Acitrezza, Catania

The hotel Eden Riviera is situated on the green hall of Acitrezza in front of the Isle of Lachea and the Stacks, the worldwide famous rocks thrown by the Cyclops Polyphemus, furious with Ulysses on the run.

The scent of antiquity and the charm of mythology, which has since ancient times hallowed these places, find another peculiarity southward the bay, where the Castle of Aci Castello stands, with its stern look, but, at the same time, inviting you to breathe the past events and make you fly on the wings of fantasy.

From the naturalistic point of view, an excursion on the hills reserves you some nice surprises, such as the impressive outcrop of columnar basalts, called Timpa Rosa (Pink Rock).

Acitrezza and its port, summer shelter for so many pleasure boats, houses a naval shipyard on the dockyard, where skilled masters of axe work eagerly under the summer heat as well.

For those who want to go on a minicruise along the coastline, they can make use of the Vaporetto, which waits for tourist at the port of Acitrezza.

Moreover, when in Acitrezza, don’t miss visiting the Casa del Nespolo (the House of Medlar); in its interior, you can admire a minimuseum which houses a lot of objects from the local marine tradition. There is also a photographic section devoted to the film La terra trema (the earth shakes) from Luchino Visconti.

Do not miss tasting the handcrafted granita (a crushed-ice drinked), the paste di mandorla (almond-made sweets), the cannoli (creamed sweets), the Sicilian cassata (a cake made of various ingredients) and the tasty gelato (the ice-cream), made of all types of fresh and dried fruit. The tradition of the gelato dates back in ancient times, when a guy, a Mr Procopio de Coltelli from Acitrezza, invented this wonderful delicacy in the 16th century.

Of particular interest is the portroyal of the pantomime, going back to the 18th century, of u pisci a mari (the fish in the sea) where local fishermen, on a boat, mime the fishing of a swordfish which is performed by a young swimmer.

The Isle of Lachea has been frequented by human beings since prehistoric times. It has also been the shelter of a number of hermits who have taken refuge, during the centuries, in its prehistoric caves. In 1899 Marquis Gravina transferred the property of the isle and its contiguous seven rocks to the University of Catania.

HOTEL EDEN RIVIERA