Messina

Messina is the entry point to Sicily for most cruise travelers. The city itself has a beautiful astronomical clock tower (the Orologio Astronomico, the largest in the world) that performs an elaborate noon ceremony with moving figures. The cathedral and waterfront are pleasant for a few hours.

But the real reason to dock in Messina is what’s nearby: Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano (a 2-hour drive that includes a cable car up the lower flanks), and Taormina, Sicily’s most elegant cliffside town with the Greek-Roman theater overlooking the sea and the volcano in the distance.

EWT Tours’ shore excursion typically focuses on Taormina with optional Mt. Etna add-on for travelers who want the volcano experience. Either way, you’re seeing one of the most distinctive landscapes in Europe.