Catania lies in the shadow of Etna, and you can see it everywhere. The houses are built from black lava stone, the baroque façades on Piazza del Duomo went up after the earthquake of 1693, and the volcano peers down at you from the end of Via Etnea. The city is raw, noisy and fun, and it’s also the best base for Etna, Taormina and Syracuse, which makes deciding where to stay in Catania well worth the effort.
Your choice of area matters more here than in many other Italian cities. In the centro storico you have the baroque and the fish market right outside your door, but also nightlife and traffic. On the coast you get peace and sea views, but you’ll need to take the bus into town. Here are my five suggestions.
Contents
Where to Stay in Catania: The Best Areas
- Centro storico & Piazza del Duomo - best area for first-time visitors
- Via Etnea, Piazza Università & Borgo - best area for shopping and nightlife
- Ognina & San Giovanni li Cuti - best area for sea views and peace and quiet
- Aci Castello & Aci Trezza - best area for fishing villages and day trips by car
- Playa & Lido di Catania - best area for sandy beaches and families
Below I go through the five areas one by one, with maps, distances, price levels and three hotel suggestions for each, so you can find the one that suits your trip.
1. Centro storico & Piazza del Duomo - best area for first-time visitors ⛪
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre. From Piazza del Duomo it’s a few minutes’ walk to the fish market, Via Crociferi, Castello Ursino and Teatro Massimo Bellini.
- 🚌 Transport: The Alibus from the airport stops on Via Dusmet just below the square, and Stesicoro metro station is a ten-minute walk up Via Etnea. Everything else you can do on foot.
- ✈️ Time from Catania-Fontanarossa: About 15 minutes on the Alibus to Via Dusmet or Stazione Centrale, and roughly the same by taxi.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost from around £65 to £225 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Busy until late in the evening and generally safe, but keep an eye on your bags and pockets at the fish market and avoid the empty streets of San Berillo towards the station at night.
The centro storico is Catania’s baroque heart and the part of the city that, together with seven other towns, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto. Piazza del Duomo is the centrepiece, with the Cattedrale di Sant’Agata, the Palazzo degli Elefanti town hall and the elephant fountain, u Liotru, which is the symbol of the city. Just behind the square is the La Pescheria fish market, where there’s shouting and haggling every morning from Monday to Saturday, and a few steps away Via Crociferi begins with its row of baroque churches.
I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Catania. Everything is within walking distance: Castello Ursino, Teatro Massimo Bellini, where a guided tour costs €6.50 (around £5.50) and may be suspended during maintenance periods, and the enormous Monastero dei Benedettini, which is now a university and can only be visited on pre-booked guided tours. The Alibus runs from the airport to Via Dusmet just below the square for €4 (around £3.35), and the ticket is also valid for 90 minutes on city buses. I’ve put together how the whole journey from the airport works in my guide to getting from Catania and Palermo airports.
See hotels in the centro storico here.
The downsides are noise and parking. The streets around Teatro Massimo Bellini and Piazza Scammacca are full of bars until the early hours, so ask for a room facing the courtyard if you want to sleep. Several streets around the theatre and Via Vittorio Emanuele II are also a ZTL with cameras, so if you arrive by car, the hotel has to register your number plate, and a space in a car park typically costs €20 (around £17) a day. My advice is to return the hire car before you check in here.
Hotels in the centro storico
Asmundo di Gisira - artistic boutique hotel a minute from Piazza del Duomo
Asmundo di Gisira is set in an old palazzo on Piazza Mazzini, a minute’s walk from Piazza del Duomo and the fish market. Each suite has been designed by an artist around its own theme, there’s a roof terrace and bar, and breakfast is included. The hotel is adults only, and because the street is car-free, parking in a nearby car park costs €20 (around £17) per night.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Very creative surroundings! Spacious rooms with inspired décor.”
See photos and book Asmundo di Gisira here.
Il Gattopardo House - free parking on a side street off Via Etnea
Il Gattopardo House is on Via Minoriti, a side street off Via Etnea between Piazza Università and Piazza Stesicoro, in an old palazzo with high ceilings and a lift. The rooms are simple and clean, there’s a 24-hour reception and, rare in the centre, free parking. Some guests complain that the rooms with a shared bathroom in the corridor smell damp, so pay a little extra for a private bathroom.
From one review: “Loved the atmosphere of the hotel, and breakfast was good too.”
