Taormina: “a paradise on earth”
When Goethe called Taormina a “paradise on earth” he was not exaggerating. This Sicilian gem embedded in the side of Monte Tauro between Catania and Messina has it all: breathtaking scenery, crystal-clear sea, a buzzing night-life and a shopping centre. Here are the 5 must-visit spots in Taormina, Sicily’s most popular holiday resort.
This is the main thoroughfare of Taormina, a pedestrian area which has something for everyone. There are elegant boutiques for chronic shoppers, various churches and ruins for history-lovers, confectioneries selling the local almond sweets, ricotta-filled cannelloni and other goodies for people with a sweet tooth, and numerous bars, cafés and restaurants for those who’d like to sit and enjoy the bustle, the scenery or the cuisine.
Tip: Have a gelato or a granita.
You can’t go to Italy without eating loads of ice cream and slush. Corso Umberto has a number of gelaterie from one end of the thoroughfare to the other selling ice cream and granite in many different flavours.
2. ISOLA BELLA
If you take the funivia down to Mazzarò, turn right and walk up the road for 100m, you will arrive at a long flight of steps that leads down to the beach and to Isola Bella – Beautiful Island. This tiny island is connected to the beach by a narrow gravel path. Access to the island is shut off by iron gates, but the house there once belonged to Rudolf Nureyev. Even though you cannot walk up to the house, a day on the beach splashing in the clear water around the island is a must during any visit to Taormina.
Tip: Get a pair of rubber shoes
3. THE GREEK THEATRE
This picturesque ruined theatre, which is actually more Roman than Greek, commands a breath-taking view of the mountains surrounding Taormina, with the Etna acting as a natural backdrop to the performing area. Apart from the ruins themselves, which are every photographer’s dream, you can get a great view of the beaches at Mazzarò from the area behind the stepped seats. There is also a book shop, a picnic area and a viewing area where you can relax and enjoy the view and a fresh sea breeze.
Tip: Go watch a show
The theatre is still used regularly to stage all kinds of performances during the summer months: fashion shows, concerts, dance shows, and, of course, Greek plays. To know if there’s anything worthwhile watching during your stay, ask at the Palazzo dei Congressi which is the building on your right just as you leave the piazza at the very beginning of Via del Teatro Greco, the street leading up to the theatre.
4. THE BELVEDERE
Tip: Take your video camera with you on a Sunday night
Corso Umberto and Piazza IX Aprile are particularly lively and crowded on a Sunday night. If you’re lucky, you’ll find musicians and singers at the cafés singing typical Sicilian songs, creating an atmosphere like something out of an old Italian film.
5. SANTUARIO MADONNA DELLA ROCCA & THE CASTLE
If you’re feeling adventurous and feel like climbing up a mountain, but the “easy” way, you can climb up to the sanctuary and the saracen castle ruins that are visible from the Belvedere right on top of the Church of San Giuseppe. You can either take a bus that will deposit you just below the hill that leads to the sanctuary, or else find the stairs leading to the Via Crucis on Via Circonvallazione. The latter is by the far the more scenic option and will help you burn off extra calories.
Tip: Stock on mosquito repellent.
If you’re taking the stairs option, use insect repellent since the way up is bordered by trees and plants on either side and mosquitoes are rife. Remember also to take loads of water and sun-block.
BRUSH UP YOUR ITALIAN
GELATERIA (je-luh-te-ree-uh) ice-cream parlour or shop
GRANITA (gruh-nee-tuh) ice slush, usually made from oranges or lemons
PALAZZO (puh-luh-tsaw) palace
PIAZZA (pyuh-tsuh) square, as in Times Square or Leicester Square
TEATRO (te-uh-traw) theatre
VIA (vee-uh) street
VIA CRUCIS (vee-uh kroo-chis) the Way of the Cross
