Le Capannine

Le Capannine occupies a long frontage at Viale Presidente Kennedy 93, on the Playa, the wide sand strip that runs south of Catania towards the airport, which is only a few kilometres away. The name comes from the straw-roofed huts that give the place its look, and behind them there is a belt of Mediterranean planting that drops down to the sand. It is a sporty operation rather than a lounging-only one. There are beach volleyball and beach tennis courts that have hosted Italian championship rounds, beach soccer tournaments, and a school offering surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing instruction. A gym area and weekly beach yoga sessions round it out. Practical facilities include a restaurant and snack bar, hot showers, free wifi, a TV, parking and an accessible beach. The beach opens at 8:30 and closes at 19:30, but the restaurant keeps its own schedule and often runs well past that when there is an event on, which is frequently in high summer. It is easy to reach from the city and busy for it, and the crowd skews young in the evenings and mixed during the day.