Aci trezza and Acireale
the Terre di Aci, among IGP lemons, Sicilian baroque and Carnival
Sicilian villages with a fascinating, shared mythological origin
Terre di Aci is a group of villages at the foot of Etna, blending history, nature, myth and folklore, surrounded by nature reserves and citrus groves, just a short distance from Relais San Giuliano. The area covers Acireale, Aci Sanfilippo, Aci Platani, Aci Catena, Aci Sant’Antonio, Aci Bonaccorsi, Acitrezza and Acicastello.
In classical mythology, Aci was a shepherd in love with the nymph Galatea, killed out of jealousy by the giant Polyphemus with a boulder. Legend says the gods, moved to pity, turned his blood into an underground river, now extinct, that once shaped the fortune of this land along with its other waterways. Today, the IGP lemon typical of this area carries that shared identity forward, well beyond myth.
A tour of Terre di Aci fits any kind of trip: adventurous, with trekking through the woods of the Timpa; romantic, with a sunset boat trip among the sea stacks; food-focused, with fresh fish and traditional sweets; or cultural, with guided visits to clifftop fortresses, neoclassical buildings and baroque churches.
However you like to travel, Terre di Aci has something lovely for you, and our staff can point you to everything the area has to offer.
Aci Trezza, the village of the Cyclops and the Malavoglia
Aci Trezza is a small fishing village south of Relais San Giuliano, on the Ionian Sea, its sea stacks the inspiration behind Verga’s “I Malavoglia”.
Born from Etna’s first eruptions, Aci Trezza stands on volcanic rock, washed by the clear waters of the Ionian Sea and sheltered by the Isole Ciclopi.
This small archipelago of solidified lava takes its name from Homer’s Odyssey: in Book IX, Ulysses escapes the island after blinding Polyphemus, who, wounded and furious, hurls massive boulders into the sea trying to stop the Greek ships. Those boulders became the symbol of Aci Trezza.
The Isole Ciclopi Archipelago and its sea stacks sit within a protected Marine Area, a natural paradise for snorkelling (with authorisation from the Visitor Centre) or for a look from a glass-bottom boat. Since 2014, it’s also been a site of archaeological interest.
Aci Trezza isn’t just spectacular sea views. Its real fame comes from Giovanni Verga and his novel “I Malavoglia”. The town honoured the author with a monument in front of its main baroque church and a square in the historic centre with a relief depicting a moving scene from the novel.
Acireale, the city of a hundred bell towers and Sicily's most beautiful Carnival
Acireale sits on a natural terrace, famous for its Carnival and the hundred bell towers of its churches, just 20 minutes from Relais San Giuliano.
The jewel of the Riviera dei Ciclopi, Acireale sits on the Timpa, a natural terrace of volcanic origin overlooking the sea. At over 160 metres, it offers a spectacular view of the Ionian coast.
The now-extinct Aci river gave the town its name, but Acireale’s modern fame comes from the neoclassical Santa Venera thermal spa, set in an English garden that hosted nobles and celebrities from 1873 to 2015. Today, most visitors come for Carnival, one of Italy’s grandest, with parades of allegorical-grotesque and flower-covered floats and masked groups.
The historic centre is just as worth admiring, its baroque palace façades enlivened by balconies resting on typical anthropomorphic mask sculptures and its many churches (Acireale is also known as the city of a hundred bell towers). The Cathedral overlooks Piazza del Duomo, its floor of white-cream marble and polished lava stone forming a central rose window with the city’s coat of arms, through a lovely, complex play of concentric geometry.
The streets around Piazza del Duomo are lined with bars and traditional restaurants serving local specialities: granita made with IGP Etna lemons or almonds, always with a soft brioche, or zeppole, rice-and-honey pastries, plus fresh fish dishes. Afterwards, walk it off along Corso Umberto I towards Villa Belvedere, with its spectacular terrace view over the jagged coastline below. A romantic, evocative way to end a visit to Acireale.
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