based on 8 experiences from female travelers
Catania is a beautiful place with many gorgeous things to see. The ocean is fantastic and there is lots of wonderful food to be found. One thing to know though, the streets are full of men and I was catcalled a lot. Not many women or children out in the streets but the city centre is still pretty safe.
Posted: April 29, 2026We arrived to Catania and immediately i felt overwhelmed with the loudness of the streets. I was quite unsafe to walk as pedestrians on the street as all the cars were speeding and honking. The evening walk to see the old town of catania was a bit disappointing as all the streets are extremely dirty. At night in Catania, the streets can feel busy and intrusive. Some people, especially near restaurants and tourist areas, may try hard to get your attention or invite you in. While most don’t mean...
Posted: November 2, 2025Emily
United Kingdom
I went with a small group of friends and we had a great time! Food and drink is cheap and the people are overall friendly. The centre of catania is lively at night too and there are quite a few cocktailbars. There's loads of culture and history to check out too and I would defo recommend doing a boat trip🤩
Posted: January 4, 2025Experienced: June, 2024Catania was everything I hoped Italy would be ! The food was excellent, not extensive at all compared to northern Europe. The city is quite small si it is not overwhelming at all and you can really feel like you can take your time !
Posted: June 27, 2024Karolina
Canada
Catania is a fun place to visit, especially with a friend. In May they have a Corri Catania charity 5K run that’s only 5€ and you get a t-shirt and a bag. Also, the running path checks out all the best spots in the city. For restaurants, I recommend: - Al Vicolo (huge, amazing pizzas) - Savia (arrancini) - Don Peppinu (pistachio cannoli) Also, be sure to do an Etna tour nearby and see the Naxos beach, a great experience 😊
Posted: May 28, 2024Experienced: May, 2024Autumn
Malaysia
Catania is safe for female travelers, although the locals don’t speak English, they are very kind and helpful if you asks around. I have Google translate with me all the time :) The expenses are average as long as not going for luxury dining, I spent between €2 to €10 for a meal, about €100 for hotel with breakfast (shared with my travel buddies, so €25 per night) The transportation is convenient and the timetable is accurate, you can always refer to Google map to find the public transport...
Posted: May 21, 2024Natalie
Sweden
Did visit Catania alone for 3 days, I love the place. So much nice people and nice things to see! Would definitily travel back there! The food is absolutly the best i have tried. Stayed in a 3 star hotel in the city of Catania. Very clean and nice hotel.
Posted: June 26, 2023Experienced: July, 2022Marija
Republic of Serbia
Catania is only good because of Mount Etna. Two days in the city are enough, because it really serves as a starting point if you are in the south of the island. I didn't feel safe at all, even though there were three of us. Too many dark streets, even though we were ten minutes away from the center, unpleasant looks, really quite unsafe. What's great are the trains in Italy. 🤗 You can go anywhere and it's fast. Taormina nearby is worth seeing, Syracuse's old town is magical, and Palermo...
Posted: April 26, 2023Experienced: October, 2022Based on 5 reports
Based on 5 reports
Annalisa
Walking around the centre, mostly the area from the cathedral square/Castello Ursino/Piazza Teatro Massimo to Piazza Roma feels quite safe: it's not dark, and you're rarely the only one around. The city is very lively almost every day of the week till late. Sure, it's always important to mind your surroundings (in tourist hotspots like via Garibaldi and in crowded places like the main market Fera 'o luni for instance) and to never let your belongings unattended or in sight if you have a car...
Posted: July 11, 2025Tosca
Catania in general is a safety city, people here are in general friendly. Of course you can meet someone that can attack you but i think that this can happen in every city. At the night the public transport is rare or the subway is closed, so If you live alone you need a cab or your car. In the summer the city is crowd of people so if you need any help you can always find someone. Si in general is safe but I recommend to be careful and frequenting crowd places
Posted: January 23, 2025Maria
I mean just try to avoid all the surrounding near to the train station and the harbor, the areas around the cimitery and you will be fine. Best areas where to stay in summer are all the line coast, and in winter the center (via etnea, via gemmellaro and so on).
Posted: July 23, 2024Not very safe, need to pay attention to bulgars, especially in desolate parts of the town. It is not very safe, especially for women, to walk alone in the night, be sure to always have company. There are some safe places, especially downtown but secondary streets may be more dangerous
Posted: March 6, 2024Based on reports from women living in Catania, we created a safety map highlighting areas where they feel unsafe during the day or at night.