My wife and myself will be arriving Catania on April 17, 2025 at 9:00am via the Azamara Quest. Our ship departs at 8:00pm that evening. I was looking for recommendations on what to do while we are visiting the area. Should we book a tour, visit the beaches, visit Mount Etna, etc. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Also, the following day we will be docking in Crotone. We arrive at 8:00am and depart at 8:00pm. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated as well.
I would recommend you but the RS Sicily Guidebook. There is an entire chapter (starts on Page 322) that discusses Catania, including Rick's City Walk. Several local tour guides are listed. I will be there during October as part of the Sicily RS tour. Enjoy.
Forget beaches in April.
I'd say that a tour of Etna would be, by far, your best excursion. You can easily find a driver online, or ask here.
OR, stay in Catania..visit the fish market, maybe the WWIi Museum (I've still not yet made its there but it looks fascinating) or just walk around and gape at the glorious Baroque architecture. You could have an early dinner at one of the restaurants in the fish market area, Via Gisira; those open early for dinner. The street is very pretty at night; it's adjacent to the fish market which is open in mornings. Gape at the Duomo.
Further afield,, you could hire a driver and go to Siracusa..see the island, the archeological site, wander the streets of Ortigia....
