31 Best Sights in Mount Etna and Eastern Sicily, Sicily

Though the bar first opened in 1962—and the building has been around since the 1400s—this little café didn't gain worldwide popularity until Francis Ford Coppola chose it as the setting of significant scenes in The Godfather. In fact, prior to Coppola, the bar didn't even have an official name. He chose "Bar Vitelli" for his fictional café, had the name painted on the exterior wall, and the name has stuck for decades. Here, Michael Corleone famously asked Apollonia to marry him. And most street scenes where Michael is seen walking up the road were filmed on the building's side. The interior of the café functions as a small museum of the filming that happened in Savoca, with film stills and photos throughout. Outside, small tables sit under fairy lights and an arbor of vines. Be sure to order a lemon granita with a splash of Zibbibo, a sweet dessert wine. And though the rest of Sicily serves granita with brioche, here you'll find lightly sweetened "zuccarata" cookies. 

At the oldest winery on Etna, the expansive terrace shaded by oak trees looks out over vineyards and down to the sea. The staff offers friendly and informative tours (with excellent English) followed by a tasting of five wines with food pairings or a more formal lunch. Reservations are required. There are also four charming guest rooms overlooking the vineyards for overnight stays (minimum two nights).

At the foot of Monte Serra in Viagrande, this family-run winery is one of the most internationally significant on Etna, distributing some 170,000 bottles worldwide. And the Benanti family has been instrumental in propagating the viticulture of the volcano. As you arrive at the 19th-century estate for a tasting, you'll easily be seduced by the historic grounds and hills flanked with vines. But their wines, approximately 15 different expressions of Etna, hold the real magic.

For a walk on the moonlike surface of Etna, visit the Silvestri craters on the southern side of the volcano, near Nicolosi. Located at an altitude of roughly 6,200 feet, these five extinct craters formed during the 1892 eruption. Just a few meters away, across from Rifugio Sapienza, you'll find the Funivia dell'Etna (€50 round-trip), a cable car that carries you 8,000 feet up to Monte Montagnola, where you can hike further with a guide or go skiing in winter. 

Also known as the faraglioni, these ancient volcanic islets are so dramatically stunning they have inspired writers throughout the centuries. Homer set Odysseus's battle with the cyclops here in the Odyssey, contending that the angered and freshly blinded cyclops Polyphemus hurled giant hunks of rock from Etna to the sea to destroy Odysseus and his ship. Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga set his most famous novel, I Malavoglia, on the island of Lachea, the largest of the isles. Today the area is a protected marine preserve. You can kayak or swim the waters or take a short boat taxi to Lachea to visit the Lachea Island Museum of Sea Studies, which highlights the flora and fauna of the area in a tiny museum perched near the top.

The reconstruction of Messina's Norman and Romanesque cathedral, originally built by the Norman king Roger II and consecrated in 1197, has retained much of the original plan—including a handsome crown of Norman battlements, an enormous apse containing glittering mosaics, and a splendid wood-beamed ceiling. The adjoining bell tower contains one of the largest and most complex mechanical clocks in the world: constructed in 1933, it has a host of gilded automatons (a roaring lion and crowing rooster among them) that spring into action every day at the stroke of noon, lasting for 12 minutes. Don't miss the chance to climb the bell tower itself. As you head up the internal stairs, you'll see the system of levers and counterweights that operates the movements of the gilded bronze statues that parade through the open facade high over the Duomo's square. At the top, an open-air terrace offers 360-degree views of Messina and the strait.

Affectionally called Idda (or "she" in Sicilian dialect), Etna is basically always active, and occasionally there are airspace closures due to the spewing ash. But for the locals who live in her shadow, Etna is not some ever-present doomsday reminder. She's a living part of the dynamic landscape, loved and revered.

