The most beautiful drive from Catania Airport to Taormina (and back)
Landing at Catania (CTA) and staying in Taormina? Skip the A18 and take the flank of Mount Etna: baroque Acireale, the volcano village of Zafferana Etnea and the black basalt gorge of the Alcantara, finishing on Sicily's most famous balcony. An arrival drive with the volcano in view almost all the way.
Not the fastest route, the most beautiful one. All the stops are already in it.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Grey48 (CC0), kallerna (CC0), Rabe! (CC BY-SA 4.0). All usable commercially with attribution.
The volcano flank instead of the A18
The fastest way from Catania Airport to Taormina is the A18: forty-five minutes of motorway, with toll. Fine in a hurry, but you mostly see sound barriers. This route climbs past baroque Acireale onto the eastern flank of Mount Etna, through the wine villages and lava fields around Zafferana Etnea, and drops via the black basalt gorge of the Alcantara to Taormina, the famous balcony above the Ionian Sea.
It is the classic fly-drive: land at Catania, pick up the rental and turn the transfer into your first real day of Sicily. We write out both directions separately, because arrival day drives differently from the day of your flight home. Open the route with every stop in Google Maps, or download the GPX.
The route on the map
A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.
Key facts for this route
| Distance (scenic route) | approx. 100 km over the Etna flank (fastest route A18: approx. 55 km) |
|---|---|
| Pure driving time | approx. 2 h 15 on the back roads (fastest route: approx. 50 min) |
| Day length with stops | 5 to 7 hours with the three stops; a full arrival day |
| Motorway share | approx. 15%, only around the airport; the rest is provincial and mountain road |
| Tolls and vignettes | none on this route; the A18 you avoid does charge a toll, and Italy has no vignette |
| Fuel (estimate) | approx. 8 litres at 7 l/100 km; count on 13 to 17 euros (fuel prices vary) |
| Countries and border crossings | 1 country (Italy, Sicily), no border crossing |
| Road type | provincial and mountain roads (SS114, SP92, SS120, SS185), locally narrow and winding; Sicilian traffic wants your attention |
| Suitable for | rental car: yes · convertible: superb (volcano and sea) · motorbike: superb · camper: possible, mind the narrow village centres and park at the edge |
The A18 Messina-Catania is a toll road; this route alongside it is toll-free and Italy has no vignette. Distance, driving time and motorway share are indicative estimates along the chosen stops, to be measured in the build (July 2026).
Always check road signs, current closures and local rules along the way.
Who is this route for
For anyone landing at Catania and staying in Taormina, Giardini Naxos or on the east coast, and for anyone who would rather trade the transfer for a first real day of Sicily. The roads over the Etna flank are winding and varied: a joy in a convertible or on a motorbike, and just as good in an ordinary rental. Landing late? Take the A18 and drive this as a day trip tomorrow.
From Catania Airport to Taormina
Pick up your car at Catania Airport and head up the coast to baroque Acireale, high on its lava terrace above the sea. Then climb inland to Zafferana Etnea, the honey and wine village on Etna's eastern flank, the volcano right above you. Over the northern flank you drop to the Gole dell'Alcantara, the narrow gorge of black columnar basalt, and drive the last stretch to Taormina.
Honest advice for arrival day: with a morning flight you manage all three stops easily. Landing in the afternoon, keep Acireale and drive on; the Alcantara gorge and Zafferana also make a perfect day trip from Taormina.
From Taormina to Catania Airport
On the day of your flight home, time matters. Drive the route in mirror image: the Gole dell'Alcantara first, in the morning light before the coaches arrive, then along the flank past Zafferana Etnea and Acireale to the airport. Short on margin? From any point on the route you are on the A18 towards Catania within half an hour to three quarters.
Mind your rental return time and refuel before handing the car in; there are petrol stations around the airport and on the SS114.
The fastest route or the most beautiful route
The A18 takes you from Catania Airport to Taormina in forty-five minutes, with toll. Handy in a hurry or after a late landing, but you see little of Sicily. This route deliberately picks the volcano flank: longer, but with baroque, lava and the island's most famous gorge. You can always cut it short: at Acireale, Giarre or Fiumefreddo you are straight back on the A18.
