Are you planning a visit to Sicily? Wondering where to base yourself or how long to allocate to Taormina?
My husband and I travelled around Sicily for 16 days, and included a visit to Taormina.
I will tell you what to see and what we did when we visited the pretty town in this post.
I have to confess, I have never heard of Taormina before watching Season 2 of White Lotus on TV. After watching it and seeing the beautiful views and scenes of the charming town, I knew I wanted to go there, and when this trip to Sicily was planned, it had to be on our itinerary.
If you are a fan of the White Lotus TV Series, I think you might enjoy this tour of Taormina that is called The White Lotus Tour. It will take you to the shooting locations of the show on a boat. The tour includes stop for swimming, snorkeling, and dolphin watching. Book this tour HERE.
In early plans, I had planned to stay there for at least a night, but after researching a lot on what to see and do, I decided a day would be enough to see everything in the town and have a good feel for it. So, we arrived early in the morning, spent the day there and in the late afternoon drove to our next stop, which was Cefalú.
What made us change our minds? Well, Taormina is not a very big town, and it can be covered in a day. Good accommodation and good restaurants are quite expensive, as the town is famous for having lots of celebrities and millionaires visiting.
It would be nice to stay there at least a few days, relaxing on the beach or the swimming pool of one of the nice hotels on the hills, but time would not allow us to have this luxury at this time.
After spending the last 2 days in Catania (see my previous 2 posts, Catania Day 1 and Catania Day 2), we woke up at Opera Boutique B&B and checked out.
We walked down the road to Nuts Café, and as our car was parked just in front of it, we loaded the car first before entering the café. After breakfast, we were ready to hit the road in the direction of Taormina.
The drive from Catania to Taormina took just about 50 minutes on the E45, a very good motorway with minimal traffic.
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Below is a map showing the places we visited on our day in Taormina:
We were travelling independently with a hired car we booked via Discover Cars, we are very confident travellers and speak a bit of the language. However, you prefer to be part of a tour that will take care of all your accommodation, tours, meals, and transport, you should check the tours available at Tourradar.
They have one that covers Palermo, Catania, Monreale, Cefalú, Catania, Mount Etna and Taormina. This tour can be booked HERE. If you book it via my link you can get a discount by using this code: RoseG50.
When we arrived in Taormina, we went straight to our first visit of the day, which was the “Castello di Taormina” (Taormina Castle). The castle opens at 10 am, and we arrived just a few minutes before opening time. We parked alongside the road near the entrance to the castle.
I will tell you about all our visits in Taormina, but first, let me tell you a little bit about this lovely town.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TAORMINA
Taormina, perched on a terrace above the Ionian Sea on Sicily’s eastern coast, is one of the island’s most celebrated towns. Founded by the Greeks in the 4th century BCE, it flourished under Roman and medieval rule, later becoming a 19th-century Grand Tour destination.
Its centrepiece is the ancient Greek Theatre, set against a backdrop of Mount Etna and the sea. It is an unmatched synthesis of architecture and landscape still used for concerts and film festivals. The town’s streets, like Corso Umberto, are lined with medieval gates, baroque churches, and aristocratic palazzi, framed by bougainvillaea and sea light.
Tourism now dominates Taormina’s economy, but its appeal endures because of the contrast: classical ruins beside modern luxury, volcanic drama beside calm sea. It represents the cultivated face of Sicily, where beauty, history, and geography converge with almost theatrical precision.
VISITING TAORMINA
Taormina Castle is at the top of a hill, and next to the Castle is the “Chiesa Madonna della Rocca”. We entered and visited it first, before going to the castle. It is a simple but lovely church carved into the rock. The terrace next to it also offers lovely views of the sea and Taormina below.
1 – Chiesa Madonna della Rocca
The “Chiesa Madonna della Rocca” in Taormina is a small 17th-century sanctuary perched high above the town, carved partly into the rock of Mount Tauro. Its name, “Our Lady of the Rock”, reflects both its physical form and its spiritual symbolism.
Built by local hermits, the church offers a simple interior, rough walls blending naturally with the mountain, and a modest altar dedicated to the Virgin. The site overlooks the Greek Theatre, the coastline, and Mount Etna, giving one of the most panoramic views in eastern Sicily.
A steep footpath, the Via Crucis, leads up from Taormina’s centre, echoing a pilgrimage route. The church’s austerity contrasts with the town’s elegance, embodying the mystical and ascetic side of Sicilian spirituality. It is a place of silence above the theatrical world below.