In 387 BC, Plato sailed in just to catch a glimpse of it; in the 9th century AD, the first granita of all time was shaved off its snowy slopes; in 1669, it erupted continuously for four months and lava flows reached Catania; and in the 21st century, the volcano still grabs headlines on an annual basis. Significantly notable eruptions have occurred in the modern era, such as in 1971 (when lava buried the Etna Observatory), in 1981 (when the village of Randazzo narrowly missed destruction), in 2001 (when there was a large flank eruption), in 2002 (when a column of ash spewed that could be seen from space), and in 2008 (when the eruption lasted 417 days and triggered some 200 earthquakes). In February and March 2021, she erupted 11 times in a matter of three weeks, scattering windblown ash throughout the towns below, including Catania. July and August of 2024 saw major eruptions, disrupting flights at Catania airport. Traveling to the proximity of the crater depends on Mount Etna's temperament, but you can walk up and down the enormous lava dunes and wander over its moonlike surface of dead craters. The rings of vegetation change markedly as you rise, with vineyards and pine trees gradually giving way to birch forests and growths of broom and lichen.

Though it's located across the strait from Messina in Reggio Calabria, this fantastic museum, set over four floors, is well worth a visit, especially for the Riace Bronzes, a pair of impressive, naked warrior statues that were cast about 460 BC and found in the sea in 1972. You'll also find incredible examples of art from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods (including cave art), insights into the daily life and funeral rites of the Hellenistic age, and imposing temple decorations such as the life-size terra-cotta horseman supported by a sphinx. There is plenty of information in English, but in high season entry is by timed ticket only. To get there, take a 30-minute hydrofoil from the Messina port ( €7 round-trip  libertylines.it).

 The Greeks put a premium on finding impressive locations to stage their dramas, such as Taormina's hillside Teatro Greco. Beyond the columns, you can see the town's rooftops spilling down the hillside, the arc of the coastline, and Mount Etna in the distance. The theater was built during the 3rd century BC and rebuilt by the Romans during the 2nd century AD. Its acoustics are exceptional: even today a stage whisper can be heard in the last rows. In summer, many music and dance performances are held in the Teatro Greco after sunset, when the marvelous vistas of the sparkling Ionian Sea are shrouded in darkness, but the glow of Sicily's most famous volcano can sometimes be seen in the distance.

Located between Monte Gorna and Monte Ilice, Pierluca Beneventano guides visitors up the steep slopes of his vineyard for a tasting (featuring red, white, and rosé) among the vines. From there, you can see the other ancient craters of the southeast and all the way down to the Ionian Sea. In addition to traditional Etna grapes, Pierluca is working to recultivate grape relics, varieties that were historically found on Etna, such as Moscatella dell’Etna, Muscatetuni, and Terribbile. Young and endlessly energetic, he’s embracing the wine-making traditions of the volcano while forging his own path. Keep an eye on his Nubivago wine, a white made with Carricante, Catarratto, and Moscatella dell’Etna in which he freezes the grapes before pressing them. Reservations are required.

Based in an ancient borgo, on a hillside overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, this 74-acre winery and vineyard specializes in natural reds and rosés made from Nerello Mascalese and Nocera grapes. From the vine-covered hilltop, you can see all the way to the island of Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands, and the wind whips through the oak, olive, and citrus trees and wild fennel and rosemary brushes. The ground here is a lesson in Earth's ancient history: throughout the white sand-clay mix, you can find sea fossils in the soil. Tastings (for up to six people) can take place in the vineyard or in the winery itself, and upon request include local cured meats and cheeses.

Luminaries such as Picasso, Bertrand Russell, Ernest Hemingway, and Tennessee Williams all fell for the charms of this house, which from 1947 was set up as a hotel for writers and artists. It was run for over 50 years by Daphne Phelps, the niece of the painter Robert Kitson, who with the artist Frank Brangwyn designed and built the villa in the early 1900s. A guided tour reveals its stories and the works of art donated by artists. The dining room holds distinctive frescoes and furniture by Frank Brangwyn, and the library has the desk where Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There are five antiques-filled rooms where guests can stay.