See photos and book Il Gattopardo House here.
The Uncle’s House - budget guesthouse two minutes from Via Crociferi
The Uncle’s House is a small guesthouse on Via Antonino di Sangiuliano, the street that crosses Via Etnea at Piazza Università, and the baroque Via Crociferi is two minutes away. The rooms are modern and soundproofed, there’s a shared kitchen and lounge, and the price is hard to beat this centrally. A few guests mention that the air conditioning is weak and takes a while to cool the room down.
One guest highlights: “The room was clean and exactly as in the photos.”
See photos and book The Uncle’s House here.
2. Via Etnea, Piazza Università & Borgo - best area for shopping and nightlife 🛍️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: From Piazza Università it’s a five-minute walk to Piazza del Duomo. If you stay up in Borgo, it’s just over two kilometres, about half an hour on foot or a couple of metro stops.
- 🚇 Transport: The metro has stations at Stesicoro, Giovanni XXIII and Borgo, and the Alibus stops at Piazza Stesicoro. From Catania Borgo, the Circumetnea train runs around Etna.
- ✈️ Time from Catania-Fontanarossa: About 25 to 30 minutes on the Alibus to Piazza Stesicoro, or about 20 minutes by taxi.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost from around £75 to £320 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Safe and well lit all along Via Etnea, including in the evening. Stick to the main street and the area around Villa Bellini, and don’t walk through San Berillo to the east late at night.
Via Etnea is Catania’s main street, an almost three-kilometre-long, dead-straight road running north from Piazza del Duomo with Etna as the backdrop at the end. The lower part around Piazza Università and Piazza Stesicoro is all shops, bars and coffee bars, and at Piazza Stesicoro you can look down on the remains of the Roman amphitheatre. Further up is the Villa Bellini park, where the locals take their evening stroll, and north of it Borgo begins around Piazza Cavour.
The area suits couples and anyone who wants city life without staying in the middle of the baroque tourist zone. Via Santa Filomena, the restaurant street, and the bars around Teatro Massimo Bellini are a few minutes away, and the metro costs €1 (around 85p) per journey between Stesicoro and the western suburbs. From Catania Borgo, the Circumetnea train also runs all the way around Etna through Paternò, Adrano, Bronte and Randazzo, a lovely full-day trip, though it doesn’t run on Sundays and public holidays. If you’re heading to Taormina or Syracuse, the regional trains leave from Stazione Centrale, a 15-minute walk east, and the journey takes about an hour to Taormina-Giardini and a little longer to Syracuse.
See hotels on Via Etnea and in Borgo here.
The further up Via Etnea you go, the more traffic there is, and the hotels in Borgo are just over two kilometres from Piazza del Duomo. That’s half an hour on foot or a couple of metro stops, which is perfectly fine, but you should know before you book. On the plus side, prices are lower than down by the Duomo, and this is the end where you’ll find the large, modern rooms and the hotels with pools.
Hotels on Via Etnea and in Borgo
Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze - four-star hotel with a rooftop bar and views of Etna
Palace Catania is at Via Etnea 218 in a historic palazzo, a few minutes’ walk from Villa Bellini and ten minutes from Piazza del Duomo. This is the hotel with Catania’s best roof terrace: the rooftop bar looks straight out at Etna and the city’s domes, and there’s a gym, sauna and classically styled rooms. Breakfast costs an extra €15 (around £12.50) in the cheapest room categories, valet parking is €20 (around £17) per night, and some guests mention that the air conditioning is noisy.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Breakfast was excellent.”
See photos and book Palace Catania here.
ETNEA 454 Catania Luxury Rooms - large, modern rooms by Borgo metro station
ETNEA 454 is, as the name suggests, at Via Etnea 454 in Borgo, close to Borgo metro station and the Circumetnea station. The rooms are large and modern with good soundproofing, there’s a lift, a bar and breakfast served in your room, and a score of 9.2 from over 600 guests speaks for itself. Via Etnea is busy here, so some guests mention street noise.
From one review: “The rooms are fantastic, large, clean, modern and very close to the centre.”
See photos and book ETNEA 454 here.
San Max Hotel - three-star hotel with a pool opposite Villa Bellini
San Max Hotel is a three-star hotel at Via Etnea 329 opposite Villa Bellini, with something rare in Catania: an outdoor pool on the terrace during the season. The rooms are simple and a little old-fashioned, but there’s a lift, private parking and an airport shuttle, and with over 2,400 reviews averaging 8.4, you get what you pay for. Some guests mention that the rooms can be cold in the winter months.
