Catania

Seven hectares of 19th-century urban garden climbing the slope from Via Etnea, with statues, palms, fountains, a panoramic viewpoint and a calendar made out of flowers. Leashed dogs welcome on every path; the upper terraces give an Etna view on a clear day.

Baroque centrepiece square at the heart of Catania, with the black-lava Fontana dell'Elefante (the city's symbol), the cathedral of Sant'Agata and the Amenano fountain. The square is open 24/7 and perfect on a leash; the cathedral interior is closed to non-assistance dogs.

Catania's historic fish market just behind Piazza Duomo, running for centuries, where you wander the stalls until around 14:00. Outdoor, leashed dogs welcome; go early to dodge the crowds and the heat, and keep the dog short between the ice boxes.

Short pedestrian street paved in lava stone lined with four Baroque churches and convents in a row, considered the most photogenic axis of Catania Baroque. Always open, free, easy on a leash; church interiors do not admit dogs.

13th-century fortress built by Frederick II, still showing its four corner towers and curtain walls after the 1669 lava flows moved the shoreline inland. The exterior plaza is open to leashed dogs and great for a walk around the building; the Museo Civico inside is closed to dogs.

A long black-sand beach south of the centre, 15 minutes by bus from Piazza Duomo, with the free public Spiaggia Libera n.2 and the paid Lido Azzurro Dog Beach (Viale Kennedy 11) where dogs get sun loungers, fresh water, a dedicated dog shower and a fenced off-leash play zone. Microchip and vaccination booklet required at the gate of private lidos.