Built from basalt (the black lava stone of the area), this fortress sits high on a cliff jutting out into the Ionian Sea above a prehistoric lava flow. The exact construction origins are unknown, but it's generally accepted that the original fortification was built by the Romans as a spot called Castrum Jacis that was later rebuilt as a castle by the Byzantines in the 7th century, and subsequently controlled by the Arabs. The current castle was built in 1076 and is attributed to the Normans who ruled the area in the 11th century. Inside the castle there is a small museum divided into three sections: mineralogy, paleontology, and archaeology. But arguably the best reason to visit is the view from the top, from which you can see the nearby Cyclops Islands, great expanses of sea, and the craggy coastline stretching to Catania. 

An unrelenting 20-minute walk up the Via Crucis footpath takes you to the church of the Madonna della Rocca, hollowed out of the limestone rock. Above it towers the 1,000-year-old stone walls of Castello Saraceno, which is built on the site of earlier Greek and Roman fortifications. The castle reopened to the public in 2024 after having been locked for decades, it's worth the climb just for the panoramic views. Tickets can be purchased online and include an audio guide.

Nobles of the 17th and 18th centuries in this area opted to have their corpses mummified. You can visit the somewhat creepy crypt, located beneath a 17th-century Capuchin monastery, to see their preserved remains and handwoven silk garments. The catacombs are usually open daily from April to October and on weekends the rest of the year, but it's advised to call ahead to be sure that someone is actually on-site to let you in.

Black lava stone from Etna, combined with largely Baroque architecture, give Catania's historic center a very distinctive feel. After Catania's destruction by lava and earthquake at the end of the 17th century, the city was rebuilt and its informal mascot "U Liotru" (an elephant carved out of lava balancing an Egyptian obelisk) was placed outside the cathedral as a kind of talisman. This square also marks the entrance to Catania's famous pescheria (fish market) and is one of the few points in the city where you can see the Amenano River aboveground. Another point of interest is Via Garibaldi, which runs from Piazza del Duomo up toward the impressively huge Porta Garibaldi, a black-and-white triumphal arch built in 1768 to commemorate the marriage of Ferdinando I. Also of note in the center are Castello Ursino, which is now a museum, the Greco-Roman theater off Via Vittorio Emanuele II, the Roman amphitheater in Piazza Stesicoro, and the Monastero dei Benedettini, now a part of the university.

Built in the 13th century, this church was renovated at the end of the 15th century, the beginning of the 18th century (perhaps due to damage from an earthquake), and most recently in 1981. From the Middle Ages up through the 19th century, it offered a final resting place to common citizens of Savoca. It's also known as the Chiesa di Santa Lucia, because of the silver statue of St. Lucia it houses, in addition to other sculptures and paintings from the nearby 15th-century church of St. Lucia that collapsed in a landslide in 1880. In popular culture, it's best known as the church where Michael Corleone wed Apollonia in The Godfather.

The underground Amenano River flows beneath much of Catania. You can glimpse it at the Fontana dell'Amenano, a Carrara marble fountain on the Piazza del Duomo that was built in 1867. It's a popular meeting point and tourist attraction. However, one of the best places to experience the river is at the bar-restaurant A Putia dell'Ostello ( Piazza Currò 6  095/7233010  www.agorahostel.com). Here you can sit at a lantern-lit underground table as the water swirls through. If you're not planning to stay for a drink, someone from the bar will sell you a €1 ticket to walk into the cavelike seating area. Aside from the underground river, the bar area aboveground is a lively, fun spot to hang out on a Monday evening when many other places are closed.

The name translates literally as "the custodians of the vineyards of Etna," and Mario Paoluzi and his team take their roles as guardians quite seriously. From the low-intervention management of one of the oldest producing vineyards on Etna to the use of the alberello trellis system, this winery specializes in producing elegant expressions of Etna wines that pay homage to the history and culture of the area.

Salvo Foti, the patriarch of this family-run winery, has been called the most important Sicilian agronomist and winemaker. In fact, his work cultivating native grapes is part of the reason Americans have even heard of Nerello Mascalese or Carricante. His conscientious methods, which honor both the land and cultural traditions of Etna, have been passed on to his two sons (Simone and Andrea) who now manage the winery and lead tastings in the historic Palmento Caselle (c. 1840). In the fall, they still use the palmento to stomp grapes and press wine the way it was done centuries ago on Etna.