The 3 stops along the drive
1. Acireale
Acireale stands high on a lava terrace above the Ionian Sea and is one of Sicily's finest baroque towns: the Piazza Duomo and the basilica of San Sebastiano were rebuilt in full theatrical baroque after the 1693 earthquake. Down at the water lies the little fishing harbour of Santa Maria la Scala.
Practical: park at the edge of the centre and walk to the Piazza Duomo. A granita at one of the historic bars is obligatory here.
2. Zafferana Etnea
Zafferana Etnea sits at six hundred metres on Etna's eastern flank, between vineyards and lava fields. The village is famous for its honey and for the balcony terrace on Piazza Umberto with views down to the sea. The 1992 lava flow stopped literally at the village edge.
Practical: park by the piazza and taste the honey in one of the shops. Want to go higher up the volcano? Rifugio Sapienza is a half-hour detour (a drive of its own).
3. Gole dell'Alcantara
The Alcantara river cut deep into old lava flows here: a narrow gorge walled with black columnar basalt. The water is ice cold, even in August. Stairs take you down for a stretch of gorge or a bracing paddle.
Practical: paid park with a lift at the main entrance, a free public staircase a little further on. Come before ten or after four to dodge the coaches; water shoes help.
Practical: rental car, season and vehicle
Picking up at Catania: the rental desks are by the arrivals hall of Catania-Fontanarossa (CTA). Book online in advance and take full cover; Sicilian parking leaves its marks. Return at Catania and there is no one-way fee.
Sicilian traffic: busier and more assertive than at home, especially around Catania. Out of the city it calms down quickly. Do not let yourself be hurried, use the pull-outs, and park at the edge of villages.
Best time: April to June and September, October are ideal. In July and August the Alcantara gorge is packed around midday; come early. In winter the flank is often sunny while the summit is white.
Vehicle: convertible and motorbike enjoy this most: volcano on one side, sea on the other. A camper handles the provincial roads fine; the village centres are narrow.
Fuel: fill up before returning the car; there are stations around the airport and on the SS114. Up on the flank pumps are scarcer.
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Email this route to yourselfFrequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful drive from Catania Airport to Taormina?
Not the A18, but the route over the Etna flank: via baroque Acireale, the volcano village of Zafferana Etnea and the Gole dell'Alcantara. About 100 kilometres, where the motorway does about 55. Open it above with every stop in Google Maps.
How long is the drive from Catania Airport to Taormina?
On the A18 three quarters of an hour, with toll. The scenic route over the Etna flank is about 2 hours 15 of pure driving; with the three stops, a full arrival day.
Does the route have tolls?
No, this route is toll-free. Only the A18 you are avoiding charges a toll (take a ticket at the ramp); Italy has no vignette.
Do you see Mount Etna along the way?
Almost constantly. From Acireale you drive with the volcano above you; at Zafferana Etnea you stand on its flank, and from Taormina you get the classic view of the smoking summit over the Greek theatre.
Is the Alcantara gorge worth the stop?
Yes, provided you dodge the crowds: come before ten or after four. The contrast of black columnar basalt and ice-cold water is unique. There is a paid park with a lift and a free public staircase a little further on.
Can you drive this as a day trip from Taormina?
Certainly. Drive it as a loop: the Alcantara gorge first in the morning light, then Zafferana and Acireale, and back along the coast. Same stops, minus the flight.
Can you open the route in Google Maps?
Yes, free. Pick your direction above and the route opens in Google Maps with every stop already in it. There is also a GPX per direction for Garmin, Komoot or TomTom.
What we deliberately leave out
We leave out Catania city: the baroque Via Etnea is a city visit of its own. The summit of Etna (Rifugio Sapienza, the cable car) is a separate half day and belongs to the full Etna loop; this corridor is deliberately the arrival drive. Savoca and the Godfather villages we keep for a drive of their own.