Lava rocks and sandy beach
Between the lava rocks and the golden shores the beautiful long walk called “u passiaturi” is situated. It stretches from piazza dei Martiri to the Central Station.
If you prefer the sand, you can go south, to the Harbour. From via Dusmet, the road which runs along the coast and skirts the harbour, you reach piazza Borsellino. Here you find the Plaia, kilometres of golden sandy shore stretching beyond the Oasi del Simeto Nature Reserve to the Agnone, at the borders of the city of Lentini.
The Plaia of Catania has got three public, free beaches: the first beach is situated just past the harbour. From here the bathing establishments, “i Lidi”, open up, offering entertainment to all different ages and tastes. Many establishments turn into Aperitive Bar, Disco Bar or Tangherie at night. Along the coast road there are some three-star to five-star hotels, too.
If you want to dive from the rocks and have a swim in the open sea, you have to go North, towards the Central Station, where you can still find one of the most ancient bathing establishment of the city.
From piazza Europa, where you can find the public solarium and the private bathing establishments, you can walk along the promenade, viale Ruggero di Lauria, to the little fishermen suburb of San Giovanni Li Cuti, so called for its dark beach, made of “Cuti Lisci”, the different sized smooth lava stones. But if you keep going on you’ll find the suburb of Ognina, il Borgo di Ognina, with its little harbour and the Church, consecrated to the Young Virgin Mary, where on September the 8th a characteristic fest takes place, involving fishermen and devotees.
From the suburb of Ognina you enter the residential neighbourhood called “the Cliff”, “La Scogliera”, with further bathing establishments, which turn into Aperitive Bar and Disco Bar at night. The Cliff, La Scogliera, culminates in the little town of Acicastello, with its medieval castle, based on an ancient lava cliff emerging from the sea depths.