Province of Catania: Etna, Acireale and Caltagirone

A travel region in Sicily: Province of Catania. On this page you’ll find 6 destinations and places — with sights, beaches and tips on the best time to visit for your holiday.

The province of Catania lies on Sicily's east coast and is shaped by Mount Etna. Its capital is Catania. Since August 2015 the province has been the Città metropolitana di Catania, with 58 municipalities on 3,574 square kilometers and about 1.07 million inhabitants (ISTAT-based figures, April 2026). Etna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013; in INGV's drone survey on July 8, 2024, its highest point stood at 3,369 meters above sea level, and the height changes with every eruption.

What is there to see in the province of Catania?

The province combines an active volcano with a large city and a Baroque town by the sea. The volcano, the city and the Baroque town each have a guide:

Place	What it offers
Volcano Etna	UNESCO World Heritage since 2013, 19,237 hectares protected around the summit
Catania	Late Baroque old town at the foot of Etna, part of the UNESCO Val di Noto listing
Acireale	Baroque town on the Ionian coast, known for its carnival with papier-mâché floats (the first date from 1880)
Parco dei Nebrodi	Nature park that reaches into the province of Catania with three municipalities

Catania has belonged to the late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto since 2002; in the province, Caltagirone and Militello in Val di Catania are part of the same listing. The city was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693. The Val di Noto spans several provinces; Noto itself lies in the province of Syracuse.

How high is Etna, and is it active?

Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) measured the eastern rim of the Voragine crater by drone at 3,369 meters above sea level on July 8, 2024; the height changes with eruptions. Its eruptions have been documented for at least 2,700 years (UNESCO). The volcano has summit craters, cinder cones, lava flows, lava caves and the Valle del Bove depression. The World Heritage area of 2013 covers 19,237 uninhabited hectares on the highest part of the mountain. The regional Etna Park, the Parco dell'Etna, has existed since 1987 and protects about 59,000 hectares.

Which towns in the province of Catania are by the sea?

Catania and Acireale both lie on the Ionian coast, and Etna is in view from either. For swimming, beaches across the island are collected in the Beach category. Catania also has a ferry harbor, described on Porto di Catania.

What nature and landscape lie inland?

Etna draws hikers, scenic drives and summit excursions; snow can lie on the upper slopes into spring. Which paths and access points are open to the crater depends on the volcano's activity, as set by the authorities. Fitting categories are panoramic points, UNESCO World Heritage and nature reserves. What the region puts on the table is covered under Sicilian cuisine.

To the north the province of Messina follows with Taormina and the Alcantara gorge, to the south the province of Syracuse with the Baroque of Noto. Both can be reached from Catania on the A18 motorway.

How do you get to the province of Catania?

Catania-Fontanarossa airport (CTA) lies in the province itself. With about 12.4 million passengers in 2025 it was the fifth-largest airport in Italy, according to Assaeroporti. The A18 motorway links Catania with Messina and Syracuse, the A19 with Palermo; see the Highway page. For a road trip, the Rental car page explains the basics.

When is the best time to visit the province of Catania?

Spring and autumn suit city sightseeing and Etna hikes better than high summer. The Acireale carnival is traditionally held before Lent. The travel planning page gives air and sea temperatures for every month.

Vacation rentals across Sicily are listed on sicily.vacations.