The 12 best day trips from Catania, Sicily

Living near Catania or just making it your home base for a holiday in Sicily? Great news: the world is your oyster. Day trips from Catania can take you to some of the best Sicily has to offer!

Well, at 33 weeks pregnant (read: huh? what? how? AHHHHH) our travel plans are officially done until the Newbie makes his grand appearance.

Cue me getting sad about the “end of an era” while Chris looks on, puzzled. 

Anyway, since we’ve got no plans (yet?) to leave our island before July, it got me thinking again about all the great places there are in our part of Sicily. I might be biased, but I especially like our area since we are a relatively short jaunt from what I’d consider to be some of the best places to visit in Sicily. While I wouldn’t personally want to live in the big city, there are a ton of great day trips from Catania — or really the entire province of Catania — that make this part of Sicily a great base for exploring the island.

So, whether you are lucky enough to be living here or just planning a Sicilian holiday, I wanted to share some of our favorite day trips. Obviously this list isn’t exhaustive — there really is a ton to do over here, guys! — but they are all ones we’ve done and enjoyed. Happy traveling!

Related post: Top 10 reasons you should plan a family holiday in Sicily!

Our favorite day trips from Catania

1. Siracusa/Ortigia

Driving distance from Catania: about 50 minutes

It was a tough choice, trying to decide whether to place Siracusa or Taormina first when it comes to the best day trips from Catania; they are about equidistant from the city and both AWESOME. But for whatever reason, Siracusa just has a little something extra that I love.

Siracusa, once one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world, is a place steeped in history (and the place where Fiona once smacked Owen with an ice cream cone on Mother’s Day). I’ve written about it extensively in this post, so you’ll find more details there. If you are going to Siracusa, my first advice would be to drive across one of two bridges to the island of Ortigia, where you’ll find the heart of this area. It’s also, apparently, the birth place of one or both of the twin Greek gods Artemis and Apollo. (I have questions about logistics if only one of them was born there, however).

I would suggest making your way through the Ortigia farmer’s market, stopping to take a look at the Temple of Apollo and then head toward the Duomo di Siracusa, which is well worth stepping inside. If you are going with kids, the Castello Maniace is a fun stop as well, plus it is right on the sea so you can definitely stop and look for fish! I’d also highly suggest taking a 1-hour boat tour around the island, which will include looking at various sea caves.

If you are interested in history, Siracusa’s archaeological park is absolutely worth a visit as well; you’ll want to set aside at least a couple hours for this.

Restaurant recommendation for Ortigia: La Volpe e L’Uva, a pizza place right across from the Duomo. We’ve been there several times and love it!

2. Taormina

Driving distance from Catania: 50 minutes

Taormina is probably one of the best-known spots in Sicily, and that’s for a reason: it is gorgeous. Its location only about an hour to the north of Sicily’s largest airport also makes it an excellent option for a day trip from Catania — though if you have the time, an overnight here would be a lot of fun.

Topping the must-see list for Taormina has to be its ancient Greek theater, which dates back to the third century BC. Not only is the theater in amazing shape — they still have concerts there! — but the views from it are incredible.

You’ll also want to stroll down the Corso Umberto I to take a peak in the fancy shops (for my Chicago people, this is like Taormina’s Michigan Avenue) until you hit the Piazza IX Aprile. Basically, if I said the word “Sicily” to you, this piazza is what your brain would come up with as the mental picture. There’s usually even an accordion player hanging out there, for crying out loud! Stop and grab a gelato or cocktail here, and enjoy some incredible views and ambiance.

Don’t miss visiting the city’s public gardens, the Villa Communale, if you can help it. This is a beautiful place to walk around, visit some exotic birds and (yes, again) take in the views. I’d also say the experience is enhanced by grabbing a couple cannoli from nearby Roberto’s as well!

If you are looking for some beach time, you can also visit Taormina’s beaches near the iconic Isola Bella. However, I will note that these aren’t particularly my favorite for visiting with kids because they are pretty rocky (we’ll get to some better ones at the end here). But if you are there on a hot day and the water looks tempting — go for it!

