Duration : 8 Hours
Starting From:You’ll see such a variety of things on our
private excursion from Giardini-Naxos (Taormina) to Catania, the Riviera dei
Ciclopi & Castelmola! This tour gives you the natural beauty of the
coastline, the grandeur of Catania, and the panoramas from Castelmola.
Features of this day trip to Catania, the Riviera dei Ciclopi & Castelmola:
CATANIA
From beaches, mountains and the shimmering sea
to art, architecture, folk tradition and fantastic food it seems there’s
nothing the island of Sicily doesn’t offer.
And if there’s one city that captures it all, it’s Catania.
As is so typical in this part of Sicily,
Catania has fallen under the rule of just about every sort imaginable over the
millennia. Founded by the Greeks in 729
BC, Catania flourished thanks to trade for several centuries. Under Rome things really took off, with lots
of building going on, in their typical fashion.
It lost importance under Byzantine and Arab rule, came to prominence
again under Norman rule, only to be rocked by earthquakes, plague, and volcanic
eruptions in more recent centuries.
Thankfully, the House of Aragon established a
university in Catania in the 15th Century, which put Catania on the upswing
once more. Not even destruction by
flowing lava has been able to keep Catania down: the volcanic material was in
turn used to rebuild, giving Catania it’s nickname of “The Black City”.
The modern city delights its visitors with
beautiful churches and squares. You will visit Piazza del Duomo with the splendid
Cathedral of Saint Agata, the city's patron saint, a masterpiece of Baroque and
Norman architecture incorporates ancient columns taken from the Roman
amphitheater. The ruins of the giant
amphitheater, second only in size to the Colosseum, will fascinate lovers of
ancient history and architecture, as well Castello Ursino.
And no visit to Catania would be complete
without a visit to the fish market, with its colorful atmosphere, particular
fragrances, and shouting fishmongers.
Read more about
Catania and its other points of interest.
RIVIERA DEI CICLOPI
The village of Aci Castello marks the beginning
of the Riviera dei Ciclopi, a beautiful stretch of coastline wrapped in myth and legend. According to Homer’s Odyssey, the Cyclops hurled giant rocks at Ulysses and his men as
they fled from the island. The Cyclops,
however, had been blinded by Ulysses, so his aim wasn’t the greatest. The rocks missed Ulysses and his crew,
landing in the sea just off the coast of Aci Trezza, and remain today as the
unusual Faraglioni sea stacks.
After passing the ancient village of Aci
Castello, now a popular destination for swimming, sunning and snorkeling, we’ll
reach Aci Trezza, a fishing village that was the setting of Giovanni Verga's
1881 novel I Malavoglia.
CASTELMOLA
The medieval hamlet of Castelmola is one of the prettiest villages in
Italy.
The focal point of the village is Piazza di
Sant’Antonio, a panoramic terrace overlooking the sea, giving the viewer
incredible views of the bay of Naxos, Mt. Etna and Taormina. Be sure to try some of the almond wine in
Antico Caffè San Giorgio, a mix of white wine, herbs and citrus, invented by
the owner to welcome guests after their long and tiring trek up the hill of
Mola.
Not much is left of the thousand-year-old
castle of Mola (from which the town gets its name), even though it was an
important and strategic fortress about 750 years ago. If you want a little exercise and
breathtaking views, climb on up!
For
something you don’t see every day, visit Bar Turrisi. Adorned with phallic objects it is sure to
give you a smile. You have been warned!
NOT INCLUDED
1. Is this tour private?
The tour is private just for your party, however if you wish to join a tour and alleviate costs, please check with us our shared guaranteed excursion options.
2. Is the driver also a guide?
Our English-speaking drivers are NOT licensed guides. In order to provide you with the best-in-class service, our English-speaking driving guides have been trained to offer our clients a nice overview with information regarding the major highlights avoiding the expensive charges of hiring a private guide. Due to strict Italian laws & regulations that protect officially licensed guides, our driving guides can comment and explain the sights only from inside the vehicle but are not allowed to do so once they are outside the vehicle. They are regularly licensed instead to chauffeur the public. We highly recommend that you never book with any touring company that does not make this clear.
3. Does the driver go with us inside the monuments?
No, only a licensed guide is authorized to accompany you during the visit of sights. Our driver will drop you off close to the sights but will stay with the vehicle for the duration of your visit.
4. Does this tour include lunch and admission fees to sites?
No tickets or lunch are included in the rate. Please contact our office for pricing and reservations.
5. Does it include a guide?
No guide is included either. Please contact our office for pricing and reservations.
6. What is the duration of the tour?
The duration of the tour is 7/9 hours, including pickup and drop off at the ship.
7. Is the itinerary flexible?
Our itineraries are completely flexible, and we will be happy to operate any changes to the original itinerary (within reason). Please contact our office with all the requests you may have so that we can better organize your day.
8. Do you guarantee the return to the ship on time?
In almost 30 years of business, we have never missed the ship that is why we have organized all itineraries to guarantee your return on time.
9. Is gratuity included in the price?
Tips are never included in our quotes. We think that a tip shouldn’t be included in the rate otherwise it would be a tax!!! Once in Italy do not feel as though you have to tip everyone because someone told you to. Tip only if you really liked the service. Tips are generally: 10% not bad 15 % great 20 % best tour in my life. Please report any abuse.
There will be a full charge for bookings canceled with less than 72-hour notice for any service required. In this case, a full charge will be made on your credit card. If you miss your flight or if your airline decides to cancel the flight due to bad weather or if your flight is directed to another airport on arrival, please advise us on time (as soon as you know) or a full charge will be made.
Please give us enough time so we can accept other reservations and allocate them to our chauffeurs. If the ship does not make it to the pier for bad weather, you will not be considered responsible so NO CHARGE will be made to your credit card. A full charge will be made for a no-show-up.
Only pre-purchased skip-the-line tickets (if requested) are not refundable under the circumstance and will be charged to your card.
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