Catania (Sicily Italy)

Catania is the cruise port to Etna. This port city is located along Sicily Island's northeast coast (on the Gulf of Catania) and has population over 310,000. The Port's services include handling commercial (including Ro-Ro and cargo) ships, fishing vessels, ferries, yachts and cruise ships. It also has a small shipbuilding yard.

The town was destroyed several times by Mt Etna's eruptions and an earthquake in 1693. Today, the rebuilt city is popular for its lush nature parks, spacious piazzas, wide boulevards. Best-known tourist attractions include Duomo di Catania (11th-century cathedral), Castello Ursino (13th-century castle), Chiesa di San Nicolò l'Arena (17th-century catholic building), The Greek Amphitheatre, Val di Noto (historical area, one of Sicily's three valli - Val di Noto, Val Demone, Val di Mazara - administrative regions during the Muslim Emirate of Sicily/831-1091 AD). The active volcano Mount Etna is just a short drive up the coast.

Port Catania

Catania Port (locode ITCTA) covers over 1 km2 (0,4 mi2), which includes land and water areas. The land area is approx 0,47 km2 and includes as infrastructure storage facilities (0,28 km2) and 26 berths (total lenght 4,2 km / 2,5 mi).

The Port serves 6 Italian provinces and has close proximity to highway junctions, railway station and Catania–Fontanarossa Airport - the island's first airfield (1924-opened) serving both international and domestic flights.

The airport is close to the city (4,3 km / 2,5 km southwest), to motorway A19 (linking to Palermo) and to E45 road (linking to Syracusa). The Airport's shuttle buses link downtown Catania with the Central Train Station. Regularly scheduled buses to other parts of Sicily also depart directly from the airport.

In 2014, the port was visited by a total of 232,954 cruise passengers. Their number in 2013 was 390,457. In 2016, the seaport was included in the schedules of Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean, following the inauguration (July 2015) of the man-made multipurpose turning basin.

• The Wet Basin's completion resulted in increased shipping traffic (mainly RO-PAX ferries and container ships).
• The approved in 2014 port development project also included improving port's security and efficiency (consolidation of docks, max anti-seismic standards, strengthening breakwater's rocks), road connections development (improving cargo and passenger transportation between seaport-airport), also improving the port-city integration as routes and interconnections.

In the end of 2016, the Port's Catania Cruise Terminal was leased under concession to Global Ports Holding/GPH, which now manages the Port's cruise shipping services and facilities.

Catania cruise terminal