Eating, to me, is a big part of visiting Taormina and there are a lot of great options. Here’s a few of our restaurant recommendations:

For granita: Bam Bar. Seriously, don’t miss going here. Don’t bail if there’s a line. Don’t think you can get something just as good elsewhere. It is far and away the best granita we’ve had on Sicily. Also, don’t forget cream and brioche. I don’t care if I sound bossy, just do this! *CLOSED ON MONDAY, be warned. NEW REPORT: Bam Bar closed until March 1!! 

For cannoli: Laboratorio Pasticceria Roberto. Hands down, the best cannoli. I don’t even like cannoli that much, unless it is from Roberto’s. Then I eat them all.

For cheap eats: Da Cristina. Fabulous pizza, arancini and more, available for takeaway at a very reasonable price.

For a cocktail: Timoleone Cafe. This cute little garden cocktail bar is tucked away near the ancient Greek theater and is just the nicest little stop. We usually wait here while guests tour the theater, as we’ve been a few times now.

For a laugh: Bar Turrisi. A penis-themed bar near Taormina’s Castelmola area. I haven’t been yet, but the pictures from there are hilarious.

For a sit-down meal: Ristorante Granduca Taormina. A little on the pricey side, but delicious.

3. Mount Etna

Driving distance from Catania: It depends, but about 1 hour to Etna Sud

You can’t visit eastern Sicily without admiring our volcano. I’m pretty sure that’s like, a law. You just can’t.

Mount Etna is far and away the largest volcano in Italy (Vesuvius, you are a pipsqueak compared to our lady Etna!) and the second largest in Europe. It is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world, as it is nearly always smoking. We’ve been treated to  eruptions several times since arriving here in October 2016, and it is always thrilling.

So you have many options for visiting Etna, depending on your preferred budget and physical activity level. We’re cheap, so thus far we’ve limited ourselves to doing free activities, hiking on Etna and going up to Etna Sud (the highest point you can drive to on our side) to see the two large craters, the Silvestri Crateri. Our favorite hike is to the Val del Bove, pictured below, which takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the person. If you want to do that one, here is a pin for the start of the trail.

At Etna Sud, you’ll find several restaurants and souvenir shops, but the main reason we go is to see the Silvestri Crateri. Seeing these gives you the “feel” of hiking and the chance to admire the mountain from high up, but without the massive effort of hiking or expense of going to the tippy top. 

For those willing to spend some money, there are plenty of options for fun ways to see more of Mount Etna on a variety of tours. We know people who have toured Mount Etna on quad bikes or donkeys, and most recently some friends of ours have been trying to organize us to do an Etna hike with alpacas.(That one, however, will have to wait until this baby is out!).

If you’d like to go to the top of Mount Etna, you can drive to Etna Sud and take the funicular up higher, followed by a jeep ride to the summit. We’ve never done this because it is around 60 euro a person and the days we might have splurged it was cloudy, but I understand it is worth doing at least once.

If skiing on an active volcano is on your bucket list, you may be able to do that as well, provided you come at the right time of year. The people I know who have skied on Etna went to Etna Nord (the other side of the mountain); if you are interested check out STAR Nord. A good friend just went there recently and says that she’s also taken her children there for sledding! (Hi, Leigh Ann!)

Restaurant suggestion for Etna Sud: Rifugio Sapienza. Easy place to grab a pizza or some pasta after wearing yourselves out on the mountain.

4. Agrigento

Driving distance from Catania: 2 hours

I’ll be honest, Agrigento almost didn’t make it on to the list as a possible day trip from Catania just because of its location: it’ll take you a two hours of driving to make it there. However, I’m told non-crazy people consider that to be a perfectly normal distance for a day trip and, on balance, it is such a unique place that I’d say it is worth the effort to go even if you only have a day.*

*Note: we actually have done this in a day trip and all the driving wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected, but an overnight is still my personal preference.

The reason that Agrigento is worth a day trip despite the distance is simple: the Valley of the Temples. As my mother-in-law noted when she was here, this is a dumb name as the temples are actually located on a ridge. But if you can ignore that bit of weirdness, you’ll be treated to some of the best-preserved Greek temples outside of Greece itself.

