Catania

Catania sits at the base of Mount Etna on Sicily's east coast. The city was rebuilt in Baroque style after a massive earthquake in 1693, using the dark volcanic stone that gives the buildings their distinctive black-grey colour. The port is about 15 minutes on foot from the centre, where Piazza Duomo and its Elephant Fountain anchor the old town. Behind the square, La Pescheria fish market is loud, wet and worth the visit for the displays of swordfish, octopus and sea urchins laid out on ice. Via Etnea, the main street, runs north from the cathedral past shops and cafés selling granita and arancini. Day trips to Etna's lower slopes leave from Catania and take you across lava fields and up to steaming craters. Taormina, about an hour north by car, is another common excursion from the port.