Things to do in Taormina
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Taormina
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Town reopens, warm not hot, wildflowers on Etna, May is arguably the best month.
Peak season, theatre festivals, hottest and busiest and most expensive, sea bath warm.
Sea stays warm, Etna harvest, crowds and prices fall, golden light.
Quiet, local and cheap but substantially shut, theatre empty, Etna may have snow.
What's on
- Taormina Film Fest Usually early summer, in June or July; dates change each year
72nd edition with screenings at the Teatro Antico and Nastro d'Argento awards.
- Taormina Arte July to late August
Opera, dance and concerts fill the ancient theatre through summer.
- Ferragosto mid-August
Absolute peak of Italian domestic tourism, hottest, busiest and most expensive.
Best things to do in Taormina
Teatro Antico di Taormina
Greek theatre cut into rock framing Etna and the sea, Taormina's one essential sight. Evening opera and concerts in summer are a different, later experience at the same theatre.
Isola Bella
Tiny tree covered islet and pebble beach reached by cable car, made for swimming and snorkelling.
Corso Umberto
Main pedestrian street and terrace panorama, best as an evening passeggiata once day trippers leave.
Villa Comunale
Free shaded public gardens with sea view benches, the quiet escape when the Corso is heaving.
Castelmola
Medieval village above Taormina with even bigger views, a ruined castle and famous almond wine.
Madonna della Rocca
Rock sanctuary above town with the best free panorama of town, theatre, coast and Etna.
Sicilian cooking class with market shopping
Half day market and hands on class making pasta, caponata, arancini and cannoli, then lunch.
Savoca & Forza d'Agro
Quiet Godfather filming villages with Bar Vitelli and the wedding church, a corrective to Taormina polish.
Where to stay in Taormina
Historic Centre / Corso Umberto
first trip, all-round base
Walk to the theatre, restaurants and Piazza IX Aprile, with the passeggiata as evening entertainment.
Mazzaro / Isola Bella
beach base, luxury resorts
Wake up at the sea with lidos and the cable car at your door, town ten minutes up.
Giardini Naxos
value base, families, groups
Long sandy beach, normal prices, the station and boat port, with cheap buses up to Taormina.
Letojanni
families with small children, car trips
Sandy, local and lower key than Giardini, with seafront trattorias and easy family beach access.
Castelmola
view seekers, hikers, one night stays
Village quiet and maximum views above Taormina, impractical as a sole base without a car.
Think twice about
- Taormina-Giardini train station area
Isolated and poorly lit at night, fine for trains but charmless as a base and a long uphill walk to town.
- Catania central station and port area
Rougher big city edges at night with open poverty and petty crime, not a cheaper version of Taormina.
Best restaurants in Taormina
St. George by Heinz Beck
Two-star tasting menus on a terrace over town, the special occasion answer.
La Capinera
One-star Sicilian tasting menus built on the day's catch, away from the centre crush.
Otto Geleng
Romantic Timeo terrace restaurant facing Etna and the bay, Sicilian fine dining.
Principe Cerami
Four Seasons signature restaurant with refined Sicilian tasting menus in the monastery.
Osteria da Rita
Tiny beloved osteria famous for ragu in a little metal pan, no bookings so you queue.
Liolà
Small modern Sicilian room singled out for scampi ravioli and prawn linguine.
Al Saraceno
Saffron prawn risotto and wood fired pizza on an Etna sunset terrace above town.
Trattoria da Nino
Dependable traditional trattoria with hearty pasta, grilled meats and a local following.
Outdoor things to do in Taormina
Rifugio Sapienza
Etna south flank base for Silvestri Craters and the guided cable car and 4x4 summit area route.
Etna morning trek
Guided half day hike through lava flows, craters and a lava tube, the best value Etna excursion.
Etna food & wine tour
Full day pairing a lower Etna walk with generous Etna DOC winery tastings and lunch.
Etna by ATV / quad
Off road quad tour on forest tracks and lava fields with village stops, licence needed to drive.
Alcantara Gorges
Body rafting the cold river canyon in wetsuit and helmet, swimming rapids and sliding rock chutes. The main gorge can also be visited on foot via the park stairs and lift.
Coast boat tour: Isola Bella, Blue Grotto & swim stops
Two hour small boat loop past Capo Taormina and the Blue Grotto with a swim stop and aperitif.
Private boat charter from Giardini Naxos
Private RIB or yacht for the same coastline at your pace, with swim stops and a waterfront lunch.
Isola Bella
Guided snorkelling and diving on the reserve rocky reefs, with octopus and dense small fish life. Free swimming sections sit on the same shingle.
Best hotels in Taormina
San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel
Converted monastery on the Corso with clifftop infinity pool, gardens and fine dining.
Grand Hotel Timeo, a Belmond Hotel
Grand hotel beside the Greek Theatre with six acres of park and an Etna view terrace.
Hotel Villa Schuler
Family run hotel by the Villa Comunale with a sea view terrace and rare on site parking.
Hotel Villa Taormina
Boutique hotel just above the Corso near Porta Catania, a sound mid range default.
Hotel Continental
Central mid range hotel with Etna view rooms, a sound default if Villa Schuler is full.
B&B Evelyne
Scarce true budget bed in the centre, the budget pick for staying on the Corso side.
Neró Rooms
Bright budget rooms with memory foam beds, about ten minutes walk to the Corso.
Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea
Luxury beach base on Mazzaro bay with its own beach club and shuttle up to town.
Is Taormina expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €105 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €260 a person |
| Splurge | €750 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Teatro Antico di Taormina: a few days ahead
- Sicilian cooking class with market shopping: a few days ahead
- Savoca & Forza d'Agro: a few days ahead
- Rifugio Sapienza: a few days ahead
- Etna morning trek: a few days ahead
- Etna food & wine tour: a few days ahead
- Etna by ATV / quad: a few days ahead
- Alcantara Gorges: a few days ahead
- Luxury and sea view mid range rooms go months ahead in May and October too.
- Book St. George, La Capinera and terrace tables days to weeks ahead in season.
- Headline theatre nights sell out, buy tickets on release.
- Schedule Etna early in the stay so you have a retry day if it cancels.
- Reserve Isola Bella and Mazzaro lido beds the day before in July and August.
Is Taormina safe?
- Low crime town, watch for petty theft in peak crowds and on crowded buses.
- Theatre and trails have no shade, take hats, water and avoid midday heat.
- Heed lido flags for sea conditions and jellyfish at Isola Bella.
- Use licensed guides and obey closures on Etna and at Alcantara.
- Agree taxi fares in advance and use official car parks only.
Taormina travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Corso restaurants with photo menus and a spruiker outside, walk two minutes off it.
- Overpriced White Lotus tours past hotel exteriors you can walk past for free.
- Isola Bella at midday in August, go at 9am or see it from a boat.
- Granita and cannoli at the first cafe by the terminal, Bam Bar and Roberto are better.
- Day tripping 11am to 5pm in July and August, stay overnight instead.
Getting around Taormina: public transport and more
- Walk the pedestrian centre, it is compact and steep.
- Funivia cable car links Via Pirandello to Mazzaro about every 15 minutes in season.
- Catania airport bus to Via Pirandello is the default, about one hour.
- Do not walk up from Taormina-Giardini station with luggage, take bus or taxi.
- Park only in official Porta Catania or Lumbi car parks, the car is a liability in town.
Who Taormina suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Taormina your trip
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