One guest highlights: “The location, very close to the centre but quiet.”
See photos and book San Max Hotel here.
3. Ognina & San Giovanni li Cuti - best area for sea views and peace and quiet 🌊
- 📍 Distance to the centre: About 4 kilometres to Piazza del Duomo, 15 minutes by taxi or 20 to 30 minutes by bus.
- 🚌 Transport: Bus 534 runs along the coast between Catania and Aci Castello all year round and stops at Ognina. The quickest way into the centre is a bus towards Stazione Centrale or a taxi.
- ✈️ Time from Catania-Fontanarossa: About 20 to 25 minutes by taxi. With the Alibus to Stazione Centrale and a bus onwards, allow up to an hour.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £60 to £150 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: A quiet residential area with families and joggers on the promenade. Safe by day and in the evening, but take care when crossing the busy coast road.
Catania has no sandy beach in the city itself, but it does have la Scogliera: a coastline of black lava rock running north from Piazza Europa past San Giovanni li Cuti to the little fishing harbour at Ognina. San Giovanni li Cuti is a small cove of black lava stones, a few fishing boats and restaurants right by the water, and in summer the lidos open on the rocks with sunloungers and steps down into the sea. Ognina has a small harbour with fishing boats, seafood restaurants along the quay and the church of Santa Maria di Ognina right next to it.
This is where I’d stay with children or as a couple wanting quiet evenings and a morning swim in the sea. The hotels line Viale Ruggero di Lauria and Viale Alcide De Gasperi with views over the Ionian Sea, and several have pools, which are worth their weight in gold in July and August when the city is sweltering. Bus 534 runs along the coast between Catania and Aci Castello all year round, and a taxi to Piazza del Duomo takes 15 minutes. In the evening the promenade fills with joggers and families eating ice cream, and the seafood restaurants by Ognina harbour are a good place for grilled swordfish with a view of the boats.
The downside is the distance. It’s about four kilometres to the centro storico, so you’ll need a bus or taxi every time you head in for the baroque and the restaurants, and the buses don’t always run to timetable. The rocky coast isn’t ideal for small children who want to dig in the sand either; Playa south of the city is better for that. On the other hand, parking is far easier than in the centre, and several of the hotels have free parking.
Hotels in Ognina and San Giovanni li Cuti
Plaza Hotel Catania - four-star hotel on the lungomare with sea views
Plaza Hotel Catania is on the lungomare, Viale Ruggero di Lauria, with the sea just across the road, and the rocks at San Giovanni li Cuti are a five-minute walk away. There’s a restaurant, bar, terrace and rooms with sea views, and parking costs €10 (around £8.50) a day. The hotel has no beach of its own but partners with the lidos on the rocks in summer, and some guests complain about noise from neighbouring rooms.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The highlight was definitely the breathtaking sea view, especially at sunset.”
See photos and book Plaza Hotel Catania here.
Ognina Sea - newly renovated rooms overlooking the harbour
Ognina Sea is a small guesthouse on the fourth floor on Viale Alcide De Gasperi with views over the sea, a few minutes’ walk from the seafood restaurants at Ognina harbour. The rooms are newly renovated and bright, there’s a lift, terrace and free parking, and its score of 9.4 is the highest of my suggestions in the area. The walls are thin, so you can hear the neighbours.
From one review: “The room was beautiful, even better than in the photos.”
See photos and book Ognina Sea here.
B&B Lungomare - budget B&B with direct access to the rocky coast
B&B Lungomare is on the ground floor on Via del Rotolo, a side street with direct access to the rocky coast between Ognina and San Giovanni li Cuti. The rooms are simple, there’s a terrace, free private parking and a kitchen for guests, and it’s the cheapest of my seaside suggestions. Be aware that late check-in costs extra and has to be arranged in advance.
One guest highlights: “Clean and a nice kitchen.”
See photos and book B&B Lungomare here.
4. Aci Castello & Aci Trezza - best area for fishing villages and day trips by car 🏰
- 📍 Distance to the centre: About 9 kilometres from Aci Castello and 11 kilometres from Aci Trezza to Piazza del Duomo, 20 to 30 minutes by car or taxi.
- 🚌 Transport: Bus 534 runs between Catania and Aci Castello all year round, and there are buses on to Aci Trezza. By car you’re an hour from Rifugio Sapienza on Etna and 40 minutes from Taormina.
