15 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN TAORMINA

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Taormina It's one of the most beautiful villages in Sicily and without a doubt the most posh ... not in vain many people know her as "the Saint Tropez Sicilian". But not only pasta tourists arrived here: Taormina has always been the goal of artists (Goethe, Otto Geleng, D. H. Lawrence, Truman Capote, Guy de Maupassant ...). And it is undoubtedly such a special place that inspires. Spoiler: It did not inspire the chef who prepared the worst pasta in XD history. But it's okay with the talk, let's tell you 15 things to see and do in Taormina.

1. The Greek Theater of Taormina It is one of the reasons why this town has become so famous. It is one of the best preserved Greek theaters, although its great advantage is the position: the Mediterranean Sea and Etna appear as secondary actors and, of course, the environment is exceptional. It was built in the third century B.C. and today it is still used for theater shows and concerts (and no, they are not cheap!). The ticket didn't seem very cheap either: € 10 (same as the Valley of the Temples and the Neapolis Archaeological Park of Syracuse).

2. The Isola Bella (Isla Bonita) is another great jewel of Taormina. To get to this beach you have 3 options and 2 we would discard (go by car and walk), so we are left with the best option to take the bus in Piazza San Pancrazio (ticket cost € 1.10, more info) and forget about laces and looking for the most sought-after (and almost impossible to find) parkings. Once on the beach enjoy its fresh waters of the wonderful views!

3. The historic center of Taormina is distributed throughoutCorso Umberto, the main pedestrian artery, full of palaces, shops and restaurants. Look at every detail, especially look up: the facades of the houses are very beautiful, and there are many of their balconies that will amaze you.

Find cheap accommodationin Taormina here

4. At the ends of this street rise the old city gates: to the east the Porta Catania and to the west the Porta Messina. You won't be a true traveler if you don't go through both.

5. Halfway you will meet the Duomo di Taormina, from medieval times and with a strong defensive character, the most important religious building in Taormina. The square in front is decorated with a 17th century fountain (Fontana di Piazza Duomo) formed by four horses (of which only one continues to pour water).

Views of Isola Bella from the climb to Taormina

6. Don't miss the view from the Panoramic Terrace of the Piazza IX Aprile. It is possibly the prettiest square in the entire city. In this same square there are two other Taormina church: the Chiesa di San Giuseppeand theChiesa di Sant'Agostino.

7. Try a granita (the artisanal slush so typical of Sicily) in the Bam Bar.

8. If you feel energized enough, go up to the Madonna della Rocca Sanctuary, yes, put on comfortable shoes and get ready for a good sweat: they wait for you about 20-30 minutes of climbing, quite steep.

9. And if, once up there, you still have a reel, keep climbing! Because at the top the Taormina Castle (Castello Saraceno). In the place where the Greek acropolis should be, this castle was built by the Arabs taking advantage of the incredible location, controlling the entire area. It is currently closed, however, it seems that people enter taking advantage of an egg between the bars of the door.

10. Walking around you can reach theNaumachia, a wall made of bricks that goes back, neither more nor less, than in the second century BC, was under the Roman Empire. Although the term makes us think of the representations of naval battles (which for example were made in the Colosseum), apparently this wall with its niches was a set of decorative fountains.

Taormina Naumachia

11. From this same time is the Odeon Theater, a Roman theater that is preserved quite well. The shape is similar to that of the Greek Theater, however the dimensions are smaller (but hey, this is free!).

12. If you are one of those who start each visit to a place collecting information at the Tourist Office, in Taormina you will be in luck! It is in the Palazzo Corvaja, an ancient building that the Arabs began to build and that was improved and wide in the Middle Ages. You can visit the inner courtyard at no cost, it's a pass! It reminded us a little of Juliet's House, in Verona, but this time without Juliet!

13. In order to understand the fascination felt by the painter Otto Geleng when he first arrived in Taormina, the ideal would be to go through the Grand Hotel Timeo and for its "literary terrace", through which many artists passed, and from which it is not difficult to fall in love. Although the feeling will pass quickly when we get the bill! By the way, you can also stay at the hotel, look at the prices!

If you don't feel like spending a whole trip to Sicily on a hotel night, We recommend you stay at Floridia B &B, a super nice accommodation (and attention to detail), run by a lovely family. It includes breakfast and costs € 50 per night. It is about 5 minutes walk from the Messina Gate, where Corso Umberto begins.

14. The Palazzo Duchi Di Santo Stefano It is a clear example of a Sicilian Gothic building, with Arab and Norman insertions, and was integrated into the medieval city walls. Today it hosts cultural exhibitions.

15. But without a doubt, the best in Taormina is get lost in the streets, climb stairs and discover secret corners. And speaking of stairs ... do not even think about eating at the restaurant "La Scala", we pretend to be stupid: we saw that the pasta had good prices and we decided to sit down, besides the environment was cool. Well, they were the worst pasta we ever ate and to top off the bottle of water it cost € 4 and the co-payment € 3 per head (I never paid so much for the coperto). A horror.

15 + 1. You can't leave Taormina without trying the came from Mandorle (Almond wine), or at least buy a bottle in one of Taormina's many gastronomic souvenir shops ... it's a very good memory!

Extra: Do you have more time? You can take advantage of your stay for a couple of excursions. An essential is to go to Etna (here we tell you how to climb Etna for free and / or tour). You can also take a day trip to the Aeolian Islands. More info here.