Catania

This is inside the built-up area of Catania on the Ionian coast, with the Gulf of Catania and long urban beaches to the south. Mount Etna rises immediately inland and dominates the skyline; the lower slopes and access roads begin within this radius, while the Parco dell’Etna lies on the mountain above the city. Catania is the nearest town of size and has a large historic centre with major Baroque monuments, a port, a university and the main airport for eastern Sicily. The area is known for the black lava stone of Etna, citrus plain agriculture to the south of the city, and the combination of city, volcano and coast.