- ✈️ Time from Catania-Fontanarossa: About 25 to 30 minutes by taxi or hire car outside rush hour.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £75 to £145 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Small, safe towns with family life on the promenade. The biggest risks are the traffic on the coast road and parking fines in high season.
Ten kilometres north of Catania are the two small towns of Aci Castello and Aci Trezza, which together make up the Riviera dei Ciclopi. Aci Castello has an 11th-century Norman castle on a black lava rock right above the sea, and Aci Trezza is the fishing village from Giovanni Verga’s novel I Malavoglia, with the famous Faraglioni, the pointed rock stacks that, according to Homer, the Cyclops Polyphemus hurled at Odysseus. Here you swim from rocks and bathing platforms, eat fish by the harbour and take boat trips out to Isola Lachea.
The area suits you if you want to combine Catania with Etna, Taormina and the coast and have a car. Rifugio Sapienza, where the Funivia dell’Etna cable car goes up to 2,500 metres for about €54 (around £45) return, is an hour’s drive away, and Parco dell’Etna, with its 59,000 hectares of protected nature, begins just above the towns. Taormina is 40 minutes north along the coast road, and if you’d rather stay there, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Taormina. Check prices for car hire at Booking.com, and choose a hotel with free parking.
See hotels in Aci Castello and Aci Trezza here.
Without a car, Aci Trezza is less practical. Bus 534 runs to Aci Castello all year round, and there are buses on to Aci Trezza, but the journey into central Catania takes half an hour or more, and there are fewer services in the evening. In July and August the promenade is packed with Catanians at weekends, so book early and expect parking by the harbour to be a test of patience. If you decide to stay without a car, Aci Castello is the more practical of the two, because bus 534 runs directly to Catania from here.
Hotels in Aci Castello and Aci Trezza
Grand Hotel Baia Verde - seaside hotel on the lava rocks with a pool and steps into the sea
Grand Hotel Baia Verde is in Cannizzaro, the southernmost part of the Aci Castello municipality, right on the lava rocks, with sun terraces built into the rock, steps down into the sea and a pool with a view in season. The four-star hotel has a restaurant, gym, parking and breakfast included, and it’s the closest you’ll get to a beach resort hotel near Catania. Many guests mention noise from the corridor and neighbouring rooms, so ask for a room at the end of the corridor.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful view, very clean and well-kept rooms.”
See photos and book Grand Hotel Baia Verde here.
President Park Hotel - four-star hotel with a pool and free parking in Aci Trezza
President Park Hotel is slightly uphill in Aci Trezza, about ten minutes’ walk from the harbour and the Faraglioni. The hotel has a pool with a pool bar in the summer season, a gym, free parking and family rooms, and it’s a good base if you have a car, because you avoid the parking chaos down by the harbour. Several guests mention that the hotel can be noisy, so it’s not the quietest choice in high season.
From one review: “The staff were a real highlight of my stay; consistently warm, attentive and eager to help.”
See photos and book President Park Hotel here.
Villa Ortensia - B&B in a villa with a garden on the coast at Aci Castello
Villa Ortensia is a B&B in an old villa with a large garden on Via Antonello da Messina in Aci Castello, with the rocks and bathing platforms just across the coast road. There’s free parking, a shared kitchen, a sun terrace and breakfast served in your room, and with 9.4 from over 400 guests it’s one of the best-rated places on the whole coast. It’s adults only, and some guests mention noise from neighbouring rooms.
One guest highlights: “The garden is beautifully laid out, a truly peaceful corner.”
See photos and book Villa Ortensia here.
5. Playa & Lido di Catania - best area for sandy beaches and families 🏖️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: About 4 to 6 kilometres to Piazza del Duomo depending on where along the beach you stay, so 15 minutes by taxi.
- 🚌 Transport: During the bathing season, AMTS bus D runs from Piazza Borsellino by the harbour down along Viale Kennedy about every 15 minutes. Otherwise it’s a taxi or your own car.
- ✈️ Time from Catania-Fontanarossa: About 10 minutes by taxi. The airport is only a few kilometres from the beach.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £100 to £160 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: The hotels are fenced and have their own parking, but Viale Kennedy is deserted in the evening outside the season, so don’t walk along the road after dark, and don’t leave anything in the car.
