Taormina.

What to do in Taormina Sicily Italy

Taormina unfolds along Corso Umberto, a paved spine linking Porta Messina to Porta Catania. Days here divide neatly between morning walks to ancient sites, afternoon cable car rides to pebble coves, and evening passeggiata along cliff-edge piazzas. It suits cultural travellers, romantic couples, and anyone happy trading level terrain for dramatic volcanic horizons.

24 hours in Taormina Sicily Italy

Arrive early at the Teatro Antico before midday heat. Take a mid-morning granita at BamBar, browse the botanical gardens of Villa Comunale, and take the five-minute cable car down to Mazzarò for a swim. Return uphill for roasted swordfish and an evening Negroni on Piazza IX Aprile. Select 1 Day above to see it.

2 days in Taormina Sicily Italy

Dedicate day two to vertical elevation. Hike or take the local bus up to the hilltop eyrie of Castelmola for almond wine at Bar Turrisi. Spend the afternoon wading the tidal pebble causeway around Isola Bella before a dinner of pasta alla Norma along quiet Via Fontana Vecchia. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.

3 days in Taormina Sicily Italy

Three days lets you leave town without rushing. Take an early expedition south to Mount Etna's smoking summit craters and lava tubes, followed by tastings of Nerello Mascalese in Randazzo. Stop on the return leg to wade through the cool volcanic gorge of Gole dell'Alcantara.

Taormina Sicily Italy itineraries by interest

• Ancient Ruins in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Walk the third-century BC Teatro Antico early morning for Mount Etna vistas before tour coaches arrive from Messina.

• Local Seafood in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Order pasta con le sarde, grilled spada straight off local boats, or swordfish involtini seasoned with pine nuts and bay leaf.

• Wine & Vineyards in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Drink mineral Nerello Mascalese reds and crisp Carricante whites produced on the black volcanic slopes of Mount Etna.

• Pastry & Sweets in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Start at BamBar with almond or blood orange granita paired with warm brioche, or pick up crisp ricotta-filled cannoli.

• Coastal Walks in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Walk down via the stepped path to the tidal sand spit at Isola Bella nature reserve, or ride the Mazzarò cable car.

• Town Viewpoints in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Climb up three hundred stone steps to the village of Castelmola for almond wine and panoramas over the Gulf of Naxos.

• Public Gardens in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Escape noon sun under the Victorian follies and pine canopies of Villa Comunale, built by Lady Florence Trevelyan in the 1890s.

• Street Food in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Grab warm arancini stuffed with ragù and peas or fried caciocavallo cheese sticks from small friggitorie off Corso Umberto.

• Sacred Architecture in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Step into the fortified thirteenth-century Duomo di San Nicola and the baroque Church of San Giuseppe on Piazza IX Aprile.

• Volcano Excursions in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Book a morning four-wheel-drive or guided trekking route across Etna's Silvestri Craters, thirty miles south of town.

• Scenic Drives in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Take the winding SS185 road inland through the sheer basalt gorge and icy riverbed of the Gole dell'Alcantara.

• Local Craft Traditions in Taormina Sicily Italy

  Seek out painted Caltagirone ceramic pinecones and hand-turned terracotta pots along the side alleys of Via Teatro Greco.