Catania, Sicily

Europe's highest active volcano — a UNESCO World Heritage Site rising 3,350 metres above the Sicilian coastline, visible from Catania's harbour on clear days. The cable car (Funivia) from the Rifugio Sapienza at 1,923m carries visitors to 2,500m in eight minutes; from there, a 4WD bus and guided walk take you to the 3,000m level with direct views into the smoking summit craters and across the entire island.

Catania's magnificent Baroque heart — a vast white lava-stone square presided over by the 18th-century Cathedral of Saint Agatha and the city's beloved mascot, the Fontana dell'Elefante: a lava-stone elephant (dating from ancient times) topped with an Egyptian obelisk, designed by Vaccarini in 1736. The surrounding palaces, the Porta Uzeda, and the fish market entrance form one of the most dramatic urban squares in southern Italy.

One of the most extraordinary markets in Europe — a raucous, visceral, theatrical fish market that has operated in the basement of the Piazza del Duomo since the 11th century. Swordfish, tuna, sea urchins, octopus, clams, and the entire Mediterranean catch are sold with operatic passion by vendors who sing and shout their prices in Sicilian dialect. As much a cultural performance as a market.

The second largest Benedictine monastery in Europe — a vast 17th-century complex of 14,000 square metres built on top of ancient lava flows, now part of the University of Catania. The unfinished Baroque facade (work was never completed after the 1693 earthquake) is one of the most arresting architectural sights in Sicily. The interior cloisters, with their decorative inlaid columns, are among the finest in southern Italy.

Catania's most celebrated fish restaurant, located in a former warehouse at the edge of the Pescheria fish market. Every morning the owner selects the day's menu directly from the market below — whatever is freshest becomes the dishes. Expect raw sea urchin, swordfish involtini, pasta with bottarga, grilled whole fish, and the definitive pasta alla Norma (eggplant, tomato, and salted ricotta) in a warm, stone-vaulted room.

Sicily's most iconic street food — the arancino (or arancina) — a deep-fried rice ball stuffed with ragù, mozzarella, and peas, in a crispy golden-orange breadcrumb crust. Rosticceria Russo is one of Catania's most respected producers of arancini, selling a range of varieties from the classic ragù to pistachio, mushroom and scamorza, and spicy 'nduja. Eaten standing at the counter as locals do.

A beloved, unpretentious family trattoria near the Via Etnea shopping street — a Catania institution for classic Sicilian cooking: pasta alla Norma, caponata, swordfish alla Catanese, fried zucchini blossoms, and baked aubergine with ricotta. The dining room is packed with local families at Sunday lunch; the menu changes with the seasons and what the market offers each morning.

Catania's most famous pasticceria and the definitive address for the Sicilian cannolo — a crisp fried pastry tube filled with fresh sheep's ricotta, chocolate chips, and candied orange peel. Savia has operated since 1897 and their cannolo are filled to order (essential — they must be eaten within 10 minutes of filling). Also renowned for their granita con brioche and cassata Siciliana.

Sicily's most celebrated winery with a Catania tasting room focused on their Etna wines — volcanic terroir produces some of the most distinctive wines in Italy: the Nerello Mascalese (Etna Rosso) and Carricante (Etna Bianco) are grown on the volcano's mineral-rich black lava soil and have a transparency and precision more reminiscent of Burgundy than conventional Sicilian wine. A structured tasting of three Etna wines with cheese and local charcuterie.

Via dei Crociferi is Catania's most beautiful Baroque street — a UNESCO-listed lane lined with church facades, convents, and palaces flanking a single row of local bars where the Catanese aperitivo culture thrives from 6pm. Il Vicolo and Bar Duomo are the most reliably good; order a Campari Spritz or an Aperol and receive a generous spread of Sicilian antipasti (arancini, bruschetta, olives, caponata) as part of the deal.

The closest organised beach to Catania's city centre — a stretch of dark volcanic sand (typical of the Etna coastline) south of the port, with beach clubs, sunbeds, and clear, warm Ionian Sea water. The dark sand absorbs heat remarkably and the water clarity is excellent. Despite the urban setting, the beach is clean and popular with Catanese families throughout the season.

The most dramatic coastal scenery near Catania — a cluster of basalt lava rock stacks (the Faraglioni dei Ciclopi) rising from the Ionian Sea in the fishing village of Aci Trezza. According to Homer, these are the rocks Polyphemus hurled at Odysseus. The sea around the stacks is crystal clear and excellent for snorkelling. The village itself is a working fishing harbour with excellent seafood restaurants along the waterfront.

One of the most spectacularly situated towns in the Mediterranean — a hilltop resort of medieval palaces and Baroque churches perched 200 metres above the Ionian Sea, with Etna's snowcapped cone looming behind and the turquoise bay of Naxos below. The ancient Greek theatre (3rd century BC), still used for performances, frames the most famous view in Sicily. The corso and gardens are exceptionally beautiful.

One of the finest opera houses in Italy — an ornate 1890 Baroque-Neoclassical theatre named for Catania's most celebrated son, the opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835). The interior, with its gilded boxes, painted ceiling, and a chandelier depicting the four seasons, is among the most beautiful in southern Italy. Guided tours run daily; occasional daytime performances take place during the cruise season.

Catania's main thoroughfare — a dead-straight 3km boulevard running from Piazza del Duomo northwards directly towards the summit of Etna, giving one of the most dramatic urban axial views in the world: the entire length of the street terminated by the volcano's cone. The street is lined with Baroque palaces, the finest shops in Catania (clothing, ceramics, local food products), and the street food vendors that make up the city's edible culture.