Catania is a city of 310,000 people (2019) on the eastern coast of Sicily at the foot of Mount Etna, the biggest volcano in Europe. It is the second largest city in Sicily with the metropolitan area reaching one million inhabitants, a major transport hub, economic centre and a university city where you will enjoy a busy downtown and an active nightlife.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The city has a history dating back 2,700 years, dominated by several different cultures (Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, etc.) and was a rich commercial centre, mainly due to its port. Again, since the 1970s, the city economy is growing as the urban area and the suburbs, making Catania a large metropolitan centre, mainly between the volcano and the sea. Today, even if you can find there most of the biggest commercial centers in Europe (especially Etnapolis), the 17th-century downtown area is still the centre of the day-to-day life. Catania sits under the most major active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna, and has been destroyed many times in the past.
Catania has a compact centre and it is most convenient just to walk around. To reach outlying accommodation or the university, you'll need the bus, run by AMTS (Azienda Metropolitana Trasporti Catania). Use their interactive map to find bus lines. Single €1 (valid 90 min), Bus+Alibus €4, Bus+Metro €1.20 (valid 120 min), Day pass €2.50 (bus only). (updated Mar 2018) Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE) is a narrow-gauge railway that loops around the west flanks of Etna then back to the coast and mainline at Giarre-Riposto, 28 km north of Catania. The terminus in Catania is Borgo, with a metro connection to Centrale railway station and downtown.
1 Piazza del Duomo. An attractive, lively baroque square. Here you can find the Fontana dell'Elefante (Elephant Fountain) or U Liotru - the symbol of the city. There are three buildings here that are World Heritage Sites. The square is also an entrance to the elegant via Etnea, the main shopping street. (updated Jan 2016) 2 Cattedrale di Sant'Agata (Duomo), Piazza del Duomo. M-Sa 07:00-12:00, 16:00-19:00; Su 07:30-12:00, 16:30-19:00. An imposing cathedral, well worth visiting. Also see for Terme Achilliane and Museo Diocesano which are located there. (updated Mar 2017) 3 Museo Diocesano (Diocesan Museum), Via Etnea 8, ☏ +39 095 281635.
1 Via Etnea. Walk the main shopping avenue, running north from the Piazza del Duomo has most of the city's imposing building and is busy throughout the day and evening. Lots of churches. This road is the equivalent of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, so in the evenings the local people put on their Sunday clothes and walk at a relaxed pace along this avenue. La Plaja, sandy beaches south of the city along the bay The Riviera dei ciclopi, a rocky, volcano coast north of the city, stretching almost to Taormina Visit a minor religious festival, but avoid Sant'Agata on the 5th February due to the excessive crowds. EtnaWay, ☏ +39 328-197-7919, info@etnaway.com.
Catania is proud of its specialities. A famous speciality is pasta alla Norma which consists in pasta (generally macaroni) dressed with tomato sauce and topped with fried eggplant slices, grated ricotta salata (salty ricotta) and fresh basil. The fish is also good, as Catania is a large port. The city is also known for horse meat, especially in some areas around the "Benedictine Monastery". Typical Catanese pastry include the world-wide famous cannolo alla Ricotta, cassatella di Sant'Agata (a small cassata) and pasta di Mandorla (based on almond meal). Like in most of Sicily, you can get a freshly made cold panini in a salumeria, where you choose whatever you want to put in (prosciutto co…
You'd find all kinds of kiosks in the city which sell various refreshments, such as coffee, limoncello or popular local drinks such as seltz al limone (soda water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice) or mandarino al limone (soda water with tangerine syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice). 1 Grammazita, P.za Federico di Svevia, 90-94 (in the smaller square north of the Castello Ursino). W-Su 18:00-2:00. Bohemian bar with wine, beer, cocktails. Has live music performances most nights, LGBTQ+ friendly. Also has an associated bookshop next door with children's toys and local art prints. (updated Jul 2026) 2 Vermut, Via Gemmellaro, 39 (in the middle of the bar district), ☏ +393476001978.
Catania is the safest major city in Sicily, even during the night as there are a lot of students and people around throughout the city centre. Be careful not to look conspicuously touristy, exposing jewelry, large bags or photo gear that might entice fast pickpockets or robbers. They are abundant all around the city and they recognize immediately anyone who is not from around here. However using common sense is more than enough the avoid all problems. You may encounter some people asking for money.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €59 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Jul, Catania typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-21. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.