An Accessible day in Catania, Sicily

For the second part of our wheelchair accessible trip to Sicily we stayed in Catania on the East coast of the island. This location was our base for us to explore Taormina, Syracuse and of course Catania.

The city is situated at the foot of Mount Etna, one of Europe's largest and most active volcanos. In 1669 there was a major eruption which devastated the city and then just 24 years later an earthquake. You will see that the buildings are built from lava stone as well as the paving across the city. The lava paving is pretty smooth and makes the city easier to navigate in a wheelchair.

Stay

We stayed at Rooms alcentro Catania which was a 40 minute walk from Catania Centrale Station. The hotel was lovely, spacious and modern. We had booked a room with an accessible bathroom which was great but probably more suited to smaller wheelchairs due to the small space between the shower tray rim and the toilet.

The hostess Roberta was so helpful and we were able to contact her using WhatsApp whenever we had any questions or queries during our stay.

Eat

Nearly every night of our stay in Catania we visited the same pizzeria called Taverna Peppino as the pizza was AMAZING. The restaurant is only a 5 minute roll away from the hotel so it was a great location to get something to eat quickly on the days when we were tired from exploring all day!

Travel

We hoped we could use the Metro as a quick way to get into the city from the hotel but unfortunately the lifts were out of order. If you aren't able to roll the distance into the city, there is a bus stop a short roll away from the hotel which can take you directly to the train station.

To ensure a stress free train journey do book your assistance with Sala Blu. You can arrange for someone to meet you at the station and they will then help you board the train.

Visit

Catania is a good place to visit on a more chilled out day as there is less to see here compared to other towns and cities in Sicily. It is possible to get a bus up to Mount Etna however when we were there it only ran once a day and we were too worried we'd get stuck there if we missed the bus back! There is also a regional train which goes around the foot of the mountain and through little villages. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great so we couldn't do this trip either. If you're planning on this trip, check the stations are accessible first by contacting FCE.

However we did find a few places to visit and some sweet treats to try!

Piazza Del Duomo

The Piazza Del Duomo is the central square of Catania. Around the square you will find the Cattedrale di Sant'Agata and many baroque style buildings with lively bars and restaurants. The square is really flat and accessible. In front of the Cathedral there is a sculpture of an elephant made from lava stone however this was covered up whilst we were visiting so we couldn't see it!

Parco Archeologico Greco Romano di Catania

This Roman amphitheatre is located in the centre of a residential neighbourhood and is estimated to have been built in the 2nd Century. The ground level is flat and accessible with pathways and ramps.

Giardino Bellini

Whilst staying in Catania we walked past the Giardino Bellini every day and thought we should visit it. The park is big and accessible and a nice place to relax and get away from the bustle of the city.

Obviously if you visit a park you need some local delicacies to try as well right?! So we picked up a 'Cassatella di sant'Agata'. These are a traditional Sicilian pastry of Catania and were made to honour Saint Agatha, a catholic martyr who was tortured by having her breasts cut off. Despite the brutal story behind them, they are really tasty!

Overall we found Catania a slightly hilly but smooth city to visit in Sicily and good for wheelchair access. It was a great base for our day trips from the train station to other locations on the island however our hotel was a little far away to travel to and from. The bus however was a great option and staying near Via Etnea meant we had a direct route into the city.

Want to discover more accessible places to visit in Sicily? Visit our page with all of the destinations we travelled to by train!