Le Dune Sicily Hotel

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Catania and Surroundings

“Sicily is the land of oranges, of flowering soil whose air, in spring, is all fragrance… But what makes it a land that must be seen and unique in the world, is the fact that from one end to the other, it can be defined as a strange and divine museum of architecture.”

(Guy de Maupassant)

Catania

Catania is Sicily’s liveliest city: modern, cutting-edge and always full of vitality; it is a sparkling and lively city.

The black and white of its Baroque-style buildings contrasts vividly with the blue of the sky and, at night, its squares and avenues fill with young people who love to have fun among the hundreds of venues that crowd the historic center.

The city of Catania is also the island’s commercial capital, home to Sicily’s main airport and the seat of the region’s most important craft and manufacturing activities. It stands on the slopes of Europe’s highest volcano, Etna, and its privileged geographical position makes it possible to enjoy a mild climate and a crystal-clear sea in every season, encouraging a lifestyle with a relaxed pace, yet always pleasant and stimulating.

Etna Volcano

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. “A muntagna” ranks among the tallest volcanoes in the world and in 2013 it was added to the UNESCO world heritage list.
For as many as 2700 years, people have written about Etna, and this represents for UNESCO “one of the best documented records in the field of volcanoes.” It is possible to organize excursions to visit one of the most active volcanoes in Europe.
Those who visit Etna cannot miss the fabulous spectacle of the Valle del Bove,

a huge basin on the eastern side of the volcano, whose walls, up to 1000 meters high, are carved by deep canyons. If you want to organize your excursion on Etna, ask at reception, our staff will be able to plan an unforgettable day with you.

Taormina

Taormina is among the most beautiful places to visit in the world, an enchanting village from the Norman period with a medieval urban layout, it is considered the Pearl of the Ionian Sea; thanks to its favorable climate it deserves to be visited at any time of year. Not far from Porta Messina (the gateway to the medieval heart of the city) you reach Palazzo Corvaia and the seventeenth-century church of San Pancrazio, which stands on the remains of a Greek temple. Piazza IX Aprile is a wide terrace overlooking the sea from which you can enjoy a breathtaking panorama, the sea and the Mountain, while the Porta di Mezzo opened in the seventeenth-century Clock Tower leads into the medieval quarter of Taormina, with its characteristic buildings featuring Romanesque and Gothic ornaments and architectural elements. In Taormina there is also a famous shopping street, where it will be possible to find the best brands and many artisans ready to create unique works.

Aci Trezza

Acitrezza is a small village overlooking the islets commonly known as the Faraglioni, described by Homer in his Odyssey. The village is known for the famous novel I Malavoglia, written by Giovanni Verga, which tells the story of a local family of fishermen, and for the film “La terra trema”. Near the mother church, the “Casa del Nespolo” described in the novel has been identified, and a charming museum has been set up.

Its beaches, made up half of sand and half of volcanic gravel, give it a special charm. For lovers of ancient traditions and fresh fish, the fish market, open from 2:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning, offers a spectacle rich in folklore, taking the tourist back through the pages of Verga’s work.

Alcantara Gorges

The Alcantara Gorges (or Larderia Gorges) are volcanic walls located in the Alcantara valley near Francavilla, Messina. Formed following seismic events which, splitting two old basaltic lakes in half, allowed the waters of the Alcantara River to seep inside, the gorges reach up to 25 m. in height.

The structure of the walls (similar in some places to “stacks of wood” or to “organ pipes”) appears intact and jagged. Reachable on foot, thanks to a steep staircase (or by means of an elevator whose construction destroyed and altered the appearance of the rock wall), the most imposing and famous gorge in the valley is certainly the one near Fondaco Motta, more than 6 km. long and passable for over 3.