Catania is an ancient city and since the VIII century a.C. it was a vivacious commercial´s harbor, it was stung of meeting of the most greater cultures of the Mediterranean. It has an important role in the alternate stories of the island, preserve precious memoirs - first among the whole important Castle Ursino, built by Fred II the emperor Svevo.
The modern city is characterized from the sumptuous and noble Baroque eighteenth-century, the escape of the long rectilinear streets, the notable stylistic homogeneity with which was reconstructed after the 1693 earthquake, the chief town is connected to the most greater international and national airports with the ultramodern port of Fontanarossa; and it is attainable through the highways Palermo-Catania and Messina-Catania.

From Mazzanò - the beach of Taormina and Gardens Naxos - up to Catania it stretches him one of the most picturesque and various lines of coast of Sicily. Afresh S. Andrea, surrounded by rocks, rock-cliffs, sea caves, as following her enchanting inlets dipped in the vegetation, up to the unforgettable landscapes of the Coast of the Cyclopses, the sea offers him in all of its more precious aspects. Here, the beaches more equipped; there, the characteristic docks; elsewhere tall and steep coasts, between sky and sea or the open and solitary beaches, surrounded by the green of the thick citrus plantation. To you treat it interrupts the landscape the black stream of lava castings in other times it went down from the Etna.

Among immense expanses of citrus plantation, in front of a line of coast that to every footstep it evokes legends - the Coast of the Cyclopses, with his/her bluffs; the river Aci, the loved by Galatea; the island Lachea, where Ulisse would be disembarked - Acireale rises, attractive, modern and rich of baroque monuments. Over that for the meekness of the climate, that is characteristic of the whole coast between Taormina and Catania where a bath of sea is almost always possible, Acireale, that rises on the eyelash of a lava terrace stretched out on the sea, has a good hotel receptiveness and is also famous for his/her thermal baths, famous since the antiquity.

The rocky spur on which the city of Taormina rises, enchanting place of stay, of aspect medieval but rich of Greek monuments and Romans, it is risen in the luxuriant vegetation of the strata of the Etna and it dominates the beach of Mazzarò, of Gardens Naxos and of the island Bella. The traces of a millennial history, from the excavations of the ancient Naxos in the stupendous Greek Theater to peak on the sea, the services of a hotel equipment of first order, the possibility of unforgettable excursions, from the Throats of the Alcàntara to the ascensions on the Etna they are some of the reasons for his/her charm in the vivacity in the summer and in the calm in the winter.

To penetrate the charm of the landscapes of the Etna, to enjoy its panoramas and to discover the nature of the mountain - that at times sour of the great solidify lava castings or that fertile of the secular pine-wood and of the lawns. You/he/she can be climbed to the top of the Etna both from the south slope - from Catania along the road that reaches the shelter Wisdom from Nicolosi (quota 1900 ms), continuing then in jeep up to the craters. From the slope north, he comes from Linguaglossa going out of the release of Fiumefreddo, on the highway Messina-Catania, crossing the road Mareneve up to Plan Provenzana (quota 1800 ms), from here with jeep up to the craters accompanied by experienced guides. After the last layers of wood the run climbs between lava and expanses of volcanic sand, it coasts along suggestive formations solidified in fantastic forms among fumarole that springs from fissures in the rock. From these heights, the panoramas embrace the islands Eolie, big part of oriental Sicily and the look he pushes, over the Narrow one, up to the coasts and to the mountains of Calabria.

A comfortable road allows to cross in auto the strata of the volcano, crossing place of I live interest, among landscape foreshortenings among the most mutable and interesting on the Etna, on the Plain one of Catania, the valleys of the Simeto and the Alcàntara.
The same run, effected with the railroad Circumetnea, it purchases the pleasant charm of past once whose rhythms adjust him to the landscapes and the grandeur of that that it was for the Arabs the mountain for excellence, the Mongibello.

When it draws near the winter, the Etna changes mantle: to the green of the lawns and the woods, to the black of the open laves the white of the soft mantle of snow replaces him, sparkling under the sun, bright and bright. The shades of the woods hack him on the silvered expanses, rippled by the asperities of the castings, now softened by the snow. The mountain abandons its severe aspect and he transforms. For the one who loves the descent ski it assumes the dresses of a cheerful skiing station; equipped with funicular and ski-lift, hotels, shelters, places of comfort and help, School Italian Alpine and Northern Ski. Many kilometers of footsteps are issued along the slopes: every finds the proper runs for his/her abilities. The impassioned ones of the fund ski can find well prepared footsteps and you confirm that they are untied through uncontaminated fable landscapes.

The greatest and elevated active volcano in Europe (3350 ms) and one of the most greater of the world, you/he/she has struck for a long time the imagination of the men. The ancient ones saw you the forge of Efesto (or Volcano, the god of the fire) and they imagined a giant, Tifeo (or Encelado), chained under his/her slopes that it did him/it tremble. His/her imposing and steamy massive structure it fascinated poets, philosophers and travellers as he/she anchors make curious and it dismays the modern excursionist that you/he/she can easily climb also you taking advantage of modern and sure equipments and of experienced guides. To protect the rich forest patrimony and faunistico, in 1987 you/he/she has been founded the Regional Natural Park of the Etna that extends him on 59.000 hectares of which 19.000 constituted by pine-wood (suggestive that of Lingualossa) and from woods of beech trees, white birch tree and chestnut trees, where the characteristic broom etnea reigns.
Here wild cats, foxes, hares, porcupines, curls and permanent and migratory birds live among which crows, magpies, thrushes, coturnici, the upupa and the red woodpecker besides various kinds of birds of prey. Over the 2000 meters the panorama turns him into that of the volcanic desert where they sprout only the pulvinis of the I Bone saint, the violas of the Etna and, more aloft, the redheads efflorescences of the "acitulidda" (Rumex scutatus).

In the serenity of a ravine of the coast, with a forenoon of sea: a long swim, the rest to the sun on the beach, a trip in boat up to the caves. Then, when the sun of midday turns on the heat, it is pleasant to shelter him in the fresh faint light of the Throats of the Alcàntara, where the river, icy, it blusters against the rocks. The day can finish then to theatre for one of the shows to the open one of the Greek Theater of Taormina.

A forenoon of ski on the fields of the Etna and to go down then to sip a tea to Taormina or to Catania or to cross the streets of the city gathering occasions to admire monuments, shows of art or the job of skilled artisans. And finally, the evening is beautiful to walk along the sea that he/she anchors it preserves the warmth in the summer.

The ideal is a trip in mountain among the woods of the Etna to find himself/herself/themselves in someone of the delicious countries of the inside, to make ceramics expenses, sweets of almonds and Sicilian cannoli or for a walk afoot along the small roads from the walls of it washes among Nicolosi, Trecastagni, Zafferana and Linguaglossa.

When the flowering makes the perfumes of the wood more intense it is the moment for an excursion, afoot or to horse, along the slopes of the Etna. At times, instead, departing soon to the morning, accompanied by experienced guides you/he/she can be decided to climb to the tallest tops of the volcano, almost to the thresholds of the fire: an unforgettable experience that alone fill a vacation.