Hi! I’m fortunate to have a work trip to Catania in two weeks. I will have two free days—a Saturday and a Thursday—and I’m looking for the best way to spend my time as a solo traveler.
What do you recommend? Looking at taking the bus to Aci Castillo. A winery would be my preferred activity, but it seems that most are already booked or too far to get to without a car. Thank you!
There are a few options to consider depending on your interests.
North of Catania
- Mt Etna Volcano
- Taormina
- Gole dell’Alcantara (Alcantara river gorges and canyon)
- (you can do all of the above, or at least two of them, in a two day trip)
South of Catania
- Syracuse and Ortigia
- Noto (if you have time after Syracuse)
I can’t help you with wineries, but the slopes of Mt. Etna is a wine producing area, so there must be some.
Looking at taking the bus to Aci Castillo. A winery would be my preferred activity, but it seems that most are already booked or too far to get to without a car.
I have no idea what motivates you to go to Aci Castello. It's also unclear whether you want to visit the winery from Catania or from Aci Castello.
In any case, you can check this one. They also offer the option to book a shuttle, so no car is necessary.
https://www.etnaurbanwinery.it/
Booking for a thursday should't be a problem.
As suggested by Roberto, we visited Ortigia and Noto on the same day. We did have a rental car.
Siracusa and Ortigia are wonderful. We stayed in Ortigia for 3 nights in May 2022 and loved it. While a day trip seems short to me, you certainly could do it without a car. There's a bus that goes from Catania (stops at airport as well as in the city) to Siracusa. If you want to go to Ortigia just stay on until the last stop. It is very reasonable (~6euro in 2022) and no reservation was needed at least at that time. The Neapolis archaeological park was worth a few hours. It's 2 km (30min walk) from Ortigia stop, or you could get off at the stop near the hospital. Interbus is the bus line. The stops are a little confusing but you can look at the stations and see which is closest to where you're staying.
Hello,
If you are a fan of The Godfather movies, then visit Savoca! You can go to Bar Vitelli, as well as visit the Church where Michael Corleone married Appollonia. The town still looks like it did when the movies were filmed in the 70's. We had a wonderful day there!
