Sicily holidays by Volcano Etna

Often who comes in Sicily wants to visit only the most known and crowded places like Taormina, Catania, etc…I think these locations are becoming more “Mass tourists” and very expensive.

For most people the Etna is only an excursion point but less people knows that around the Etna there little villages full of attractions and tourist activity to do…
Most of people don’t know that they can save up a lot of money if they choose other locations. Around the Etna there are a lot of little towns where you can stay and visit the other well known locations with daily excursions.

Take an example in Taormina price for a single b&b can be 70€ a day per person, while in the same period in Randazzo (close to Taormina) a B&B can cost 25€ a day per person…more than 50% off!!!

So let’s have a look on the other Etna villages:

Acitrezza…
Acitrezza is a fraction of the Common of Acicastello, this is the city where the catanese writer Giovanni Verga has made it protagonist of its novel, “the Malavoglia�, describing the life of the fishermen and their families. Things to visit are the Lachea Island; The House of the Nespolo, the house in which Giovanni Verga makes the Malavoglia reside; Museum “Casa del Nespolo�:+ and the house of fishermen.

Acireale…
The city of Acireale has its mythical roots in the love story between the nymph Galatea and the shepherd Aci, killed by the Cyclops Polifemo for jealousy and then transformed by Giove in a river in order to join again with his lover. Things to visit are the Public square Dome, an example of Sicilian baroque called “The 5 di oro”; Square of the Cathedral; The Puppet theatre; The Thermal baths, ancient sulfurous waters; Picture gallery and library Zelantea; The Complex of Venera Saint

Acicastello…
This is the village where Homerus write about the Lastrigons and others mythological figures. Here Ulysses was captured by the Cyclops Polifemo. Things to visit are the Faraglioni and the Lachea Island, big formations of basaltic rock; The Norman Castle, built in black lava rock;

Zafferana Etnea…
This is a little mountain village on the south east side of the Etna. It’s famous for the Honey production and its walking paths along the Etna natural park. The attractions to visit are the Church mother and all the city hall.

Viagrande…
This is a city on the south side of the Etna. Top attractions to visit are the Church mother and its wonderful villas.

Trecastagni…
Trecastagni is one of the ancient centers of the Etna. Its name derives from the Latin Trium Castorum (3 saint brother Alfio Filadelfio and Cirino). The attractions are the church mother and the sanctuary of Saint Alfio.

Nicolosi…
The name of Nicolosi derives from the Benedictine abbey, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Today this ancient abbey is the the center of the Etna Park’s bureau. Worth a visit The Church mother constructed in baroque style; The Volcanological museum and Rifugio Sapienza, the main starting point to do Etna excursions.

Linguaglossa…
This is the tourist point in the north side of the Etna. The city was founded by a group of genovesi (People from Genoa,Italy). The attractions to visit are the church mother and the Convent of Cappuccino.

Calatabiano…
Calatabiano is an ancient Arab dominated villages in the northern side of the Etna. Things to visit are the Arab-Norman Castle of Arabic origin and the Church of the SS. Crocifisso

Bronte…
Bronte is a little village in the north side of the Etna. It’s the capital of the pistachio nuts. Things to visit are the Nelson’ Ducea, a villa donated to the Admiral Horatio Nelson from the King Ferdinand of the two Sicily and The Church Mother
with two splendid altars of baroque forge.

Biancavilla…
The city of Biancavilla was a colony of Albanian people. Things to visit are the Church mother and the Church of the Announced

Belpasso…
The city was destroyed and reconstructed two times by the lavic flows, the first in 1669 and then in 1693. Things to visit are the church mother, the Palazzo Scorfani and Palazzo Bufali, two ancient aristocratic buildings, the permanent show of Natural Sciences inaugurated in 2005 and Etnaland, a big aquatic park

Adrano…
The city of Adrano was erected near the ancient temple of the Sicilian god “Adranosâ€?, God of war. Things to visit are the castle of Adrano, center of the museum; The Archaeological regional Museum; The Church mother and the Saracens’ Bridge

Paternò…
The city of Paternò has a Norman domination style. The best thing to visit is the Norman castle.

Riposto…
This is a little sea village on the Ionian sea with a little tourist port very useful for boat tour of Sicily. The things to visit are the Church mother and the Church of the Madonna of the Letter.

Saint Alfio…
This is a common where visit the Church mother and the Chestnut of 100 horses, the most ancient of Europe.

Santa Venerina…
This is a territory full of big forest, small plains and hills. Things to visit are the Church of the Sacred Heart and the church of Saint Venera.

Santa Maria di Licodia…
This is place where find a lot of beautiful archaeological reperts that attest the presence of Sicilian, Greek, roman, Byzantine, Arabs and Norman. Things to visit are the Church mother and the fountain of the Cherub.

Randazzo…
This is a village where were spoken 3 languages: the Greek, the Latin and Lombard. Things to visit: Church of Saint Maria; The Svevian castle; The Museum of Sicilian Marionettes and The Archaeological museum Vagliasindi

Pedara…
This is little town on the south of the Etna…it has a lot of lava rock buildings. Worth a visit The palace of don Diego Pappalardo; The portal of 1547, a Romanesque style arc constructed in lava stone; The Church mother.

Giarre..
This is a town near the ionic sea. The main attractions are the church Mother; The museum of the Presepio; The Cribs Museum and the Mediterranean Aquarius

Castiglione di Sicilia…
This is the center of wine production on the Etna. The city was dominated also from the Roman, the Arabs, the Normans and the Svevian. Things to visit are the Castle of Lauria; The Cannizzo, a tower used as lookout-post place; The basilica of Madonna of the Chain.

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