Playa, also spelt la Plaia, is Catania’s only sandy beach: a long, wide stretch of golden sand that begins just south of the harbour and runs several kilometres south along Viale Kennedy. This is where the city’s lidos are, with sunloungers, parasols, bars and playgrounds, and the hotels have pool areas and their own sections of beach, so it feels more like a beach holiday than a city break. The water stays shallow a long way out, making it a good beach for children, and at weekends in July and August the locals fill it from morning till sunset.
The area suits families with children who want sand between their toes, and anyone catching an early flight: Catania-Fontanarossa airport is only a few kilometres away, and a taxi takes ten minutes. In summer, AMTS bus D runs from Piazza Borsellino by the harbour down along Viale Kennedy about every 15 minutes, and a city bus ticket costs €1.40 (around £1.20). With it you can stay by the beach and still get into Piazza del Duomo for dinner.
I’ll be honest: Playa isn’t pretty. Viale Kennedy is a busy road, the hinterland is an industrial area, and the big hotels have seen better days, which guest reviews also reflect. The beach and pools are only in use during the bathing season, and outside it there’s not much to come for. If you want to experience Catania the city, stay in the centre and head to Playa for a beach day instead. It’s a place you book for the pool, the sand and a short hop to your flight, not for Catania itself.
Hotels at Playa
Romano Palace Luxury Hotel - five-star hotel with a palm garden, pool and beach club
Romano Palace is Playa’s only five-star hotel, a large complex on Viale Kennedy with a palm garden, a big outdoor pool, a restaurant and free access to the hotel’s beach club in summer, about four kilometres from the centre. The décor is opulent with marble and oriental touches, and parking costs just €7 (around £6) a day. I’ll be honest: a score of 7.6 is low for a five-star hotel, and many guests complain about cleaning and maintenance, so don’t expect anything brand new.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The décor was stunning, and the staff were incredibly accommodating.”
See photos and book Romano Palace here.
NH Catania Parco degli Aragonesi - four-star chain hotel with a pool and private beach
NH Catania Parco degli Aragonesi is next to Romano Palace on Viale Kennedy and is a large, reliable four-star chain hotel with an outdoor pool, pool bar, gym and a private stretch of beach. The beach and pool are only open in season, parking costs €8 (around £6.70) a day, and it’s about a 15-minute drive to the centre. Guests praise the staff but often mention that the rooms are worn and in need of renovation.
From one review: “The staff were friendly, the hotel and room were clean, and the bed was comfortable.”
See photos and book NH Catania Parco degli Aragonesi here.
Le Dune Sicily Hotel - three-star beach hotel closest to the harbour and the centre
Le Dune Sicily Hotel is a three-star hotel at Viale Kennedy 10 at the northern end of Playa, closest to the harbour and the centre, with a pool, private beach, free parking and a restaurant. It’s the cheapest of the three and a good choice for a family who mainly want to swim and perhaps spend one day in the city. Guests praise the garden and the staff, but many say the rooms are old and worn.
One guest highlights: “Charming hotel with beautiful flowers, a lovely pool and super helpful staff.”
See photos and book Le Dune Sicily Hotel here.
Where not to stay in Catania
Avoid San Berillo, the area between Via Etnea, Corso Sicilia and the railway station. It’s Catania’s run-down back side, with shuttered shops and street prostitution around Via delle Finanze and Via di Prima, and although it’s central, it feels unsafe after dark. The streets right by Stazione Centrale and Piazza Giovanni XXIII aren’t dangerous, but they’re noisy, busy with traffic and dead in the evening, so only stay here if you’re catching an early train. Librino and the large housing blocks to the south-west have nothing for tourists and are far from everything. And if you want to experience Catania the city, don’t book one of the cheap B&Bs in the airport district of San Giuseppe La Rena without a car: they’re fine for a single night before a morning flight, but otherwise you’ll spend your days in taxis.
If it’s your first trip to Catania, I’d stay in the centro storico around Piazza del Duomo, so you have the baroque, the fish market and the restaurants right outside your door. If you want more peace and a morning swim in the sea, choose Ognina, and if you have a car and want to use Catania as a base for Etna and Taormina, Aci Castello and Aci Trezza are the best compromise between city, coast and volcano.
Catania is also a great place to start a tour of the island. If you’re travelling on around Sicily, you can use my guide to where to stay in Sicily, and if you end up at the other end of the island, I’ve also written about where to stay in Palermo.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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