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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Aci Trezza
Half a day from Catania: see the Cyclops Islands from the shore, eat fresh seafood, then return. Not worth a night unless you want a quiet beach afternoon.
Aci Trezza is a small fishing town on Sicily's east coast, 12 km north of Catania. Its reason to visit is the Riviera dei Ciclopi — lava-stack islands that, in myth, were the boulders the Cyclops threw at Odysseus. You can see them from the lungomare (seafront walk) or, in summer, pay a fisherman to land you on one. The town itself is a single street of seafood restaurants and a pebble beach. Most travellers use it as a half-day escape from Catania, not a base.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded, hot)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €30–50 (day-trip from Catania, no bed) · Mid €50–80 (lunch, boat trip, transport) · High €80+ (seafood dinner, private boat) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · EU-wide emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Train Catania–Aci Trezza, one way | €3 |
| Bus Catania–Aci Trezza, one way | €2–3 |
| Fisherman boat to the islands, per person | €10–20 |
| Seafood pasta, mid-range restaurant | €12–18 |
| Grilled fish, mid-range restaurant | €15–25 |
| Coffee at the bar | €1–1.50 |
| Gelato | €2.50–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTA · Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
- About 20 km (12 mi) south; taxi or bus to Catania centre, then train/bus to Aci TrezzaAbout 12 mi (20 km) south; taxi or bus to Catania centre, then train/bus to Aci Trezza
Typical fares
- Train Catania–Aci Trezza
- about €3, 20 min (check)
- Taxi Catania centre–Aci Trezza
- €25–35 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walkable: the lungomare is about 1 km (0.6 mi). To reach the islands you need a fisherman's boat (summer, cash, negotiate). Bus or train from Catania; a car lets you visit nearby Acireale on the same trip.Walkable: the lungomare is about 0.6 mi (1 km). To reach the islands you need a fisherman's boat (summer, cash, negotiate). Bus or train from Catania; a car lets you visit nearby Acireale on the same trip.
See and do
Known for
- Cyclops Islands (Isole Ciclopi)
- Riviera dei Ciclopi seafront
- Seafood restaurants
- Lava-stack mythology (Odyssey)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Catania | Train or bus, about 20–30 min | 30–40 min |
| Acireale | Bus or car, about 10 min | 15–20 min |
| Mount Etna | Car via Nicolosi, about 45 min to the cable car | 1–1.5 h |
| Taormina | Car or train via Catania, about 1 h | 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Seafront (Lungomare)
- Hotels with Cyclops Islands view; walking distance to restaurants and the beach.
- Catania
- Most visitors sleep here and day-trip to Aci Trezza; wider choice and lower prices.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | Graziegraht-see-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?kwahn-toh koh-stah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta?poh-soh pah-gah-reh kon lah kar-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | Dov'è il bagno?doh-veh eel bahn-yoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- No ATM in the town centre; bring cash.
- Fishermen boat trips to the islands are informal and seasonal (roughly Jun–Sep); agree the price before boarding.
- The beach is pebble, not sand; bring water shoes.
- Restaurants on the seafront cater to tourists; check prices before ordering.
Very safe. Standard precautions: watch your bag on the beach, agree taxi fares in advance, avoid walking alone on the lungomare late at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Aci Trezza yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cyclops Islands (Isole Ciclopi)
- Riviera dei Ciclopi seafront
- Seafood restaurants
- Lava-stack mythology (Odyssey)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Aci Trezza, revision 5275481 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5275481
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/aci-trezza). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.