Things to Do in Catania in May

May is arguably the single best month to tackle Etna. The snow has mostly retreated from the popular Silvestri craters and Valle del Bove, leaving the ash paths firm underfoot, while the higher altitudes are still cool enough for strenuous climbing. You'll hike through landscapes that feel lunar - jet-black sand, twisted lava formations - punctuated by the startling yellow of Genista aetnensis flowers. The views stretch across all of eastern Sicily, and the chance of a clear, haze-free summit vista is higher now than in the furnace of summer. Guided tours are essential for venturing beyond the lower cable car stations.

The Pescheria, Catania's ancient fish market, hits its stride in May. The morning air is thick with the salty tang of the sea and the shouted dialect of fishmongers laying out silvery alici (anchovies) and fat tuna steaks on beds of ice. This is the time for arancini - the city's well-known fried rice balls - stuffed with ragù or pistachio cream from decades-old kiosks like Spinella, and for crispelle, hot ricotta-filled fritters dusted with cinnamon. A walking tour connects these tastes to the city's history, winding from the lava-stone arches of the market into the Baroque grandeur of Piazza Duomo, where the elephant statue, Catania's symbol, presides over it all.

Catania's identity is a dialogue between fire and stone, and May's gentle warmth is good for exploring both above and below. Above ground, the sun angles well to highlight the intricate carvings on the facades of the Cathedral and Badia di Sant'Agata. Below, the temperature drops noticeably as you descend into the city's lava-flow tunnels, like the Amenano River Grotto or the Roman Teatro Romano, where the cool, damp air and the sound of hidden water offer a visceral contrast to the sunny streets. The light jacket you'll want for the underground feels just right in the mild evening afterward.

The 90-minute drive south to Syracuse becomes a pleasant coastal run in May, before the highway shimmers with summer heat-haze. In the archaeological park, the Greek theatre and the Ear of Dionysus are warm but not yet sweltering to explore. Across the bridge on Ortigia Island, the labyrinthine lanes are filled with the scent of jasmine creeping over courtyard walls. Swimming in the crystalline Fontane Bianche cove is possible, if you don't mind that invigorating chill, and the seafood lunch at a waterfront trattoria feels earned.

The seasonal produce of May - fresh broad beans, sweet peas, ricotta - is the star of Sicilian home cooking. A hands-on class in a Catanese kitchen, often in a historic apartment near the city center, lets you in on the rhythms of a real pranzo (lunch). You'll learn the specific flick of the wrist to shape perfect busiate pasta around a knitting needle, and the important technique for filling cannoli shells without them going soggy. The reward is eating what you've made, often on a balcony with a view of washing lines and church domes, accompanied by a glass of local Etna Bianco.