Acireale, Cyclops Riviera & Catania

Admire captivating rock formations born from lava streams as you travel along the Cyclops Riviera and stroll through lovely Catania on a guided walking tour. You’ll drive through tiny Aci Castello, viewing a Norman castle built from black lava, and in the hillside town of Acireale, a magnificent Gothic cathedral. Looking out to sea, behold the amazing Isole dei Ciclopi, jagged offshore islets said to have been broken off Mount Etna by the Cyclops of Homeric myth and flung into the sea to stop Ulysses and his men from escaping in their ships. Back in Catania, drive past compelling sights such as the Piazza Verga and Piazza Stesicoro before embarking on your walking tour. Begin in stunning Piazza del Duomo, Catania’s central square, which is renowned for its unusual black lava Elephant Fountain, now the city’s symbol, and surrounded by the impressive 18th-century Municipio as well as numerous ornate university buildings. As you stroll alluring streets, you’ll notice that 17th-century architect Giovanni Vaccarini used black lava in the construction of many of the striking buildings, a readily available material when the city was grandly rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693.