The Greek theatre with Etna behind

The Teatro Antico was built by the Greeks and rebuilt by the Romans on a shoulder of rock above the town, and whoever chose the site chose it for the view. The seating curves up the slope; the broken brick wall of the Roman stage stands in front of it, pierced by tall arches; and through those arches you see the Ionian coast running south, with Etna sitting on the horizon.

The arches are the whole reason to shoot here. Placed inside one, a couple is framed by two thousand years of masonry with the volcano behind them; from the upper rows, the same arches become a foreground layer and the coast a distant one. Etna is often snow-capped from November to May, which is the strongest version of the frame, and it is also often lost in haze — the clearest air is usually right after rain or on winter mornings.

This is a paid archaeological site with fixed hours; the last admission is earlier than closing, and in summer evening concerts close the theatre entirely for part of the day, so confirm before planning around it. Early opening is much calmer than the afternoon. The ground is uneven ancient stone with steep steps between tiers, so it is not a place for heels or for anyone unsteady.