Aci Trezza: Marine Reserve and Maritime Heritage

Aci Trezza combines the island world of the Isole Ciclopi with an unusually rich maritime and cultural history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Aci Trezza, you will find a variety of opportunities here for active days by the water, historical discoveries and Sicilian culinary culture. The Isola Lachea, the marine reserve and the traces of fishing, film and shipping that are still visible today are particularly characteristic of the area.

Holiday Apartment in Aci Trezza: Sea, History and Local Life

Isola Lachea is the largest island in the Isole Ciclopi archipelago. It was formed around 500,000 years ago by the eruption of an underwater volcano. Archaeological investigations suggest that the island has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was regularly visited during the late Roman and Byzantine periods. Off Aci Trezza, visitors can explore the seabed with a mask and snorkel; divers have access to eight underwater routes in the Isole Ciclopi marine reserve.

A protected open-water swimming route also makes the coast attractive to water sports enthusiasts. It runs for 1,100 metres along the coast from the Lungomare Scardamiano in Aci Castello to the southern pier of the port of Aci Trezza. When planning a trip, different priorities can therefore be combined: underwater experiences, open-water swimming and the distinctive island and volcanic history are closely connected as themes, without this implying any particular location for accommodation.

Getting Your Bearings and Getting There

The visitor centre of the Isole Ciclopi marine reserve is located on Aci Trezza's main road, at Via Provinciale 5/d. It provides public information and handles bookings for visits. Those arriving from the north via the A18 Messina–Catania motorway should exit at Acireale and continue to Aci Trezza via the SS 114. AST buses to Aci Trezza depart from Piazza Giovanni XXIII at Catania's main railway station.

Film, Literature and Maritime Heritage

The historic centre is home to the Museo Casa del Nespolo, housed in an old residence next to the Church of San Giovanni. The “La terra trema” room contains photographs, film posters and other memorabilia from Luchino Visconti's film, which was shot in Aci Trezza in 1947 exclusively with non-professional actors from the town. The “Stanza dei Malavoglia” room presents the world of Aci Trezza's fishermen in the mid-19th century through old work tools, household objects, photographs personally taken by Giovanni Verga and a collection of letters to his brother Pietro. Some sections of the Museo della Navigazione Storica Trezzota are located in Villa Fortuna.

The maritime heritage also includes the historic Cantiere Navale of the Rodolico family, next to the Antico scalo dei Malavoglia. Typical wooden boats from Aci Trezza are still built there today; the boats have been included in the register of Sicily's intangible cultural heritage as an ethnological and anthropological asset worthy of protection. The boatbuilding craft has been passed down from father to son for five generations. For years, the Cantiere Rodolico has been regarded as an authentic museum of the local maritime heritage. The Bastioncello was known as the “Torre dei Faraglioni” and was the smaller of two bastions used to monitor the waters in front of the Faraglioni of Aci Trezza. Today, only the ground floor remains visible.

Traditions and Sicilian Cuisine

The “U pisci a mari” tradition dates back to around 1750 and parodies swordfish fishing. The performance takes place in the waters in front of the port of Aci Trezza; a fisherman at the end of the pier named “U Raisi” directs the depiction of the fishing activity. The Festa di San Giovanni is celebrated on 24 June and combines religious faith with folklore. The Church of San Giovanni was officially reopened for worship on 14 October 1696. After hopes of rebuilding the former parish church had been abandoned, the parish title was transferred to this church. At participating restaurants, local chefs can prepare the catch according to Sicilian recipes.

When choosing your accommodation, you can weigh these different aspects of the town against one another: water-based experiences, island history, links to film and literature, traditional boatbuilding or regional cuisine. Aci Trezza is therefore suitable for trip planning in which the focus is not just on a single experience, but on the combination of the sea and the town's long-established local life.

Other places for your research: Castiglione Di Sicilia, San Giovanni La Punta, Nicolosi, Santa Venerina, Pozzillo, Mirabella Imbaccari, Ramacca, Pasteria-Lapide

For the overarching travel overview: Catania.