Hotels in Acicastello, Italy. Hotel booking in Acicastello from ahotelinitaly.com

Lying some nine kilometres north of the city of Catania, on Sicily's eastern coastline, the little town of Aci Castello (or Jaci Casteddu to render it in the native Sicilian language) dates back a thousand years - but owes its growth to a 12th century eruption of neighbouring Mount Etna. The volcano completely dominates this eastern seaboard of Sicily - first-time visitors are in for a breathtaking first sight of the mountain as it sweeps up for miles from the sunsoaked coastal plain to a peak that is snow capped even in the summer.

Aci Castello first developed around the Norman castle which gave it its name - the empire building Normans came a long way south. They fortified the town in 1076, but it was after an eruption of Etna a century later, which wiped out the surrounding towns, that Aci Castello really began to grow. The Norman Castle still stands, today functioning as the town museum. The surrounding countryside, meanwhile, is rich and fertile courtesy of the rich layer of ash and lava that has periodically spewed forth from the volcano down the centuries. The main reason most visitors come is for the beaches though, and this stretch of Ionian Sea coastline is blessed with both a lovely seafront and superb weather.

Off the coast lie the three, columnar 'Islands of the Cyclops'. Legend has it that these are the great stones hurled at Odysseus in the Odyssey. To the rear you have Etna of course, and daytrips up the mountain are an essential part of the trip for many visitors. The main city is Catania (into which most visitors will fly) and there are delights up and down this coastline, including lovely hilltop Taormina, It's even worth travelling a little further to see the very ancient city of Siracusa, some 70km south of here.

To the left you'll find a selection of Acicastello hotels, just to whet your appetite. See also Acicastello hotels (full listings) and our Acicastello hotel map.