Location

Zahara is at Via Cestai 11, a short side street east of Via Etnea in the historic centre of Catania. At its corner with Via Mancini stands the Arch of San Giovanni de' Fleres, a fifteenth-century Gothic portal. Piazza Università is about 170 metres away, Piazza Duomo about 240 metres and Stesicoro metro station roughly 300 metres.

Via Cestai 11, 95131 Catania, Italy

Getting there

From Catania Fontanarossa Airport, the AMTS Alibus leaves from in front of the old terminal every day from 04:40 to 00:30. It reaches Catania Centrale station in about a quarter of an hour, then continues along Via Etnea to Piazza Stesicoro, a few minutes' walk from Via Cestai. White licensed taxis wait at the Arrivals exit; until 31 December 2026 a fixed fare to Piazza Duomo is on trial, so ask for it before getting in.

From Catania Centrale, about 1.1 km away, take the metro from Giovanni XXIII to Stesicoro or walk for around 15 minutes. If you come by car, bear in mind that the historic centre is a limited traffic zone; the public car parks at Piazzale Borsellino and the Bellini multi-storey are about seven minutes away on foot.

What to see

Piazza Duomo, with the cathedral and the Elephant Fountain, is four minutes away, with the lively Pescheria fish market right beside it. Within ten minutes on foot are the Roman Amphitheatre, the Roman Theatre and Odeon, Casa Verga and Castello Ursino. Across Via Etnea, Via dei Crociferi lines up baroque churches, and the Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena, a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers guided tours.

For Etna, a morning AST bus runs from Piazza Giovanni XXIII to Rifugio Sapienza in about two hours; the summit areas require an authorised guide. The nearest beaches are Lido Arcobaleno and the cove at Ognina. From 3 to 5 February the feast of Sant'Agata closes the centre to traffic, so book early.

Distances

Approximate distances, as the crow flies or by road.

Piazza UniversitàElegant baroque square with the historic seat of the university170 m
Piazza DuomoCathedral of Sant'Agata, the Elephant Fountain and the nearby fish market240 m
Roman AmphitheatreRemains of the great Roman arena in the heart of Piazza Stesicoro370 m
Roman Theatre and OdeonAncient theatre set among the houses of Via Vittorio Emanuele430 m
Casa Museo di Giovanni VergaHome of the Sicilian novelist, now a small house museum470 m
Castello UrsinoMedieval Swabian castle that now houses the city's civic museum660 m

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