The Surrounding Area

The sea

The fabulous basaltic lava coastline of the Cyclops Riviera to the north of Catania is less than half-hour's drive from Borgopetra. Leave Aci Castello, drive north through Aci Trezza and Capomulini as far as Acireale. Despite the haphazard building developments, the rocky coast retains its rugged Ionian beauty. Worth seeing is the beautiful Timpa nature reserve at Acireale, a lavic ridge that hangs over the sea (reached only on foot after a long walk), testimony to Etna's volcanic history. Likewise the island of Lachea off Aci Trezza offers a precious natural habitat. The Riviera dei Limoni with its rocky shoreline is a favourite with Catanians, hosting tiny seaside towns like Santa Maria La Scala, Santa Tecla, Stazzo and Pozzillo. Further north the rocks give way to sand and the extended beaches of the Fiumefreddo nature reserve at Marina di Cottone. If you prefer amenities and comfort, try the beach resorts at Spisone and Mazzarò beneath Taormina. It is best to avoid the city beaches at Plaia di Catania (and sadly the nature reserve at the mouth of the River Simeto, spoiled by pollution and illegal building), and head further south. At last the completed motorway to Syracuse and Noto brings the fabulous south east coast within easy travelling distance. Don't miss Marchesa beach near Cassibile and the five inlets of the lovely Vendicari nature reserve south of Noto, where one can swim in autumn and go rambling in the winter and spring. Still further south (south of Tunis in fact), at Portopalo, is the windswept beach of Capo Passero and the Isola delle Correnti (the southernmost point in Sicily and the whole of Europe, where the Ionian Sea meets the Mediterranean) and the endless sands of Carratois and Punto Rio.