Many cruisers, on arrival at Catania Cruise Port, rush off on a tour to Mount Etna, Taormina or Syracuse but there’s actually a lot to see in Catania itself! After all, a significant portion of Catania’s historical centre has UNESCO World Heritage status.
Catania was rebuilt, after the devastating earthquake of 1693, in exuberant and theatrical Sicilian Baroque style. This reconstruction resulted in remarkable architectural masterpieces that’s worthy of being a UNESCO World Heritage site – I’ll talk about these buildings in more detail later.
Founded by Greek Chalcidians in the 8th century BC (as Katane), Catania has been a prize for a succession of empires: Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and the Spanish Aragonese. Today, Catania is Sicily’s second largest city (after Palermo) and its UNESCO World Heritage status makes Catania a wonderful town to wander through, especially if you’re interested in architecture and/or history.
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Catania Cruise Port: Is a DIY Excursion Easy? 😎😎😎😎😎 Easy Peasy
Catania Cruise Port is conveniently located in Catania’s historic waterfront and a 15-minute walk to Catania’s city centre. So a DIY shore excursion is 😎😎😎😎😎 Easy Peasy:
- Walkable City Centre: Catania’s city centre is mostly flat, though there’s some uphill slopes. The walk from Catania Cruise Port is easy & straightforward.
- UNESCO Heritage Sites: The UNESCO Heritage listed buildings are all within close walking distance of each other, at most about 10 minutes walk from Catania Cathedral, so you can see a lot without walking too much!
- Roman & Greek Ruins: From the Greek Theatre to the Roman Amphitheatre and the Roman Baths, all are easily accessible by walking.
Catania Cruise Port: Where Your Ships Docks
Catania Cruise Port is about 700 metres (~0.4 miles) from the historic heart of Catania. From the port gates, it’s a flat and straightward walk that takes about 10 minutes.
Once you disembark, follow signs to walk towards the port gates 📸👆. You can either:
- Walk along Archi della Marina railway viaduct: Instead of walking underneath the archway immediately outside the port gates, take a left and walk alongside the railway viaduct on your left. Once you get to the first big roundabout, take a right and you’ll be in the centre of Catania, right near the Cathedral.
- Along Via Vittorio Emanuele II: Alternatively, you can walk underneath the archway and continue walking straight along Via Cali. In a few minutes, you’ll hit the Main Street, Via Vittorio Emanuele II. Take a left and keep walking under you see the Cathedral and you’ll be at the heart of Catania.
Catania Cruise Port Essentials: All You Need To Know
- Currency: Euros (€)
- Cash or Card: Generally 💳 card is fine but you will find smaller independent stores may only take cash.
- Language: Italian
- Catania Cruise Port Schedule: Official Catania Cruise port schedule here
- Official Tourism Website: Visit Sicily is excellent!
- Transport App: Use Google Maps for general navigation around the area
- eSIM for roaming in Italy: For a great data connection without the huge roaming fees, use an eSIM data pack from Airalo. I always recommend having a smartphone with a valid plan when you’re at port touring independently. Get US$3 off with your first eSIM data pack when you use ROXANN1666 when you sign up or apply it at checkout.
Catania Cruise Port Map
- On Desktop | Laptop? Use buttons on bottom left to zoom in/out. Click on the upper right hand corner to see a bigger version.
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- If map is not loading correctly, click here to see it directly on Google Maps
Catania Cruise Port: Top Things To Do
1. Catania Cathedral & Piazza del Duomo
The Catania Cathedral (Basilica Cattedrale di Sant’Agata) and the Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) serves as an excellent landmark to orient yourself around Catania’s city centre.
Catania Cathedral’s stunning Baroque facade, was originally built in the 11th century by the Normans, and the original fortified apses can still be seen today. It’s dedicated to Saint Agatha, Catania’s patron saint. St. Agatha’s story is central to Catania’s identity: a 3rd century martyr, St Agatha’s silk veil is said to have miraculously halted a lava flow from Mount Etna, forever linking her to the city’s survival.
- How to Get There: About 15 minutes’ walk on flat ground from Catania Cruise Port gates
- Opening Hours: 7:15am to 12:30pm, then 4pm to 7pm. (Note closure during lunch). It’s a working cathedral with daily masses, so will be closed during services as well – see mass schedule here.
- Tickets: You can enter the Cathedral for free. Climbing the church’s dome costs €4.
- VR Tour: Get a sneak peek in this very cool VR tour
Note that the Treasury and Diocesan Museum attached to the Cathedral is separate paid entry. Open 10am to 3pm at €7.
For those with a keen interest in archaeology, the remains of the Roman baths, known as the Terme Achilliane, can be accessed via the Diocesan Museum next to the Cathedral. It’s paid entry at €5. Or a combined Treasury and Roman Baths ticket costs €10.
