I am planning to fly to Catania in early September 2026 and explore east Sicily with my husband. Part of the trip is just staying for 4-5 days on the beach enjoying sand, sun,swimming, and food. I have looked at staying either in Letojanni or Avola. Open for other places as well. I was thinking to possibly doing sightseeing for some full or half days and then spend sufficient time on the beach. We prefer not to rent a car, but rather use public transportation for sightseeing and/or some local tour operators for day trips. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
New Zealand
26 posts
Have you been to Sicily before?
Sounds like a great time of year to go! You're avoiding the crowds and heat.
Is your goal to take day trips (via bus or train) and then come back to your hotel, which has short walks to both a beach and nice dining options?
Catania's a great place to use as a base (since it's a transportation hub and is right between Taormina and Siracusa) but I don't think Catania itself would work for that since although it's on the coast, it doesn't feel coastal. There are lidi (organised beaches) just south of town, but they wouldn't be within easy walking distance of your hotel or good food. And there are smaller beaches reachable via the lungomare, but most of them are either private, paid, or rocky rather than sandy. There might be hotels with beach access and decent dining nearby, but I don't know how easy they'll be to find, or weather their beach access will live up to your expectations.
So I'm guessing that's why you're looking at other towns. Not sure how much transportation flexibility you'll have from those, though. I'm curious what you end up picking.
Posted by
new york
1190 posts
We spent a week in Marina di Ragusa during the first week of September, 2024.
We did have a car, however.
The town has a long, wide, sandy beach and a promenade stretching along much of the beach where people stroll at night in as lively atmosphere..lots of families with kids...
Since we did have the car, we stayed at a country hotel with a nice pool, about a 10-minute drive away, but you could look sat Marina di Ragusa itself for accommodation. If you find a hotel linear the beach, restaurants are in walking distance.
On another recent trip (not that one) we did not have a car and went around with a driver from Ragusa..so the might be an option for you.