2 – Taormina Castle
Taormina Castle, also known as the “Castello Saraceno”, crowns the summit of Mount Tauro above the town, commanding a strategic view of the Ionian coast and Mount Etna. Its origins likely date to the Byzantine period, later reinforced by the Arabs (Saracens) in the 10th century and expanded under Norman rule.
The fortress follows the mountain’s contours, with remnants of towers, ramparts, and cisterns built from local stone. Though now largely in ruins, it illustrates the town’s layered history of conquest, Greek settlement below, and medieval fortification above.
From the castle, the panorama encompasses Taormina, Giardini Naxos, and the Calabrian coast, making it both a historical monument and one of Sicily’s most dramatic viewpoints. Together with the nearby Sanctuary of Madonna della Rocca, it embodies Taormina’s fusion of defence, devotion, and landscape.
There are some steep steps to get to the entrance and to the castle, but it was not a problem for us. We explored the ruins of the castle and admired the sweeping views from the top. It was an enjoyable visit, and we spent about an hour on this visit.
Once we were pleased, we’d seen everything, we went back down the steps and took the car.
We drove to the centre of Taormina and parked at Astoria Parking on the same street as the Cable Car station, Via Luigi Pirandello. The station was close to the car park, so we walked up the street to the cable car station.
Station “Funivia – Taormina Mazzarò” is the station where you get the cable car to get to “Spiaggia di Mazzarò” (Mazzarò Beach). From there is a short walk to “Spiaggia di Isola Bella” (beautiful Island Beach) and to the island itself.
You can walk down via a steep path, but it is not an easy walk (especially going back up), and I do not advise it unless you are fit and have enough time in town.
3 – Spiaggia di Isola Bella and Isola Bella
The “Spiaggia di Isola Bella”, the pebble beach facing the island, is among Sicily’s most iconic coastal scenes: steep cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and the silhouette of Mount Etna in the distance. The cove’s microclimate supports rare flora and provides excellent conditions for snorkelling.
“Isola Bella” (Beautiful Island), just below Taormina, is a tiny island linked to the mainland by a narrow shingle strip, often submerged, depending on the tide. Once privately owned, it’s now a protected nature reserve, part of the “Riserva Naturale Isola Bella”, celebrated for its mix of marine and botanical diversity.
Historically, the island was gifted to Taormina in 1806, later acquired by Florence Trevelyan, an Englishwoman who landscaped it with exotic plants and built a small villa, an echo of 19th-century romanticism.
Today, the beach and island epitomise Taormina’s charm, where wild geology, cultivated beauty, and mythic atmosphere merge into one beautiful landscape.
It is possible to visit “Isola Bella”. Access to the beach is free, but you must pay an entrance fee to enter the island itself, as it is managed by the Regional Naturalistic Museum.
Once on the island, you can visit the former private house, which belonged to the wealthy English noblewoman Florence Trevelyan. The house has been converted into part of the museum.
You can also explore the rich flora, fauna, and vegetation of this protected area, once a private property and now a public site for conservation. You can wander along walking paths and observe the unique plant life and birds.
The clear Ionian waters surrounding “Isola Bella” are teeming with marine life, making it a popular spot for swimming and snorkelling. Numerous boat tours also offer snorkelling stops in the protected marine area.
When the cable car arrived at Mazzarò Beach, we followed the road in the direction of Isola Bella Beach. There is a staircase that leads to the beach, just down the road, and it has a sign at the entrance. The island can be reached from the beach.
We didn’t go to the island as it was high tide, and we didn’t want to remove our shoes and get wet to cross to the island. We just looked at the island from the beach. Afterwards, we chose one of the restaurants in front of the beach and sat down for a drink.
While there, we decided to get a bite to eat, just a piece of pizza and some kind of pastry. It was not the best of the lunches, but it kept us going until we had dinner later that day.
It was lovely to sit in front of the beach, admiring the very lively atmosphere. However, we needed to move on. We walked back to the main road and to the cable car station to go back up the hill.
Once on top, we walked all the way down Via Luigi Pirandello to the “Belvedere di Via Pirandello”. It is a viewpoint with views of “Spiaggia Isola Bella” and “Isola Bella” as well. The views from this viewpoint were spectacular, and we took various photos of the views.
We continued on the road that turned into Via Bagnoli Croci up to “Villa Comunale di Taormina”. This is a local park with very interesting buildings, sculptures, fountains, with very well-kept gardens.
4 – Villa Comunale di Taormina
The “Villa Comunale di Taormina”, also known as the Public Gardens of Taormina, is a terraced botanical park overlooking the Ionian Sea, one of the town’s most tranquil and elegant spaces. It was created in the late 19th century by Lady Florence Trevelyan, an English aristocrat and naturalist who settled in Taormina after being exiled from the British court.