After visiting Catania Cathedral, walk back to the Piazza and look for the fountain – Fontana dell’Elefante, featuring a smiling elephant carved from black lava stone. You’ll also see the Town Hall (Palazzo degli Elefanti) and the Amenano Fountain, where water cascades over a marble curtain into the Amenano River, which flows subterraneously beneath the city.
2. La Pescheria Fish Market
Just behind the Amenano Fountain, you’ll see a flight of volcanic rock stairs leading you to La Pescheria, Catania’s ancient and chaotic fish market! Under a canopy of colourful umbrellas, you’ll not only see vendors selling seafood, you’ll also use stalls selling local cheeses, cured meats, produce and herbs.
If you fancy a seafood lunch, then this is a good area to browse, as the area is surrounded with trattorias. If you don’t like crowded places or fishy smells, then definitely skip this!
- How to Get There: Around the corner from Catania Cathedral. You can walk here from Catania Cruise Port.
- Opening Hours: Closed Sundays. Open 7am to around 2pm Monday to Saturday but the earlier the better, especially if you plan on grabbing something for lunch!
3. Teatro Romano & Odeon
Catania’s Teatro Romano & Odeon (Roman Theatre) that we see today is largely constructed in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. However, archaeological evidence suggest that it was built upon foundations of an even older Greek theatre dating back to the 4th/5th century BC.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the theatre was stripped of its marble to build other structures, including the nearby Catania Cathedral. So when you survey the tiered seating area of the main theatre, imagine it covered with marble seating that once held up to 7,000 spectators. Watch a 3D reconstruction of what the Roman Theatre would have looked like👇
Adjacent to the main theatre is the Odeon, a smaller semi-circular theatre that was likely used for musical performances, poetry readings and rehearsals.
- How to Get There: Less than 5 minutes walk from Catania Cathedral
- Opening Hours: 9am to 7pm with last entry at 6:30pm during summer months; double check hours here.
- Tickets: €6
If you’re an archaeology fan or has an interest in ancient history, then visit Archaeological Park of Catania’s website here, as there’s actually quite a bit to see and I won’t cover everything here.
4. Roman Amphitheatre
Located in the bustling Piazza Stesicoro, along the main thoroughfare of Via Etnea, lies the partially excavated Roman Amphitheatre. It is not possible to enter and walk around but you can peer down from street level to see the exposed arches and corridors.
Built in the 2nd century AD, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, this colossal structure was second in size only to Rome’s Colosseum and the Verona Arena. Only about a quarter of the original structure has been excavated while the rest lies beneath the surface of modern Catania.
- How to Get There: About 10 minutes walk north of Catania Cathedral
5. Castello Ursino
The Castello Ursino is a massive, square fortress built in the 13th century by Emperor Frederick II of the Kingdom of Sicily. Originally constructed on a cliff overlooking the sea, Mount Etna’s 1669 eruption filled the moat and pushed the coastline back by several hundred metres, leaving the castle completely landlocked!
Update August 2025: The Castle has been closed for renovations since February 2025. But you can still walk around it to see it from the outside. You can still see the collections on Via Castello Ursino 20, just up the street from the Castello.
The castle’s design is known for its rigid, geometric symmetry – the entire structure is a perfect square. Each of the four corners stands a massive circular tower. The walls are so thick that it diverted the lava flow.
- How to Get There: About 5 minutes walk from Catania Cathedral.
6. Via dei Crociferi
To fully appreciate Catania’s UNESCO-listed splendour, I would recommend a stroll along Via dei Crociferi. After the devastating earthquake on January 11, 1693 levelled the medieval city of Catania, town planners conceived Via del Crociferi as a central artery of the new city.
So Via dei Crociferi, a short 400-metre-long street (~ 1,300 feet), became the designated location for the monasteries and churches of Catania’s most important religious orders. If you’d like to see 17th century Sicilian Baroque architecture, then Via dei Crociferi has the “highest concentration” in Catania. Via del Crociferi (and the buildings in it) are cited as part of the UNESCO Heritage listing.
The name Via dei Crociferi literally translates to “Street of the Cross-Bearers“. Coming from Catania Cathedral, you’ll be walking the street from south to north, in quick succession seeing – note that there are steps to enter most of the buildings I mentioned below:
- Arch of San Benedetto: Built in 1704, this arch was built to mark the grand entrance to the street, as well as connect the great and small abbeys of the Benedictine monastery. Legend holds that the arch was built in a single night to defy a city ordinance that prohibits its construction!
- Church of San Benedetto: Famous for its opulent interior and the “Angel’s Staircase”, an ornate marble entrance stairway.
- Church of San Francesco Borgia: Across from San Benedetto, go in and check out the dome!
- Church of Saint Julian (Church of San Giuliano): Opposite San Francesco, this is the largest church on Via dei Crociferi.
How to Get There: Southern end of Via dei Crociferi starts about 5 minutes walk from Catania Cathedral.
7. Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena
The fact that the Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right signifies its historical value (unlike the others I mentioned above, which are named as a combined listing).
The monastery survived Mount Etna’s massive eruption of 1669. The lava flow supposedly parted miraculously and went around the main buildings. But it was destroyed 24 years later in the great earthquake of 1693.
So when it was re-built, it was re-built on an even grander scale. And that’s why the building we see today is one of the largest monastic complexes in Europe – quite literally a “city within a city”.
Today, it’s home to University of Catania’s Department of Humanities. You can freely enter the main gates in Piazza Dante and walk into the two magnificent cloisters. But to see the 16th century cellars, kitchens, the remains of the Roman house discovered deep beneath the monastery etc – areas which are not open to the public – you’ll have to pay for a guided tour.
- How to Get There: About 10 minutes walk from Catania Cathedral
- Opening Hours: Public areas are open during day time.
- Guided Tours: English tours daily for €10 adults, €7.50 seniors 65+, €3 kids aged 8+. Find out tours times and to pre-book here.
- Virtual Tour: Sneak peek here
Taste of Catania: What & Where To Eat
To understand Sicilian food is to understand its history. More than perhaps any other regional Italian cuisine, centuries of conquerors and settlers in Sicily have left an indelible mark on its kitchen.
The Ancient Greeks brought olives and grapes, laying the foundation for Sicily’s exquisite olive oil and wine. The Arabs introduced citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, along with almonds, pistachios and the use of spices like saffron and cinnamon. Later, the Normans and the Spanish introduced tomatoes and cocoa.
Now add local ingredients – sun ripened tomatoes, sweet eggplants (aubergines) and briny capers and fresh seafood pulled from surrounding waters and you’ll have the essence of food in Catania. If you’re a foodie, you may be interested in more details about Sicilian food in my Messina Cruise Port Guide. (Due to their close proximity on the Ionian coast and their shared history, the food in Catania and Messina are very similar.)
Note all the locations I mention below are marked in my Catania Cruise Port map above 🗺️📌👆.
1. Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is the quintessential dish of Catania! It’s named in honour of the most famous opera, Norma, by the city’s beloved composer, Vincenzo Bellini.
Pasta alla Norma is simple – short pasta (usually rigatoni or maccheroni) tossed in a rich, fresh tomato and basil sauce, with chunks of fried eggplant (aubergine) and finished with a generous grating of ricotta salt – a hard, salty sheep’s milk ricotta that provides the savouriness of the dish.
Where to Eat It: Nuova Trattoria del Forestiero, about 5 minutes walk from Catania Cathedral, is well known for its pasta alla Norma to both food critics and locals. (Closed Mondays. Open 1pm to 3:30pm for lunch, before re-opening for dinner – a bit late for most cruisers.) Trattoria U Fucularu and La Pentolaccia are both traditional trattorias which serves this iconic pasta dish.
2. Arancino Catanese
No visit to Sicily is complete without sampling its most famous street food. Here’s it’s the cone-shaped arancino (singular or arancini for plural), said to be inspired by the shape of Mount Etna. (Outside of Sicily, the arancini is mostly shaped like a round meatball.)
The classic filling is a rich ragù (a slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce) with peas and cheese, but other popular versions include al burro (with butter, ham, and mozzarella) and, fittingly, alla Norma (with eggplant and salted ricotta).
You’ll find arancini in the city’s historic pasticcerie (pastry shops), which double as savoury snack bars.
Where to Eat It: Pasticceria Savia, opened since 1897, is arguably the most famous spot but it’s a bit out of the way. If you prefer somewhere a bit closer to Catania Cathedral, try Canusciuti Sicilian Cafe. As arancini is so well loved by locals, you can buy usually excellent ones from any pasticcerie as you walk around Catania.
3. Granita e Brioche
Sicilian granita is a semi-frozen dessert with an incredibly smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture. (In the medieval times, snow would be harvested from the slopes of Mount Etna to make this!)
In Catania, enjoying a granita is a ritual, especially for breakfast! It is traditionally served in a glass and eaten with a warm, brioche col tuppo – a soft, sweet bun with a distinctive top-knot, torn into pieces and used for dipping.
The classic Catanese flavours are almond (mandorla), coffee (caffè), chocolate (cioccolato), and the intensely flavourful pistachios from nearby Bronte (pistacchio). In season, mulberry (gelsi) is another unmissable treat.
Where to Eat It: Pasticceria Savia and Canusciuti Sicilian Cafe (as above) or Caffè Europa near Catania station.
Featured Image by Herbert Aust from Pixabay
If your cruise is stopping in Catania, I hope that this guide has provided you with sufficient ideas on what to do with your precious port time! If this guide has been helpful to you, I would really appreciate you sharing this with your fellow cruisers in your roll-call groups! Have a great cruise!