I’ve written about Agrigento at length before (see this post about our weekend in Agrigento), so I won’t go on much other than to say it is pretty incredible. If you are a history buff, you won’t want to miss this. However, I strongly recommend against going in the heat of summer, as it is likely to be hot as hell. Spring, fall and winter are your best bets for Agrigento.

This city can absolutely work as a day trip from Catania, but if you have time I recommend doing an overnight there so you can take advantage of seeing the nearby Scala dei Turchi as well. If you do, I’d consider looking at the B&B Villa Carlotta Resort. It was comfortable, very affordable (I think we paid 100 euro for a two-bedroom “family room”) and had a great breakfast and a pool. And puppies to play with! Though I suppose that last one probably isn’t a permanent feature.

5. Modica

Driving distance from Catania: 1 hour and 30 minutes

We took a weekend trip to the next three towns on my list shortly after we arrived in Sicily, and loved each one. UNESCO World Heritage site Modica, however, gets a special mention — and a recent return visit when my in-laws were in town in November 2018 — because of its reputation as a chocolate town. Here you can find a unique variety of chocolate that dates back to the Aztecs, as conveyed to Sicily by the Spanish. If you want to visit, I’d suggest booking a chocolate tour at Antica Dolceria Bonajuto. And bring your wallet, because you are going to end up buying way too much chocolate. (Unless, I guess, you are one of those weirdos with that thing — what’s it called? Self control?)

Read more about our weekend in Modica here. 

After that, I’d suggest wandering the city to take in its famous Baroque architecture and (what else?) more chocolate samples at every shop you take. Don’t forget to get some hot chocolate!

Recommended restaurants: Osteria Dei Sapori-Perduti OR A Putia Ro’Vinu. Both delicious!

6. Noto

Driving distance from Catania: 1 hour, 5 minutes

We’ve got another World Heritage Site here — and this feels like a good time to mention that if you only have a few days, visiting Modica, Noto and Ragusa over the course of a couple of them can be an efficient way to see a lot.

The town of Noto is magnificent, in part because so much of it was destroyed by a devastating 1693 earthquake and, I have to say, they did a bang-up job on reconstruction. Noto has been dubbed “The Stone Garden,” you can cruise down the city’s main drag and see an incredible collection of beautiful Baroque architecture. Check out the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, Chiesa di San Domenico and Noto Cathedral.

Restaurant recommendation: Absolutely go to Trattoria al Buco! We had a phenomenal meal there one Sunday shortly after we arrived and I’m still dreaming about it.

7. Ragusa

Driving distance from Catania: About 1 hour and 25 minutes

The last of our three favorite towns in the Val di Noto (all UNESCO World Heritage towns!) is the capital of the province of Ragusa, helpfully also named Ragusa. If you are out this way, I’d definitely say it is worth a stop here because it is just a lovely little town. But I’d suggest bringing as small a car as possible — read why here.

Ragusa is divided into two parts, Ragusa Ibla (the old town) and Ragusa Superiore (the upper part of the city). The showstopper in Ragusa will be — you can’t possibly be shocked by this at this point, right? — the Duomo di Ragusa, the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista. Like the cathedral in Modica, this one was designed by master architect Rosario Gagliardi and is considered one of his best works. Definitely consider popping in, if you aren’t sick of churches by now.

Once you’ve made it to the piazza in front of the Duomo, you’re going to need to stop and get some wine-flavored ice cream, a signature dish here. We got ours at Gelati DiVini right on the square and it was phenomenal and WEIRD. I didn’t necessarily have high expectations of wine-flavored ice cream, but the moscato I got somehow tasted simultaneously like a) wine, b) ice cream and c) delicious. Yes, please.

We took the tourist train around Ragusa; these are pretty much ubiquitous in all the towns here, but we particularly liked this one. If you are in Ragusa with kids, friends of ours also highly recommend a stop at the Gardino Ibleo, an incredible city park with playground equipment, paths and (of course) great views. This is on our list to see when we go back sometime!