A little bigger than a square mile, this lake, along with the nearby Lake Faro, is fed by groundwater mixed with seawater that flows in from a pair of canals built by the British around 1830. As a result, the waters are particularly great for growing mussels, one of the most iconic foods of the area. You'll see little sticks poking up from the water to indicate various aquaculture plots. And on sunny days, it's common to see people rowing crew in the lake.

At the base of the pylon at Capo Peloro, where the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas meet, this little beach club stays open year-round. From the white-sand beaches you can see the Calabrian town of Scilla just across the strait. Because of the convergence of the seas, the waters are known for strong currents and whirlpools, which the ancient Greeks referred to as the sea monster Charybdis who would swallow ships whole. But the clear waters immediately hugging the coast are shallow and perfect for a dip. At the lido, you can rent chairs and umbrellas for the day or just pop in for a quick bite of lunch, a coffee, or a sunset aperitivo.

One of Italy’s most celebrated Renaissance painters, Caravaggio spent a good deal of time in Sicily toward the end of his life, while on the run after committing a murder in Rome. The artwork he left behind includes two on display at this regional museum. The scandal-prone artist is best known for his religious works, which utilize dramatic shadows and heavenly lighting. The two here are the highlight of the collection, though there are also some interesting archaeological pieces salvaged from shipwrecks and several works by Antonello da Messina.

Throughout Savoca you'll see works by steel artist Nino Ucchino, such as the now-iconic sculpture of Francis Ford Coppola behind his camera and an amusing talking donkey. You can visit his studio, perched on the hillside on the road into town, to see the master at work or buy some of his creations. He's there in his studio most afternoons, but it's best to call ahead to be sure he's available.

You might even have a prince show you around this private palace, which is still inhabited by descendants of the original Biscari family. While only a few of the 600 or so rooms are open to the public, the handful are well worth a visit. Foremost is the highly decorated and frescoed ballroom---a prime example of Sicilian Rococo style, which is overlooked by an oval minstrels' gallery and lit by Venetian chandeliers. Leading on from here is a unique staircase, which seems to float on waves, a rosewood-paneled dining room, and a marble bath used to cool the place down, rather than for bathing. Note that the palace offers tours only for a short period from 10 to 1.

One of a pair of pylons (the other is across the strait in Villa San Giovanni, Calabria) that carried electricity across the strait from 1955 to 1994, this steel tower stands 761 feet over the most northeastern point of Sicily. Though the pylons are no longer officially in use, they do have protected historic monument status and are used to gather meteorological data. Access to the 1,000-odd steps to the top is closed to the public. 

Just across the road from the Porto Turistico, area fishermen set up stalls inside the commercial plaza every morning (even Sunday). Though it's much smaller and less chaotic than the Catania fish market, the quality of seafood is excellent, and you'll see prime examples of everything that swims or crawls in these local waters. And it has a very locals' market feel to it, with people buying fresh fish each morning for their daily meal prep (it's open until about noon).

A steep, half-hour walk (or a very twisty drive) from Acireale's center, this picturesque harbor, with lava stone steps leading to the water, is filled with fishermen unloading brightly colored boats. Inexpensive lunches are served in the many restaurants along the harbor; your fresh fish dish is priced by weight.

A 20-minute hike up the steps from Via XXIV Maggio to the terrace of this twin-towered sanctuary rewards you with a panoramic view over the rooftops of the city. Pope John Paul II (in statue form) stands here, too, taking in the pylons on either side of the strait, with the lofty, golden statue of the Madonnina (patron saint of Messina) guarding the port while ferries ply their way to Calabria. The church was the first religious building to be rebuilt after the earthquake of 1908.

This winery, in the shadow of San Nicolò, takes a decidedly biological approach to grape growing. Olive and fruit trees (kiwi, lemon, and orange) abound, and they alternate row crops between the vines to enrich the soil. Inside the winery and tasting room, you can see the stratification of Etna’s lava, with flows from 50,000 years ago and 3,000 years ago, and where plant roots continue growing down into the stone. In the old palmento, you can book a private wine-making experience with barefoot grape stomping and all.