from the center of Catania. You can buy city bus tickets at a tabaccheria like this one and catch the bus here.
To return to Catania by bus, take the 534 again from one of the many bus stops between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza. I always caught the bus at this stop in Aci Trezza.
Lettojanni
If you want to spend a day at the beach while staying in Catania, Lettojanni is a great option. The beach town has a long, wide stretch of sandy coastline.
You can go to the beach for free or pay for a chair and umbrella in a lido area. There are many restaurants and bars near the beach as well.
Lettojanni is very close to Taormina, so the two towns can easily be visited on the same day. If you’re visiting Taormina in the high season when the popular Isola Bella beach is packed, head over to Letojanni for a swim after exploring Taormina.
Getting There
Letojanni is about a 45-minute drive from Catania.
You can also easily reach the town in under an hour by train from the central station in Catania. The train station in Letojanni is conveniently located only a few minutes walk from the beach.
Mount Etna
The most adventurous day trip you can take from Catania is to the top of Mount Etna. The active volcano offers a completely different landscape and temperature than the rest of the island. It is a truly fascinating experience to spend a day hiking on Etna.
Several companies provide guided hiking tours on the mountain. It can be strenuous but well worth all the effort!
It is also an educational experience, as many of the guides are geologists and will share enthralling information and stories about the volcano. You’ll also have many opportunities to ask questions.
You could venture out on your own to hike on Mount Etna, but I don’t recommend it. The weather can change quickly, and proper gear will keep you safe. If you only splurge once on a guided tour while in Sicily, do it to see Mount Etna.
There are some really nice hiking trails a little lower on the mountain that can be explored on your own. But where craters are involved, book a guide.
If you’re a wine lover, you should definitely include a visit to a winery while you’re on Etna. There are FABULOUS wineries to enjoy on the mountain. Gambino Vini is a favorite among my Italian friends.
Getting There
If you are traveling by car, you can reach the starting point for many of the Etna guided tours in about 1 hour from Catania.
Without a car, you can still enjoy a full Mount Etna experience. Many full-day tours, like this one, start from Catania.
Randazzo
Around the west side of Mount Etna lies the quiet, unassuming town of Randazzo. I’ve ranted and raved about Randazzo in another post:
To me, it is a food destination. You can find fantastic gelato, meats, cheeses, and restaurants in this small town.
But Randazzo is also a great example of a quintessential Sicilian village. It’s fun to explore its quiet alleys and greet the locals.
On your way to Randazzo from Catania, you can also stop in Bronte, a town world famous for its pistachios. Pasticceria I Maestri del Pistacchio is the best place to sample all the sweet and savory pistachio treats.
Getting There
It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to arrive in Randazzo from Catania by car.
You can also get to Randazzo via an old train system that travels around Mount Etna from Catania. I’ve written about taking that train in another post:
Avola
Avola is a gem of a little town that is easy to get to from Catania. It is located between Siracusa and Noto, so a day trip to Avola could certainly be combined with either of those popular destinations.
I love Avola because the town is pretty, it has a quiet beach, and I had a great food experience there. We ate a delicious lunch at Ca’…Si Mangia Da Silvano, where there was no written menu and we let the owners decide what we should eat.
Along with Noto, Avola is known for its almonds. You’ll find almonds in flavorful pastas and desserts throughout the town.
If you’re looking to spend time at a beach that’s not filled with tourists, I recommend going to Avola. Aside from swimming, you can also explore the ruins of a 1600s tuna fishery by the beach. The water is about a 15-minute walk from the town center.
Getting There
By car, you can reach Avola in 1 hour from Catania.
You can get there by train, but it involves a layover at the Siracusa train station. If you want to go to Avola using public transportation, I recommend taking the bus. For this destination, it is cheaper and faster than taking the train.
From the Catania Central Bus Station, it is a 1 hour 20 minute bus ride to Avola. You can purchase the bus ticket in advance using Trainline.