Restaurant recommendations: Obviously, hit Gelati DiVini for wine ice cream! But if you are looking for a more substantial meal, our other very smart friends (hi Amanda!) recommend grabbing sausage, cheese, limoncello and wine at Enoteco Il Barocco.

8. Caltagirone

Driving distance: 1 hour 

If you love shopping and gorgeous pottery, you’re going to want to head inland to Caltagirone. We’ve been here quite a few times now, and every time I come home with more colorful pottery. YOLO, I guess!

The main thing you are going to want to see is the Scala di Santa Maria del Monte, an enormous 142-step showstopper of a staircase in which each step is decorated with the city’s signature painted tiles. 

As you’re walking up the stairs, you’ll find tons of little pottery shops that you can pop into for a look. (There’s also a pottery museum in Caltagirone, but I always figure shopping is basically the same … right?). I always end up taking something home because I just can’t help myself.

A few times of year, Caltagirone will have festivals where they decorate the staircase with elaborate displays of flowers and candles. I haven’t been during one of those times, but it looks magnificent! Also, if you come around Christmas-time, there will be a lot of elaborate creche displays at all the (many) local churches. We haven’t made it out for that, but friends have told me it is neat.

At the top of the stairs you’ll find the church of Santa Maria del Monte, which is worth a pop in (and is free).

By the way, if you are looking for a laugh feel free to read about that one time we almost ran over Caltagirone’s most famous monument.

9. Alcantara Gorge

Driving time from Catania: 50 minutes

If you are looking to take in more of Sicily’s natural beauty, Alcantara Gorge makes for an excellent spot for hiking, lounging and even body surfing. I’ve written about all that Alcantara Gorge has to offer before, so check that post out if you are interested in a few more specifics.

But to summarize: the gorge is made up of these incredible basalt columns that were formed about 8,000 years ago when lava flow from Etna met cold river water, causing it to crystallize into various shapes and crack in some places. The columns are surprisingly smooth to the touch.

We visited the Alcantara Gorge Botanical and Geological Park in the height of summer, which was a perfect time for trying to body surf through the gorge because the water is incredibly, insanely cold. Chris, my cold-weather guy, wouldn’t even do it because the water was so frigid (also because he felt body surfing without pads was stupid because they offer tours that specifically require helmets, and he figures that’s for a reason). That makes it one of those rare places that we consider better to visit during the summer — UNLESS, that is, you want to hike. I really wish we’d done this, to be honest, because some of the paths laid out appear to take you to cool views. But at the time, it was too damn hot for anything but getting in the water.

Hot tip: wear some water shoes. Flip flops and going barefoot are both terrible ideas. SERIOUSLY.

10. Aci Castello/Aci Trezza

I’m going to lump two of the “Aci” towns here together,  as I think they’d be convenient to do on the same day if you are only here on holiday and don’t have a few years to thoroughly explore Sicily. (Also a fun fact, we used to live up in the “Aci” area before our move last summer!).

Aci Castello is home to the Castello Normanno, where the kids and I explored just last year. I wrote about the Castello Normanno in this post, so feel free to check that out for more information and photos. Like many castles in the area, it is just neat looking because it is perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. All the better for defending, right?

Aci Trezza, meanwhile, is a small but charming seaside town that we love for just walking around and especially dining. Like fresh seafood? Yeah, this is your place.

You may or may not know that according to the myths, the cyclops of Homer’s Odyssey actually lived inside Mount Etna. After Odysseus and those of his men who were not immediately eaten managed to blind Polyphemus and escape by boat, they unwisely taunted the cyclops and he blindly picked up some boulders and started chucking them in the direction of the taunting. THESE are those stones.

Restaurant recommendation: One of our favorite places to take guests is Le Muse, especially when we get an outdoor table. Last time we went, they brought fresh fish to the table so my dad could personally select his victim. Afterwards, we usually grab a cocktail at Mythos Bar.

