Page 317 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

the jagged points of the Scogli dei Ciclopi that rise from the sea just beyond town.
Homer wrote that the blinded Polyphemus slung these rocks (broken from Etna) at
Ulysses as he and his men escaped from the Cyclops in their ships. The largest of the
three main sharp-edged islets – also known as faraglioni – sticks some 60m into the
sky.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CATANIA’S BEACH RESORTS

By bus AMT bus #534 runs from Catania’s Piazza Borsellino to Aci Castello and Aci
Trezza. The beaches of the Golfo di Catania are reached by taking bus #427 from
Stazione Centrale or summer bus #D from Piazza Borsellino.

By train Regualr trains (approximately hourly) from Catania’s Stazione Centrale make
the 5min journey to Ognina.

< Back to Catania, Etna and around

Acireale

ACIREALE, 16km north of Catania, has a marvellous site, high above the rocky shore
and the surrounding lemon groves. It’s a location best appreciated from the public
gardens at the northern end of town, from where you can look right back along the

Riviera dei Ciclopi. Known since Roman times as a spa centre (the thermal baths are
still heavily used), Acireale is also another striking example of Sicilian Baroque town
planning. This is the fourth successive town on the site, rebuilt directly over the old
lava streams after the 1693 earthquake, and, as in Catania, it relies on grand buildings,
a handsome central square and Duomo and some long thoroughfares for its effect.

ACIREALE DRESSES UP

Acireale is known throughout Italy for its celebrations during Carnevale
(Feb/March), when it hosts one of Sicily’s best festivals, with extraordinarily
elaborate flower-decked floats and fancy-dress parades clogging the streets for five

noisy days. The town also has a long tradition of Sicilian puppet theatre, with
regular shows performed in summer by its surviving theatre companies, like that of
Turi Grasso at Via Nazionale 195 ( 095 764 8035, operadeipupi.com), which
also has a small museum at the theatre (Wed, Sat & Sun 9am–noon & 6–9pm in
summer or 3–6pm in winter; free).

Santa Maria la Scala

The nicest place to while away a few hours in Acireale – especially over lunch – is
the tiny hamlet of Santa Maria la Scala, 2km below town, huddled around a