If you are a sea lover and you are in Catania you will be pleased to know that not far from the capital of Etna there is a spectacular place to dive into the blue Ionian sea: the beach of San Marco and Calatabiano. Place for campers, fishermen or those who want to spend a day at sea far from the crowd.
Calatabiano place for campers and trekking
Nestled in the natural area of the Alcantara Gorges, Calatbiano offers many possibilities for campers and outdoor trekking lovers. The history of the town is directly connected to that of its castle which rises to 160 meters above sea level near the southern entrance of the Alcantara Gorges.
The Castle of Calatabiano
The castle, in its present shape, with the adjoining hillside village surrounded by crenellated walls, can be traced back to a first fortification of the Byzantine era. The rediscovered Byzantine coinage goes from the era of the Emperor Heraclius to the Emperor Leo VI. The archaeological findings of the last excavation campaign in 2008/2009 did not show any sign of Arab site attendance. The town’s toponym is derived from the Arabic قلعة, kalaat (castle), while -biano is not due to an Arabic name.
How to reach San Marco e Calatabiano Beach
It is not difficult to reach the beach of San Marco and Calatabiano, although completely immersed in greenery – in fact, there is a pine forest directly overlooking the large beach. The extension of the same beach, made of pebbles, winds for several kilometers from Fiumefreddo to the fraction of Giardini Naxos – Recanati.
Whether you are coming from Messina – it is about 50km away from Catania (30km) the Catania-Messina highway directing the territory of San Marco and Calatabiano. The recommended exit is Fiumefreddo and once reached it is another 10 minutes walk inside the village to reach the beach.
San Marco and Calatabiano beach paradise of fishermans
If you want to try your hand at fishing, you should know that the endless beach of San Marco and Calatabiano gives you the chance to fish the many varieties of fish in the Mediterranean Sea. Depending on your skill, you will also be able to fish for bream and sea bass, as well as for smaller fish. The recommended time to fish is the one immediately before dawn and just before sunset, a period in which the fish get closer to the shore.
