Messina Travel Guide

When to visit Messina: September and early October still offer warm sea temperatures with thinner crowds than summer

When is the best time to visit Messina?

Avg Temp

15–23°C

Rainfall

Moderate, increasing through autumn, ~80-120mm/month

Best Time

September and early October still offer warm sea temperatures with thinner crowds than summer

Packing Tips (4)

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Local currency: EUR

Trattoria Da Piero
Sicilian seafood · $$
A central trattoria known for Messina-style swordfish involtini (braciole di pesce spada) and fresh seafood pasta.
Osteria del Campanile
Sicilian · $$
A traditional osteria near the Duomo serving Sicilian classics like pasta alla Norma and caponata.
Pasticceria Irrera
Sicilian pastry · $
A historic Messina pastry shop on the seafront known for its granita and pignolata, a local honey-and-citrus sweet.
Piazza Cairoli bars
Messina's main square lined with cafes and bars that fill up for evening aperitivo, the social hub of the city.

Museo Regionale di Messina
Art
Home to two major Caravaggio paintings, the Resurrection of Lazarus and Adoration of the Shepherds, painted while he was in Messina.
Duomo di Messina and its Astronomical Clock
History and religious art
The cathedral houses the largest and most complex mechanical astronomical clock in the world, animating figures daily at noon.
Cinema Apollo Messina
A central cinema in Messina showing current Italian and international releases.
Processione della Vara
15 August
Messina's major religious festival, in which a massive wooden and metal statue of the Assumption is pulled through the streets by ropes.

Spiaggia di Mortelle
Sandy beach · About 12 km
A popular sandy beach north of Messina along the Strait, known for calm, clear water.
Peloritani Mountains
About 10 km
The mountain range rising directly behind Messina, with hiking trails and views across the Strait to Calabria.