Baroque Catania Walking Tour & Riviera of Cyclops

Experience a walk in Catania, a unique and baroque style town at the foot of Mount Etna, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. Subjected to Etna’s fickle temperament, Catania was destroyed nine times by eruption and earthquakes. Baroque style here, is different from the one you can find in Rome, France and Spain, since it was influenced by Etna so much; the wide use of black lava stone with the white limestone from Siracusa produces a magnificent black and white effect. This tour combines the unique baroque style of Catania with the tour of the beautiful Riviera of Cyclops.

TOUR LENGHT: 5 hrs., in addition at the transfer time as follows

– from Catania area: 1 hour;

– from Taormina: 1.30h;

– from Messina or Siracusa areas: 2.30h.

OVERVIEW

 

The visit will start from the real heart of Catania, the Roman Amphitheatre, built using basaltic dark lava stones, at a lower level than the baroque town. You will enjoy a special baroque atmosphere strolling through its elegant buildings, squares and splendid churches. Your knowledgeable local guide will also introduce you to three thousand years of foreign dominations on the island. You will see archaeological finds showing you the layers below the baroque town, dating back to the Roman period, the University Palace with its lovely courtyard (not on Sundays) decorated with Mt. Etna pebble mosaic, the Cathedral (fortress church), two of the “Seven Doors” protecting S. Agatha’s treasure and the full silver “fercolo” (weighing around 2.500 pounds), sculptured by hands and carried bythe local people all around the town during the patron saint’s celebration week. Still included in this itinerary, according to your taste, you can choose between the visit of Giovanni Verga or Vincenzo Bellini’s Houses or in altenative, 10 minutes far away, the Ursino Castle, where Frederic the second lived. This town also offers abundance of quaint shops, restaurants and very tempting cafeterias, with unique Sicilian ricotta or almond and pistachio cookies, and the traditional ice-creams (the first one in history was produced in this province) . Before finishing the tour, you can’t miss a visit of the “Pescheria”, the outdoor fish market which reminds us an African souk, with all the fishermen shouting their prices.

Next, we drive along the seafront road that crosses the fishermen villages which inspired Verga when he wrote his “Malavoglia”. This stretch of rocky coast has a great naturalistic and geological interest and, when Mount Etna didn’t exist yet, one of the first eruptions took place just here in the depths of the sea. The eruption, formed huge outcrops of rock, forged by underwater lava which gave birth to the Homeric legend of the Cyclops. Endemic varieties of fish and other species have encouraged, and made possible, the creation of a National Sea Park to protect them.

TOUR INFO 

 

PRICE

It  is calculated per person  according to the number of participants and the point of pick up, as follows:

2 pax  – 3 pax –  4 pax – 5 pax –  6 pax – 7 pax.

With more participants than two people the price lowers gradually.

*Discounted price (applicable only with at least two full paying adults):
– people aged 12-14 years old: 20% off;
– under 12 years old: free of charge.

Over 14 years old, same price as adults.

Inclusions:

– 4 hours service by licensed tour guide
– Private transfer

Exclusions:
-Meals and drinks
-Entrance tickets
-Personal expenses
-Tips and gratuities
-Optional activities cost

For exact price calculation, please, send us inquiry via e-mail  

 

Note: participants will meet the tour guide on site.

It is allowed to extend the time at leisure just if pre-agreed with the driver according to his availability. In this case, each additional hour has the cost of 7 Euro per person, payable to the driver directly.

HOW TO BOOK

 

Privately, a booking form – which  incorporates all terms and conditions (deposit, payment, cancellation and responsibility) – will be sent you, to be signed for acceptance.  If the booking is made within 30 days before the tour’s start date, the full amount is required at the time of reservation. The deposit will be treated as part payment of the total amount due. Inquiry