You are finally on vacation and among the many reasons that led you to choose Sicily and the city of Catania there is the desire to spend your days at the​ sea. Do you also know that the beauty of the Catania coast, located in Eastern Sicily, is its own variety? The coast of the province of Catania offers you beaches of golden sand, pebbles or stones, or volcanic sand, but also basalt coasts with unique characteristics that relate the Ionian-Etna coast to that of Hawaii.
Do you want to take a dip where the water is bluer by staying near the B&B Palazzo Speciale, or do you want to go in search of rare and unforgettable places right away? We recommend 3 areas to sunbathe and show everyone your swimming skills.
 Follow our guide and you will plant your umbrella in the most beautiful coasts of the province of Catania.

The Plaia
 A stretch of golden sand that includes several seaside villages, equipped with bathing facilities, extending from the southern outskirts of Catania to Agnone Bagni, in the province of Syracuse. From the B&B Palazzo Speciale you can easily reach the Plaia by urban public transport; in Piazza Borsellino, in fact, there is the stop of line D which will take you to the beach most loved by the people of Catania.
Do you prefer a private beach with a bar service, where you can rent beach umbrellas and chairs, or a free entry facility? The most famous Catania beaches are La Cucaracha, Le Piramidi, Lido America, Le Capannine, Lido Belvedere, Aurora, Excelsior, Cled, Jolly, Internazionale, Venere, Lido Verde. Take note that at the dusk many structures turn into real discos. Consult tripadvisor and, considering costs and services, choose the beach that most attracts you. If you have children with you, the popular Lido Azzurro, Le Palme, Aurora and Arcobaleno offer miniclub, entertainment and family tutors.
Affordable costs and cleanliness, a small bar, showers and changing rooms distinguish Colonia Don Bosco. The structure, highly recommended for families looking for peace and cleanliness, does not offer sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, but inside it is possible to enjoy a small pine forest where you can relax in the shade of the trees.
If, on the other hand, the free beach is your destination, you can choose between three beaches managed by the Municipality of Catania: beach number 1, 2 and 3. However, be aware that the municipal beaches are always very crowded, as well as offering few and spartan services including rescue and showers. If you are lucky, at dawn, along these beaches you can spot the fishermen of cockles, mussels that live in the sandy areas and of which the people of Catania are very greedy. Fishermen still use the ancient method of harvesting to collect the clams, which involves a sort of rake. If you are in Catania on May 1st, two major music festivals are held at the Playa with internationally renowned bands and DJs: One Day Music and Revolution Day.
 Tired of being lulled by the waves? You can return to your comfortable room, at the B&B Palazzo Speciale, and continue your evening in the alleys of the city where you can enjoy typical cuisine or an excellent aperitif.
 
Simeto Oasis
 If, in addition to enjoying a day at the beach, you are also a birdwatching enthusiast, then your destination is the Simeto estuary beach. The Simeto is the largest Sicilian river in terms of flow and basin. The beach is located right inside the Oasi del Simeto reserve. Remember, however, that in a section of the area bathing is prohibited, so pay attention to the signs.
 You can easily reach the oasis with the urban line, AMT n ° 538, which starts right from Piazza Borsellino, a few meters from the Palazzo Speciale.
Given the wild nature of the place - unfortunately, in some places, irreparably damaged in the past by anthropization - in addition to the swimsuit and mask to look at the seabed, we recommend that you bring trekking shoes, spare socks and anti-mosquito lotion.
 Obviously, if you are a birdwatcher or a botanist, clothing with colors that can blend into the natural environment, video-photographic equipment, binoculars, a notebook to write down your discoveries, guides for the recognition of the birds of Italy and the Mediterranean floram, are necessary.
Once you arrive at the Reserve, to reach the river beach you just have to take the road that runs along the banks of the river. The route , however, will hold you many surprises; the area is rich in ponds much loved by avifauna such as flamingos, knights of Italy, lapwings, swamp owls, herons, cormorants, geese and storks.
In this very special ecosystem there are many botanical species present, and there is no shortage of amphibians and reptiles; among these you could meet a native turtle, the Sicilian marsh tortoise. On the beach, on the other hand, you can have fun looking for and collecting amber on the shoreline; the one located along the mouth of the Simeto is known as simetite and is considered very valuable.
La Scogliera
Have you ever tried diving off a basalt cliff, or have you ever sunbathed on a volcanic sand beach?
Here too, starting from Piazza Europa, continuing to Ognina, up to Aci Castello, the coast reserves surprises, relaxation and fun.
Remember, however, that in some parts of the area, especially near docking for boats, bathing is prohibited, so always pay attention to the signs. On the rocky coast of the Catania seafront, there are numerous private bathing establishments, equipped with many services: solarium, swimming pools, whirlpool, entertainment, wi-fi area, diving, restaurant-bar, tennis and beach volleyball courts. These include Cocoa Beach and Bikini beach café. If you don't want any comfort, you just have to find a passage to the shoreline and spread your towel on the lava rock that most inspires you for its shape and proximity to the sea. Continuing further on, you will find San Giovanni Li Cuti, an ancient fishing village, as well as Playa, another favorite seaside destination of Catania. The village takes its name from a church that no longer exists, dedicated to San Giovanni, and due to a peculiarity of the coast: the rocks; in the Catania dialect, rocks and lava pebbles are "li cuti" or "li cutilisci", a term that can be translated as "smooth rocks".
 San Giovanni Li Cuti, in fact, is located in an area formed by the historic lava flows of 1169, 1329 and 1381. Have you ever sunbathed on a beach as black as a starless night? In San Giovanni Li Cuti, as well as on the rocks and pebbles, you can relax on the volcanic sand. In this beach there is also a small walkway run by the city, equipped with a ladder to enter the sea for the disabled. In addition to enjoying the beach and waves, we recommend a walk inside the picturesque borghetto where you can observe the gozzo, the traditional wooden fishing boat.
If you want to go further north, after San Giovanni Li Cuti you will meet the village of Ognina. The municipality of Catania, in Piazza Nettuno, has built a solarium, also equipped with access to the sea for the disabled and lifeguard service. The solarium is one footbridge of wood, constructed over the cliff, equipped of ladders in order to facilitate the bathing .
 Ognina is full of restaurants and private beaches and here too there is a marina, equipped with specialized services for pleasure boating: Porto Ulisse, famous because it is immortalized in the movie Divorzio all'italiana starring the great Marcello Mastroianni. Porto Ulisse is which remains of a docking area, into which the Lognina or Ognina river once flowed, buried - as well as the whole area - by the lava flow of 1381.

