5 Days in East Sicily for Food & Wine: Catania, Taormina, Syracuse & Etna

The short version: eastern Sicily is the island’s food-and-wine heart — five days covers Catania’s roaring fish market and street food, the volcanic wines of Etna, a cooking class in Taormina, and the baroque south of Syracuse, Noto and Modica with its famous chocolate and cannoli. Below is a loose route, not a fixed schedule — bend it around market mornings and long lunches.

A note on how to use this: these are suggestions and options, not a day-by-day timetable. Wine visits and cooking classes need booking and hours change seasonally, so treat this as a flexible outline and confirm anything time-sensitive directly before you set out.

At a glance

Days one and two — Catania

Begin in Catania, the gritty, exuberant city under Etna. Its heart is La Pescheria, the morning fish market — a theatre of swordfish, sea urchins and shouting vendors — best seen on a Catania food tour. Eat the city’s plates: pasta alla Norma (tomato, fried aubergine, salted ricotta), arancini, horse-meat street stalls, and a granita with brioche for breakfast — our what to eat in Catania guide runs through them. A Sicilian cooking class (see how they work) teaches you Norma, arancini and cannoli to take home.

Day three — Mount Etna wine

Spend a day on Etna, one of the world’s most exciting wine regions. The volcano’s black slopes grow Nerello Mascalese reds and Carricante whites of real finesse, from old vines across the numbered contrade — high-altitude, mineral and unlike anywhere else. An Etna wine tour pairs cellar visits with lava-field views and lunch; our Etna wine explained guide covers the grapes and whether to base in Taormina or Catania for it.

Day four — Taormina

Move to beautiful Taormina, the clifftop resort town with its Greek theatre and sea views. Beyond the postcards it’s a fine place to cook: a Taormina cooking class makes Sicilian pasta, seafood and sweets, often with a market visit or a terrace overlooking the coast. Eat well, wander the Corso, and use it as a relaxed base between Etna and the south.

Day five — Syracuse, Noto and Modica

Finish in the baroque south-east. Syracuse‘s island of Ortigia has one of Sicily’s loveliest markets and superb seafood — explore it on a Syracuse food tour. Inland, golden Noto and Modica are the sweet finale: Modica makes its famous grainy, Aztec-style chocolate, and all of Sicily’s cannoli and cassata are at their best here (see Sicilian sweets explained). A Modica chocolate and Val di Noto tour ties the towns and tastings together.

How long, where to base, and the wider island

Five days suits eastern Sicily at a good pace. Base in Catania for the first nights, then Taormina or Syracuse for the south. A car helps for Etna and the baroque towns, though the train links Catania, Taormina and Syracuse if you’d rather not drive — and, as ever, book a wine tour for the tasting day so no one has to. This route covers the east; for the whole island, including Palermo’s street food and the western wine country, see our week-long Sicily food and wine itinerary. Plan from the Sicily hub.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need for eastern Sicily?

Five days covers Catania, Etna wine, Taormina and the baroque south of Syracuse, Noto and Modica comfortably. For the whole island including Palermo and the west, plan a week or more.

Is Etna worth a day on a Sicily food trip?

Yes — Etna is one of Italy’s most distinctive wine regions, growing Nerello Mascalese and Carricante on volcanic soils. A wine tour among the contrade, with lunch and lava-field views, is a highlight for anyone interested in wine.

Should I base in Catania or Taormina?

Catania for city food, the fish market and easy access to Etna and the south; Taormina for scenery and a more relaxed, upmarket stay. Many people split their nights between the two.

What food is eastern Sicily known for?

Pasta alla Norma, arancini, granita with brioche, fresh seafood from the Catania and Ortigia markets, Etna wines, Modica chocolate, and cannoli and cassata for dessert.

Plan your East Sicily food trip

Start with a Catania food tour, an Etna wine tour or a Taormina cooking class, add a Syracuse food tour, or see everything on the Sicily hub.