Sights
Messina Cathedral (Duomo)
The city's great Norman-founded cathedral, carefully rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake and later wartime damage. Inside are a long nave, mosaics and a treasury.
- No tendering: ships berth along the city-centre quays and you walk straight into town.
- A new glass cruise terminal is being built on the Colapesce quay, with completion planned for around September 2027; expect works, fenced areas and changed walkways in the port until then.
- The cathedral bell tower's mechanical clock show starts at 12:00 each day and lasts roughly a quarter of an hour, so plan to be in Piazza Duomo just before noon.
- Taormina is about 50 km away; allow at least 1 hour 20 minutes each way by train and bus, so it only suits long port days.
Where ships dock
Ready-made days
4hours
Messina Cathedral (Duomo) → Bell tower and astronomical clock → Fountain of Orion → Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani → Fountain of Neptune
6hoursMessina Cathedral (Duomo) → Bell tower and astronomical clock → Fountain of Orion → Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani → Sacrario di Cristo Re → MuMe – Regional Museum of Messina
8hoursTaormina and its ancient theatre
Add your ship's times above to see what fits in your time ashore.
PracticalClosed Saturdays, Sundays
City tourist information point
The city council's info point beside the town hall, a minute from the quay, for maps and transport times. Opening is mainly weekday mornings, so check locally.
Sights
Bell tower and astronomical clock
The cathedral's bell tower holds one of the largest mechanical clocks anywhere. At noon its gilded figures move, a lion roars and a cockerel crows; tower visits are by ticket and times vary.
Sights
Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani
A small 12th-century church that survived the 1908 earthquake, mixing Arab, Norman and Byzantine touches. Opening is irregular, but the outside alone is worth a look.
Sights
Fountain of Orion
A 16th-century marble fountain in Piazza Duomo honouring Orion, the city's mythical founder, with river gods around its basin.
Sights
Fountain of Neptune
Neptune stands calming the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, the legendary dangers of the strait, on this fountain facing the harbour.
Sights
Sacrario di Cristo Re
A domed church and war memorial on the hill above the centre. The terrace gives the best free view over the harbour and across the strait to Calabria. It is an uphill walk of about 20 minutes.
SightsClosed Mondays
MuMe – Regional Museum of Messina
The city's main museum, with paintings by Antonello da Messina and two works by Caravaggio, plus treasures saved from the earthquake. It is about 3 km north of the port, a short taxi or bus ride.
Food & drink
Ganzirri lakes
Two saltwater lagoons near the northern tip of Sicily, long known for shellfish farming. The waterfront is lined with seafood restaurants, a relaxed choice for lunch.
Beaches & parks
Capo Peloro and Torre Faro
Sicily's north-eastern point, where the strait is at its narrowest. A beach, a lighthouse and close-up views of passing ships and the Calabrian coast.
Boat & day trips
Taormina and its ancient theatre
A hilltop resort town above the sea, with a Greek-built, Roman-rebuilt theatre that frames Mount Etna. Allow time for the main street, Corso Umberto, and the public gardens.
Map
Your ship's times
Type your ship's arrival and departure times at the top of this page and everything here is marked for your day. Your times are on your cruise documents or in the cruise line's app.
Messina publishes its cruise calendar: see the port's schedule ↗
Sources we checked on 2026-10-21: portidellostretto.com portidellostretto.com visitme.comune.messina.it www2.regione.sicilia.it openstreetmap.org strettoweb.com