Welcome to Taormina Sicily’s legendary resort town Taormina, with volcanic Mount Etna and the Ionian sea providing the cinema worthy backdrop, is one of Sicily’s most popular summer destinations, a chi-chi resort town popular with holidaying high-rollers and those wanting a […]
Welcome to Taormina
Sicily’s legendary resort town Taormina, with volcanic Mount Etna and the Ionian sea providing the cinema worthy backdrop, is one of Sicily’s most popular summer destinations, a chi-chi resort town popular with holidaying high-rollers and those wanting a taste of Sicilian dolce vita. Italy, with its amazing history, secret societies, and famous facades breathing art through every brick and stone is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and so is Sicily – the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily is the home of Mount Etna , The Godfather and lovely Taormina featuring an unbelievable landscape, lovely beaches and precious ancient remains. Taormina is a popular and fashionable tourist resort with famously stunning views and a picturesque Graeco-Roman theatre, high above the sea and facing the volcanic and still active Mount Etna.
Teatro Greco (Greek Theater)
Taormina’s most famous landmark is the Greek Theater, originally built in the third century BC under Hiero II of Syracuse. The perfectly semicircular enclosure rises in stepped seating to an upper diameter of 109 meters, the stage stands above the level of the orchestra, and the finely decorated stage loft is so high that its sides adjoin the top rows of seats to create an enclosed space.
A fortunate gap in the wall of the loft, frames Taormina’s most celebrated view of the surrounding countryside as far as Mount Etna. A view that has been immortalised in paintings and photographs as one of Italy’s most iconic images.
Explore the streets of Taormina
For most tourists, the greatest appeal of Taormina is the town itself. Its streets are a delight to stroll, lined with romantic buildings and opening onto terraces with stunning views. Taormina’s main street, Corso Umberto, starts at Piazza IX Aprile and then crosses the town before ending at Porta Catania. The entire street, with its squares and terraces, shops and open-air cafés seems made for sauntering and stopping to savor the views of Mt. Etna and the sea.
Little lanes, often rising in steps, lead off the main street and are a pleasure exploring, too. Just strolling along Corso Umberto, browsing in its shops and stopping in a café for an espresso or gelato, is amongst the most popular things to do in Taormina.
The approach to the town is equally appealing: from the coast road at Cape Taormina, Via Pirandello snakes its way up the mountain, passing Byzantine rock-graves on the left, the belvedere on the right, and the funicular to Mazzarò. It brings you to Porta Messina, which, together with the adjoining Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, forms the oppulent entrance to the town.
Piazza IX Aprile and San Giuseppe
Piazza IX Aprile, which lies along Corso Umberto street, opens onto a terrace with a beautiful view of Mt. Etna and the bay. This piazza is where the older part of the town begins, marked by a square stone clock tower. Decorating the piazza is the double stairway and Baroque façade of San Giuseppe, a pink confection of an exterior. The bright white interior of Rococo stucco work is so ornate and covered with swirls and flourishes that it looks like the frosted icing on a cake.
Swim at Isola Bella
In the sea below Taormina is a small rock-bound island with a nature preserve, connected to the mainland by a sandy beach. You can cross to walk the paths around its perimeter and enjoy the views from its terraces. All along the shore below Taormina are coves and beaches for swimming, which you can reach by paths. There is also a cable car between Taormina and the beach resort of Mazzaro, just below town. Just north of Mazzaro are more beaches at Spisone, Mazzeo, and Letojanni.