Aci Castello and Aci Trezza

Aci Castello and Aci Trezza Review

These two gems of the coastline between Acireale and Catania—the Riviera dei Ciclopi (Cyclops Riviera)—fill with city dwellers in the summer months, but even in colder weather their beauty is hard to fault. Heading south from Acireale on the litoranea (coastal) road, you'll first reach Aci Trezza, said to be the land of the blind Cyclops in Homer's Odyssey. Legend has it that when the Cyclops threw boulders at Odysseus they became the faraglioni offshore. Less developed than Aci Trezza, Aci Castello has its own fish houses plus the imposing Castello Normanno (Norman Castle), which sits right on the water. The castle was built in the 11th century with volcanic rock from Mount Etna—the same rock that forms the coastal cliffs.

It should be easy to satisfy your literal (rather than literary) hunger at Aci Trezza's Trattoria da Federico, which lays out a sprawling antipasto buffet featuring delectable marinated anchovies and eggplant parmigiana. Via Provinciale 115, Aci Trezza, 95021. 095/276364. Closed Mon.