Visit the Greek Theatre
The Ancient Greek Theatre is one of the prized fixtures of the town of Taormina. The striking architecture and large spectator arena is breath-taking, and despite being over 2,000 years old, the theatre still hosts annual performances, continuing Taormina’s ancient tradition.
Relax in Taormina’s beaches
Travelling down the hill from the centre of Taormina, also with the cable car, you’ll arrive at the beautiful and inviting coastline. There are many great beaches in easy reach of the town, including Isola Bella, Mazzarò, Spisone, Capo S. Andrea. You can also plan a boat trip to explore the jonian coast. discover beautiful caves, including the well known “Grotta Azzurra”, and the beautiful nature reserve of Isola Bella.
Eat granita at breakfast
Consisting of sugar, thin flakes of ice and various flavourings made of crushed fresh fruit, Sicilian granita is served in every café, bar and ice cream on the island. Legend has it that the Sicilians developed granita centuries ago when the Arabs who ruled the island introduced the idea of sorbet. Today the popular treat comes in a riot of flavours and colours, but the most common are lemon, mandarin orange, strawberry, coffee and almond. Some of the best granita in Taormina is found at Bam Bar, where you can savour the usual flavours as well as melon, pistachio and Nutella.
Drink aperitivo before dinner
The Italian “aperitivo” is a simple idea and a very social and functional way of meeting up with friends, having a cocktail, and enjoying hors d’oeuvres. The idea is to not make the aperitivo your dinner, but to simply have some finger food with a drink while socializing and stimulating your appetite for dinner. Our favorite places to take aperitivo in Taormina are: i) Daiquiri, a place to see and to be seen, situated on the stairs overlooking Piazza Duomo, ii) Metropol Hotel where, if you are lucky, you can listen to live jazz music; iii) Timeo Grand Hotel in an amazing terrace with a breathtaking view
Visit Castelmola
Castelmola is a tiny, picturesque village perched on a craggy hilltop, above Taormina. From the wide piazza at the entrance to town Castelmola is easily explored. Signposted uphill is the village’s thirteenth-century castle, the Castello. Now in ruins, this fortress was dramatically situated to command the hills and valleys, so has wonderful views over the surrounding hills and coast. Although it’s small and doesn’t have any major sights other than its ruined castle, Castelmola is an interesting and picturesque settlement, where a certain rugged authenticity mixes with tourist-oriented craft shops. The little streets and alleys are worth exploring: you’ll find a surprisingly imposing Duomo and several smaller churches, including the Chiesa di San Giorgio (1450) which contains a charming little statue of St. George on his charger.