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I call Taormina “The Positano of Sicily.” Here’s why!

This July my boyfriend and I visited the East coast of Sicily. We went to three cities: Catania, Taormina and Syracuse. Out of the three, I was most excited to see Taormina. It had been on my travel list for ages! If you do a quick Google Search, you will quickly understand why: a town on the cliffs, near the bright blue sea, colourful streets and that stunning piazza with black and white mosaic floors that has become the most iconic sight of Taormina. And thankfully, Taormina fulfilled all my expectations!

If you plan on visiting the beautiful Sicilian town one day, read on! I’ve got the perfect guide for you. What to see, where to eat, and of course travel tips to make the most of your time. Let’s go!

What to see in Taormina

The Greek Theatre: possibly the most famous sight in Taormina. The Greek Theatre was built between the mountain and the sea. You can walk around the cavea (the seating area), around the stage and up above the cavea. There are guided tours if you want more info. From the top of the Theatre, you have a beautiful view of Mount Etna – best photo spot! Entry fee: 10€.

view of the stage of the greek theatre in taormina
greek theatre in taormina, view of mount etna and the landscape

The Villa Comunale: These gardens above the sea were built by a British woman who moved to Taormina and never left. She created a paradise of different plant and flower species, and protected birds in the area of Taormina. Today you can grab a snack and a book, site on a beach overlooking the sea, or seek shade among the trees. A beautiful spot, free to visit!

the villa comunale gardens in taormina with view of the sea and flowers and trees
rustic building with trees in taormina sicily

Isola Bella and the beach: Isola Bella is a tiny piece of land, connected to Taormina by a strip of land. It’s a dream to see from above in the town itself, but also from below as you sit on the beach. The beach in Taormina is a pebble beach though, so you may want to wear shoes as it. hurts. so much! My boyfriend even cut his foot as he went into the water. The beach gets pretty crowded, so I would suggest visiting early or late in the day to enjoy it better. There are some private beach/bar areas, but access to the Isola Bella and the beach is of course free.

panoramic view of isola bella in taormina, island with the sea
view from the beach in taormina at sunset

Piazza IX Aprile: This piazza is the most beautiful in Taormina. The chequered floor and pastel pink church are an iconic sight in the city. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants around the piazza, and the terrasse there is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset over the sea and Mount Etna. You can even catch its smoke clouds coming out at the summit. The pink church, the Church of St Joseph is small but has beautiful Baroque decorations inside, worth seeing.

wide angle photo of piazza ix aprile in taormina sicily, with the pink church and flower trees

The artisan shops: As a popular resort town, Taormina is full of touristic shops, however it is also a town full of art galleries and shops. You can find beautiful ceramics (which Dolce&Gabbana have often recreated on their clothes) but also pretty paintings, exposed in the tiny streets surrounding the main road, the Corso Umberto.

What to eat in Taormina

Granita and brioche: a Sicilian specialty! Order a granita (shaved flavoured ice) with brioche, so that you can dip your brioche in the ice and enjoy a typical snack – perfect on a hot day! In Taormina the place locals recommend for granita is BamBar, a general favourite!

Arancine: Arancine (or arancini) are fried balls of rice, meat and cheese. They are another famous Sicilian street food item, and definitely my favourite! Nowadays there are many more flavours of arancine – without meat, with tomato sauce, pistacchio (another famous Sicilian flavour)… We went to Da Cristina, where we got traditional arancine and they were de-li-cious!

two arancine, sicilian street food

Pizza: The more I travel to Italy, the more I realise that it’s easy to find not-so-good pizza. A lot of places will rely on tourism without paying too much attention to the quality of what they serve. In Taormina we had very good pizza in Pizzeria Villa Zuccaro – the outside area is very pretty for summer evenings, though you can’t be scared of wasps if you do sit outside!

pizza in restaurant in taormina sicily

Dairy-free ice cream: There are many ice cream shops in Taormina, but if you can’t have dairy (like my boyfriend), you should try Stecco: they have many flavours of ice cream and sorbet. This is not gelato, but a great treat for the lactose-intolerants out there!

Finally: the travel tips to remember when travelling to Taormina

Taormina is a city built on the mountain, so it goes up and down a lot! Something to bear in mind if you travel with children, people who can’t walk too much. You can of course travel by car, however I don’t know about the parking situation in Taormina. There is a lot of walking up and down if you go to the beach and Isola Bella – lots of stairs too. You have the option of taking the cable car up and down from the city to the beach, however at 3€ one person/one way it’s not the cheapest in the long run if you budget travel like us!

Taormina is more on the expensive side – budget is a very personal thing, but as someone who always enjoys the cheap deals on holiday (without depriving myself) I found that restaurants were more expensive here, if you’re looking for quality. A lot of restaurants have a terrasse with sea view, so their prices are more expensive because of these sought-after views. Taormina is a resort time, much like Positano, so it will be more expensive, even for accommodation, then other cities in Sicily.

The city gets very busy, so travelling off season is better. We went there this July, amidst the COVID-19 epidemic, and there were still quite a lot of people outside in the evenings. Taormina is gorgeous so a lot of people visit – couples, friends, families, the whole lot! – so if you prefer quiet holidays, visiting off-season is your best bet. Also the weather in summer is challenging, really hot a somewhat humid, not great for walking up and down. There is very little shade too as it’s not a green area. Things to keep in mind when planning your trip!

Taormina is pretty small, and ultimately there aren’t that many things to do – so a couple days are enough to see everything there! Unless you are a beach afficionado and love to spend hours on end at the beach, you will have seen everything Taormina has to offer pretty quickly. I see it as a beautiful little spot part of a bigger Sicily trip. There is a train station in Taormina (way down below the city itself) from which you can travel to other places – Catania, Syracuse, and more!) so I suggest taking a weekend trip to Taormina to live the beach life before moving on to a different destination.

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
A Day in Positano, Italy
Naples & Pompeii Travel Guide

Have you ever heard about Taormina? Do you enjoy resort/beach destinations?

Lots of love, Julia x

Hi there! I'm Julia.

About Me

28 years old, based in Paris, France. I'm a primary school teacher by day, blogger and creator the rest of the time! I love coffee, exploring pretty places, and helping you grow through self-care and positivity. Happy to meet you!