Taormina, the picturesque town nestled on the cliffside, is widely considered to be the most elegant and captivating town on Sicily. Whilst some of the island’s cities are quite gritty and rough around the edges, Taormina is polished and pristine, with a timeless beauty. The past and present seamlessly intertwine as you wander along cobblestone streets, admire the breathtaking view of the sea and cliffs and experience its unique blend of ancient charm and modern allure.

I stayed for two nights in Taormina and found that to be the right amount of time to enjoy what the town has to offer. In this post, I will share recommendations about what to do, where to eat, where to stay and which day trips you might want to include during your time in Taormina.

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Let’s go explore Taormina!

The town is best explored on foot, allowing yourself to wander around appreciating the beauty around you. On your first day in Taormina, wander in the direction of Bam Bar, Taormina’s most beloved graniteria. Granita is a more sophisticated slush puppy/slushies, served semi-frozen and made from sugar, water and different flavourings. Originating from Sicily, it can be served smooth or coarse, depending on which region you are in. Typical flavours include lemon, watermelon, strawberry, coffee, hazelnut, almond, chocolate and many other types of fruit. My boyfriend and I ordered two granite (almond, strawberry & peach), and followed tradition of having ours with whipped cream and a brioche bun.

Taormina has several large piazzas (town squares), which were buzzing and lively during the day and night, along with a medley of small, winding side alleys. There are tons of restaurants here, serving up delicious seafood and traditional pasta dishes. Not sure where to start? We had a great dinner at Ristorante RossoPeperoncino. The menu included lots of Sicilian classics including handmade ravioli, grilleted swordfish and caponata, a Sicilian aubergine stew made with raisins, olives and capers. The different flavours might sound chaotic but it’s very well-balanced. It was one of our pricier meals in Sicily but we really enjoyed the food and friendly service.

The next morning, we took an Interbus coach to the Alcantara Gorges. The gorges are beautiful, natural rock formations, created by Mount Etna and the Nebrodi Mountains. Apparently Mount Etna erupted and the subsequent lava flow reached the Alcantara river and was cooled by the water. The lava crystallized and formed some really eye-catching, unusual shapes.

It took us an hour to reach the Gorges by bus. By car, it would be less as we stopped several times along the way. There is a rocky beach, alongside the river, which was popular with tourists and locals alike. It wasn’t possible to really swim in the river; the water reached ankle, knee or waist-height depending on where you stood. We took some sandwiches to snack on, but in hindsight a picnic might have been a better idea. To reach the water, you can either take the stairs from street level, or use an elevator. There are two entrances; the first being a privatized one directly opposite the bus stop, which sells tickets costing €8 for adults. The second entrance can be found 150 metres from the bus stop, in the direction away from Taormina. Tickets at the public entrance only cost €1.50.

After a couple of hours, we caught the bus back to Taormina and spent the rest of the day sightseeing. We wandered around the picturesque city park Giardini della Villa Comunale, drank glasses of white wine from Mount Etna at a wine bar called Al Grappolo D‘uva and indulged in delicious cannoli and some biscuits from Pasticceria Roberto. Dinner was quite casual – we bought arancini from Stritfud. Arancini are incredibly more-ish fried rice balls, stuffed with different ingredients like ragù, cheese, ham or pistachio cream. Stritfud also serves pizza and fried bread with various fillings and is open until midnight. Perfect for a late-night snack!

If you’re an Italian cuisine enthusiast, why not do a cooking course in Taormina? This Sicilian Cooking Class has very good reviews and includes a visit to a local market beforehand.

Our second day in Taormina started with another visit to Bam Bar, this time for chocolate granite and brioche buns. Then it was time to hit the beach. Taormina is close to several beaches; we chose to visit Mazzarò, which is nearby and easily accessible. It’s a pebbled beach, but there are sun loungers that you can rent if you don’t want to lie on the pebbles. From Mazzarò, you can walk 500 metres to Isola Bella; an eye-catching island connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of beach, which is covered by water at high tide.

Both Mazzarò and Isola Bella can be reached by cable car. The cable car station is on Via Luigi Pirandello and cars run every 15 minutes. You can read about the different ticket options (single journeys, daily and weekly tickets). There are restaurants, bars, cafes and beach shops between the lower cable car station and beach so you don’t have to bring everything down with you from Taormina town centre. Keen to get out onto the water? There are several organized tours and excursions that you should consider like this Kayak Coastal Tour to Isola Bella and Blue Grotto or the Boat Tour around Isola Bella.

After several hours on the beach, we went to Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient theatre thought to be built by the Greeks in the 3^rd century BC. It was later transformed and expanded by the Romans. Nowadays it is a tourist attraction and a venue for cultural events and concerts ( Admission price €10, optional audio guide for €5). While we were exploring the theatre, there was a sound crew loudly setting up for an evening performance, so it wasn’t as peaceful or atmospheric as we’d hoped. Nevertheless, I am glad we went as it’s a stunning example of ancient architecture and is well-preserved.  The site also offers fantastic views of Mount Etna, the coastline and surrounding hills.

Once we had finished walking around the theatre, it was time to leave Taormina and catch our bus to our next destination Siracusa. If we had had more time in Taormina, we would have tried to visit Castelmola (a small village not far from Taormina), Monte Tauro castle or the Madonna della Rocca church.

Getting to Taormina 

I recommend getting an Interbus bus to Taormina. Most people travel there from Catania, it costs €5.10 and only takes 1hr 10. It is a really regular service; there’s a bus on average every 15 to 30 minutes during the day. There are infrequent direct buses from Siracusa, but most go via Catania. There is no direct bus from Palermo; you first need to get a bus to Catania then change onto a bus to Taormina.

You can also take the train from Catania to Taormina; the journey costs €6.30 and takes 1hr 20. However the train will terminate at Taormina-Giardini, so you will need to get a 15-minute shuttle bus to the city centre or jump in a taxi. You can book tickets at Trenitalia.

Where to stay

Taormina has accommodation for all budgets, from cute little B&Bs to glamorous hotels (think “White Lotus” style – the second season of the TV series was filmed here!). My boyfriend and I stayed in this Airbnb which was outside of the city centre, had incredible views from the terrace and was on one of the steepest hills I’ve ever walked on!

Need data/internet access?

Get yourself an E-Sim card which will cover you throughout Europe (everywhere except Monaco!). These Klook E-SIM cards are really convenient, reliable and easy to set up so you can surf the net, make online bookings and navigate Google maps without issues. Klook have SIM cards for 7, 10, 14 and 30 days – perfect for long and short trips!

I hope from this post you can see why Taormina attracts travellers from around the globe who are keen to experience its blend of ancient charm and modern allure. Although it is not my favourite spot in Sicily, I think it is definitely worth visiting especially for history lovers or people craving a luxurious Mediterranean escape. English is widely spoken here so it’s an ideal destination for first-time visitors still learning the basics of Italian. If you have any other recommendations for Taormina, please leave them in the comments below – I’d love to hear them!

Ciao for now

Izzie, the Curious Sparrow