11. Enna

Driving distance from Catania: about 1 hour and 15 minutes

After two years in Sicily, we finally visited the inland town of Enna just last November. It was cute and an excellent choice for a little low-key exploring, particularly if you are in Sicily for the long haul. For us, the top priority was seeing Enna’s own castle, which is perched at the very highest part of a town that is already on a hill.

The Castello di Lombardia is one of the oldest castles in Sicily and one of the largest medieval castles in all of Italy. Castles have stood on this particular site for thousands of years, no doubt because it makes an excellent vantage point to watch for enemies (good time to remind you that Sicily has been conquered by different groups approximately a zillion times in the past few thousand years). This particular iteration of the castle dates back to about the 10th century.

This castle charges no admission, which also makes it an attractive stop for a day trip. It’ll take you quite a while to explore the grounds and peak into various areas, though there aren’t a lot of “displays” outside of one spot that shows off some period costumes and information about castle history.

You’ll want to climb the highest tower of the castle. It’s a lot of somewhat alarming steps, but it is worth it so that you can get views like THESE.

At the foot of the castle, near the exit, you’ll find a statue commemorating Euno, a slave who “2,000 years before Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves” (according to the plaque I recently had to translate since my Italian sucks) led a bold slave uprising in Enna against the Roman Empire. From what I understand, this was the beginning of the First Servile War against the empire, which ran from 135 to 132 BC. The last and most famous of the three slave revolts in this period was led by Spartacus.

After seeing the castle, it’s a short walk to the Duomo di Enna (there’s always a duomo, isn’t there?). Like a surprising number of churches we’ve stumbled across in Sicily, it doesn’t look like that much on the outside, then you walk in and BAM! Opulence.

I’m including this picture from the church just because Mary’s fed-up face (and belly) are currently speaking to me on a deep level.

Restaurant recommendation: Meimuna! Located super close to the castle, this restaurant is both convenient and absolutely delicious. As a bonus, they make pizzas during lunch time (not common in Sicily). Yes, please. Check out this post if you are looking for even more options for where to eat in Enna!

12. THE BEACH

Well, I realize listing “the beach” isn’t terrible specific, but any list of day trips from Catania would be remiss without including some beach suggestions. I mean, if you are here during summer that’s what you want most, right?

We’ve been to a fair number of beaches out here now, but at this point we’ve pretty much narrowed it down to three favorites. Which one we go to depends on our mood of the day. All of these are to the south of Catania, as we much prefer the sandy beaches there to rockier versions to the north of us.

For amenities: Fontane Bianche. We love the convenience of going to lidos because you rent a chair and are pretty well set for the day. If you don’t feel like packing a lunch or a bunch of drinks, you can just buy them on site for pretty reasonable prices. We’ve spent a lot of happy hours here!

For a basic beach: Cassibile Nature Reserve. This one isn’t a lido, so you won’t pay to get on the beach, but will need to bring your own chairs, blanket, sun shade, snacks, etc. Parking will set you back about 15 euro as of last summer, but you can park very close to the beach so it is convenient. (Here is a pin for the turn to get to parking, it is easy to fly past so be careful). We like this one if we are into a more low-key and low-cost beach trip. There are also cliffs you can jump off into the sea, if you are less concerned with your own mortality than we are.

For a splurge: Lido San Lorenzo Plus. I actually had to look up the name of this place, as we just call it “fancy beach.” This one is a definite splurge, especially in summer, and if you are coming toward the end of July or in August you’ll want to make sure you get reservations ahead of time. It is pretty expensive, but there is also an app that  you can use to have food and drinks delivered straight to your chair (when it is working, otherwise you have to flag a waiter). There are also a couple of on-site dining options. Plus, you can rent a bed like this:

Note: One of our favorite beaches is actually in Cefalu, a northern Sicily town little more than two hours away. I just can’t seem to bring myself to consider it a day trip from Catania though, even if it is practically the same distance as Agrigento. Spending a day baking in the sun on the beach, then driving home for two hours? Not for me, guys. But check out this post if you are of hardier stock and I am.

So, that about wraps this up! Friends who live here, what are some of your favorite day trips from Catania? Any recommendations to add for any of these cities? I’d love to hear them!