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Italy : Catania - July 2008

Country Code: Dial for Italy

There’s no better place to be in July than Catania. This Sicilian city offers a long sandy beach, perfect for basking in the sun by day, and once night falls you can soak up the atmosphere in one of the old city centre’s street-side cafés. Ellen Grady does just that

Getting around

Fontanarossa Airport

Bus: The Alibus shuttle service runs between the airport and the central train station. It’s a 15-minute journey, with buses running from 5am to midnight. Other services are available to all major Sicilian destinations, including Taormina and Palermo. The bus journey into Catania costs €2.
Taxi: Taxis are also available and the journey into Catania shouldn’t cost more than €30. All major car-hire companies are represented at the airport.
Tourist information: The main tourist information office is at 10 Via Cimarosa (, www.turismo.catania.it)

THE CENTRE

Oven-hot by day, cool and jasmine-scented by night, Catania’s lava-stone streets all lead to the dramatically baroque Piazza Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its lovely cathedral dedicated to St Agatha, the patron saint of the city, and the bustling, colourful fish market nearby.

Sleep soundly – A luxurious small hotel housed in a smart art nouveau townhouse, Hotel Novecento is also close to the opera house.

Must drink – At dawn, pick up coffee and fresh croissants – or, better still, ice cream in a brioche – at Etoile d’Or (7 Via Dusmet), an old-fashioned café near the fish market.

Dance the night away – Mercati Generali (SS417 km69) is an old wine-press set among orange trees, where you can dance until dawn. There’s great music and delicious food if you get hungry, but don’t arrive before midnight.

Shop til you drop – As the summer sales kick in, grab fashionable beachwear and accessories from the big stores along the main street, such as Coin (112 Via Etnea) and La Rinascente (155 Via Etnea).

THE PLAYA

A six-mile swathe of white sand and blue sea to the south of the city, Catania’s splendid beach is a great attraction in July. Mount Etna dominates the skyline and provides the perfect backdrop.

Sleep soundly – You’ll be hard-pressed to find a reason to venture beyond the peripheries of Le Dune Sicily Hotel (10b Viale Kennedy, , albergoledune.it, rooms from €140), which comes complete with its own pizzeria, pool and private beach.

Dance the night away – Bathing establishments at the Playa stay open until dawn, for midnight dips, music and dancing on the beach.

TAORMINA

Catch the evening breeze in this enchanting little hilltop town, just a short bus or train ride away from Catania. Rub shoulders with the stars as they stroll along Corso Umberto. They’ll most likely be performing most nights at the ancient theatre, and the following morning you may find them sunning themselves on thebeautiful beach that sits at the foot of the mountain.

Sleep soundly – Situated on the lovely beach on Isola Bella, a cable-car ride away from the town centre, La Plage Resort offers comfortable little bungalows under the pines. There’s a good restaurant here, too.

Culture vultures – From its dizzy mountain-top position, the ancient Teatro Greco (Greek theatre) commands stunning views of the straits of Messina and Mount Etna, and is the perfect setting for summer evening performances.

Must eat – Set in front of the public gardens, La Bougainville (88 Via Bagnoli Croce, ) does a tempting roll-call of dishes, such as locally caught blue fin tuna and fresh anchovies baked with strawberries and pine nuts.

Shop til you drop – The sales in the boutiques along the main street are in full swing, so why not pick up a designer handbag at Furla (43 Corso Umberto)? Show them this page and you’ll get a discount even once the sales are over.

SAVOCA

This village was made famous by Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, some of which was filmed here. With only 200 inhabitants, it’s blissfully quiet and has some beautiful views.

Culture vultures – Dominating the town is Chiesa di Santa Lucia (Via San Nicola), the setting for the marriage of Michael Corleone and Appolonia in Coppola’s film.

Must drink – Bar Vitelli (7 Piazza Fossia) is a must for some of Maria’s exquisite lemon sorbet. Al Pacino loved it.

Compiled by Ellen Grady