Caltagirone
Another perfect day trip from Catania that could be combined with other nearby sights is Caltagirone. The town is best known for its centuries-old tradition of producing ceramics. This makes it a great place for Sicilian souvenirs.
I visited Caltagirone on a dreary December day, but it still left a big impression on me. It’s beautiful! Colorful ceramic tiles are built into the town’s walls, bridges, and stairs.
The symbol of Caltagirone is its 142-step stairway covered in handmade tiles. The tiles are designed to give a history of Sicily, with each design representing an era or conqueror of the island. It’s quite the sight (and a great workout).
Getting There
You can arrive in Caltagirone in about 1 hour by car from Catania.
Taking the bus from the Catania Central Bus Station is convenient and cheap. The bus ride is 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Piazza Armerina
Just outside the village of Piazza Armerina is Villa Romana del Casale, an ancient Roman villa. The villa contains beautifully preserved mosaics depicting scenes with people and animals.
You’ll enjoy visiting Villa Romana del Casale if you love art or history. The artistry and preservation are truly impressive.
It takes about 2 hours to visit the site, so this trip could easily be combined with a visit to another nearby destination, like Caltagirone or Enna.
Getting There
To get from Catania to Piazza Armerina by car, it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is difficult to reach this area by public transportation.
Marzamemi
If you’ve been planning your trip to Sicily for a while, you’ve probably seen photos of adorable Marzamemi. It is a picturesque, little village with only 300 and some inhabitants.
It used to be a fishing village with a tuna fishery, but these days, it’s filled with charming seafood restaurants. The atmosphere is particularly enchanting in the evenings.
I would suggest having lunch or dinner in Marzamemi and visiting nearby Noto or Avola on the same day. Or you could visit a winery and the Cavagrande del Cassibile nature reserve before heading to Marzamemi for dinner.
Getting There
Marzamemi can only be reached by car. The drive there is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Catania.
Modica
We’ve come to one of my favorite Sicilian towns, Modica! If you’ve heard of Modica, it’s probably because of the popular (and delicious) chocolate made there. But it’s a beautiful town that feels very lived-in and full of rustic Sicilian charm.
The famous chocolate is definitely a highlight of visiting Modica, but there are also stunning examples of Baroque architecture, like the Duomo di San Giorgio. The houses have beautifully coordinating roofs and colors, and flowers abound. I love it there.
There’s a plethora of great pastry shops and bars. The locals are particularly friendly and helpful in Modica. It gets talked about the least of the “Baroque towns” in Sicily, but Modica is a gem.
Getting There
Modica is 1 hour and 30 minutes from Catania by car.
It is possible to reach Modica by train from Catania, but the journey is much longer, over 3 hours.
Ragusa
A favorite of many travelers, Ragusa is a beautiful, Baroque town near Modica. The old part of Ragusa, Ragusa Ibla, is stunning from a distance and charming up close. You’ll definitely want to have your camera ready.
In Ragusa Ibla, you’ll find gorgeous architecture, a beautiful garden park to wander, and your choice of amazing restaurants. A highlight for me was Gelati Divini, a wonderful gelateria with some unique Sicilian flavors.
But even the “new” town of Ragusa is fun to stroll. There are quaint streets and pretty piazzas, perfect for enjoying an aperitivo.
If you’re traveling by car, you could easily visit Ragusa and Modica on the same day trip. They are only 20 minutes apart.
Getting There
You can reach Ragusa by car in 1 hour and 30 minutes from Catania.
The bus is a good option for traveling between Ragusa and Catania. It takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes, only slightly longer than traveling by car.
Like Modica, it is possible to get to Ragusa by train from Catania, but the journey is several hours long. I would only use the train if you plan to stay the night in Ragusa.
Those are my 10 different options for day trips from Catania! I hope you can incorporate a few of them into your Sicily itinerary.
Which destinations in this post appeal to you the most? Let me know in the comments section below so that I can include more information about those places in future posts.