Eco Hostel
The community-feel hostel hidden in the back streets of Catania's centro storico
A small, friendly 8.3-rated hostel in the Centro Storico just behind Piazza Santa Maria dell'Indrizzo, two blocks west of Via Etnea. Run as a community-feel place rather than a party hostel — board games, movie nights, breakfast included, and an owner who personally meets every guest.
Eco Hostel is on Via Fornai, a quiet pedestrian alley two blocks west of Via Etnea between Piazza Stesicoro and the Roman amphitheatre. It's the smallest of Catania's true backpacker hostels — a single converted apartment building, maybe 20 beds total split between mixed dorms and a couple of private doubles — and that smallness is the whole point.
The owner runs the place personally and reviewers (Charan from Spain, Asger from Denmark, Mario from Germany) all single him out as the reason they'd come back. The shared kitchen is small but properly stocked, with a coffee machine, electric kettle, toaster, stovetop, and a dining table where breakfast happens every morning between 8h and 10h — included in the price, with Spanish tortilla on rotation alongside the standard cornetto-and-cappuccino. There's a game room with a console and board games, and movie nights happen 2-3 times a week (Italian-language with English subtitles, usually).
Dorms are bunk-style with privacy curtains and individual lockers; sockets are next to each bed. Private doubles have a curtain wall — Alexandre from France called it 'a big bed with a curtain — very nice for intimacy in a hostel'. Bathrooms are shared on each floor and stay clean. The rooms have AC and the building has decent soundproofing for a centro storico address.
Location-wise: 4 minutes' walk to Piazza Stesicoro, 6 minutes to Piazza del Duomo, 8 minutes to Catania Centrale, 10 minutes to the Pescheria fish market. The aperitivo strip on Via Gemmellaro is two minutes away. The San Berillo bar zone is a 5-minute walk south.
- 01The owner personally checks you in and remembers your name — Charan, Asger, and Mario all flagged it in their reviews
- 02Breakfast actually has hot food (Spanish tortilla) instead of just packaged cornetti — rare in the €22-bed bracket
- 03Quiet pedestrian alley address means no Vespas waking you up at 7am
- 04The shared kitchen has a real coffee machine — not just a Moka — so morning espresso happens fast
- 05Game room with a console is genuinely used: Mario's review mentions 'managed to do even some yoga' in the common area
- 8.3-rated small community-feel hostel in the Centro Storico
- Breakfast included with Spanish tortilla rotation
- Game room with console + board games + 2-3 movie nights per week
- 4 min walk to Piazza Stesicoro, 6 min to Piazza del Duomo, 8 min to Catania Centrale
“Close hostel nearby to Catania and buzzing Piazza Santa Maria dell'Indrizzo as well as all the major sights. I visited Catania for the football team (they are quite a decent distance from the hostel but easy to reach), and the staff helped me figure out the local bus.”
“Staff was super nice and friendly. Small friendly hostel with lots to do and a nice breakfast. Owner was specially nice — he remembered my name on day two and gave me solid food recommendations for the centro storico.”
“Nice social areas and spacious bed. The showers worked well and the staff was very helpful and friendly. Also close to the city center — Piazza del Duomo is a five minute walk.”
- Piazza Stesicoro + Roman amphitheatre350 m
- Via Etnea (aperitivo + shopping strip)250 m
- Piazza del Duomo + La Pescheria fish market550 m
- Catania Centrale station750 m
- ALIBUS airport stop (Piazza della Repubblica)650 m
- San Berillo bar zone400 m