Aci Trezza
Taking a dip in Aci Trezza means immersing yourself in Sicilian folklore, in Greek myths, in the great classics of literature. Animated in the evening by restaurants, bars and pubs, during the day it is a place to visit for its naturalistic beauties and its sea.
To reach this destination you must, from Piazza Borsellino, take the AMT line 534. This ancient fishing village, today a popular tourist and holiday destination, is the heart of the Riviera dei Ciclopi.
The name is quickly explained: the Homeric Cyclops infested these lands and are the protagonists of numerous myths. One of these provides the origin of the stacks that emerge from the sea and that characterize this archipelago, together with the Lachea Island; according to the Homeric myth, these are the rocks that Polyphemus threw against the ship of Ulysses during the escape of the cunning king of Ithaca. In reality, Science confirms that these unique formations, the columnar basalts, are of volcanic origin, created by underwater eruptions.
Another very important geological phenomenon that you can observe in this area - so unique that it is similar to those of the Iceland, New Zealand and, with some differences, Hawaii - are the pillows or lava cushions, rocks with a more or less spherical shape, which can be observed at the old port of AciTrezza. To reach the Lachea Island and its stacks- including the largest one known as La Madonnina for the Marian statue on its top - go to the small port. There are no bars on the islet, so remember to bring water and food with you.
Arriving at the marina you can also observe the shipwrights of the Cantiere Rodolico shipyard intent on building the typical fishing boats, the gozzi. And just a rowing gozzo will act as a taxi, accompanying you from the internal docks of the port to the rocky coast of the island, paying only 3 euros for round trip; once on board, you must indicate to the boatman who accompanies you, if you prefer the side overlooking the village or the hidden side of the islet, much more peaceful and wild.
The rocks of the island are the paradise of divers, while its depths are the joy of those who practice snorkeling; bring a mask, tube and fins to discover the wonders of the sea, but limit yourself only to observe because here there is a ban on fishing, as you are in an integrated nature reserve. To manage the reserve is the Cutgana, an association that depends on the University of Catania.
 If you want to explore the Lachea Island internally which, however small, holds great surprises, such as being the habitat of an endemic species, the red-necked lizard, which lives only on this islet, you can book a guided tour. The Cutgana offers the service free of charge, but it is necessary to book by writing an e-mail to visite.cutgana@unict.it or by calling the following numbers 0956139260 and +393408280281. The visits start from the red house which is clearly visible on Lachea Island; for the excursion, wear sports clothing, a hat and trekking or non-slip boots. And to go back to town? To win the return trip, you just need to approach the shoreline and whistle at the wooden boats that offer the escort service, constantly shuttling from Aci Trezza to the island.
The setting and the transport by boat will have reminded you of the novel I Malavoglia by Giovanni Verga, or the movie by Luchino Visconti, La terra trema, which is inspired by Verga's work. The reason is obvious: Aci Trezza is the town where these two masterpieces are set. Some of the characters in Visconti's work, such as Agnese Giammona who played Lucia in the film, are still alive and sometimes give interviews to film students and journalists. If you want to immerse yourself even more in Verga's narrative universe, once on the mainland , go to the Casa del Nespolo Museum. The museum is located in via Dietro Chiesa, and can be visited from 9.30 to 12.30 and from 16.00 to 18.00. The building, dating back to the nineteenth century, gives the idea of the houses of the Trezzoti fishermen in the last century. The museum exhibition is dedicated to Visconti's movie with testimonies of the shooting, letters and photographs by Giovanni Verga, and finds that bring us back to fishing techniques, local customs and traditions in the nineteenth century.
 A the museum Casa del Nespolo there is also a rich photographic documentation dedicated to the popular event U pisci a mari. The event that has eighteenth-century origins, takes place on June 24th, in the water basin overlooking the marina, precisely on the days when the patron saint of the town, Giovanni Battista, is celebrated and accompanies religious celebrations .It is a very important popular event, a pantomime that, evoking the ancient propitiatory rites, stages the parodic capture of a swordfish.