She designed the gardens in an English Romantic style, combining exotic plants from around the world with eccentric brick follies, ornamental towers and pavilions inspired by Victorian and Oriental motifs.
Pathways wind through cypress and palm trees, opening onto panoramic views of Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos.
Later donated to the town, the gardens became public, blending botanical richness with quiet civic order. Today, the Villa Comunale remains a refuge from Taormina’s tourist bustle, a place where cultivated beauty and natural spectacle meet in perfect equilibrium.
5 – Piazza IX Aprile
From there, we walked to “Piazza IX Aprile “(9th of April Square). This square is the heart of Taormina, where you will find important buildings such as the Church of San Giuseppe, the Clock Tower, the Mezzo Gate and the Belvedere of Taormina.
The belvedere is a terrace overlooking the Bay of Naxos with stunning views of Taormina. The views from this terrace are famous for being one of Sicily’s most photographed scenes.
The square epitomises Taormina’s character, part medieval, part cosmopolitan, suspended between history and spectacle. It is very lively, full of people trying to capture the best photo of the views. There are also some public toilets on this square, which we were very happy to use by that time.
Next, we went down Corso Humberto, the main artery of Taormina. It is full of shops, elegant cafés and restaurants. We went in the direction of the Duomo di Taormina.
6 – The Duomo di Taormina
The “Duomo di Taormina”, or Cathedral of San Nicolò di Bari, stands at the heart of the town on Piazza Duomo, symbolising Taormina’s blend of medieval austerity and Sicilian artistry.
Originally built in the 13th century on the site of an earlier church, it reflects Norman and Gothic influences. It has a fortress-like exterior with crenellated walls, more defensive than decorative.
Its main portal, rebuilt in the 17th century, contrasts the rugged stone façade with elegant Renaissance carving. Inside, the church follows a basilica plan with three naves supported by pink marble columns taken from ancient ruins, a quiet fusion of pagan and Christian legacies.
The main altar holds a 15th-century polyptych of the Madonna with Child, and a Baroque fountain stands just outside in the square, topped by Taormina’s heraldic symbol: the Minotaur.
The Duomo remains both a place of worship and a monument to the town’s layered history: part citadel, part sanctuary, embodying Taormina’s balance between faith and fortitude.
After visiting the Duomo and walking around the square, we went back to Corso Humberto, walking in the opposite direction and passing through “Piazza IX Aprile” again. We followed the road, admiring the beautiful shops alongside the road.
They had luxury boutiques selling clothes, jewellery shops of all kinds, shoe shops and everything you could imagine. We walked all the way to the “Teatro Antico di Taormina”. We had tickets that we bought in advance, and they were valid for any time during the day.
7 – Teatro Antico di Taormina
The “Teatro Antico di Taormina” is the town’s defining monument and one of the most spectacular ancient sites in the Mediterranean. Originally built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BCE and later expanded by the Romans, it combines refined classical design with a natural backdrop unmatched in antiquity,
Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea framed perfectly through the stage’s ruined arches.
Carved into the hillside, the theatre could seat around 5,000 spectators, its semi-circular cavea constructed from local stone. The Romans adapted it for gladiatorial games, adding a stage building (scaenae frons) and decorative marble work, while preserving its superb acoustics.
Today, the site hosts concerts, operas, and the Taormina Film Festival, continuing its ancient role as a place of performance and civic identity.
Beyond its archaeology, the Teatro Antico expresses Taormina’s essence, where art, landscape, and history merge into a single act of timeless spectacle.
Standing in the “Teatro Antico di Taormina” feels almost unreal. It was like stepping into a living painting. The blend of stone, sea, and Etna’s silent presence makes it less of a ruin than a stage where time itself performs. Even empty, it feels alive, as if every sound and gust of wind remembers the voices that once filled it.
We loved our visit to the theatre; it was another memory that will never be forgotten. After the visit, we went in the direction of Corso Umberto.
We booked this skip-the-line ticket & Audio Guide to visit the theatre. The ticket is valid for the day and you can get there anytime and skip-the-line. If you also want to book these tickets, please use this LINK.
I heard many bloggers mention a place in their posts. It was the “Bam Bar”, a place that was famous for serving the best granita with brioche in Sicily. I wanted to check it out.
It was a hot day, and we needed something to refresh. So, we headed to Via di Giovani, just off Via Teatro Greco, on our way back from the theatre.
When we arrived, there was a long queue to get a table either inside or outside. We were told that the queue would go very fast, and it was worth waiting. So, we did, and in less than 15 minutes, we sat at a table outside.
I ordered a watermelon granita and my husband a strawberry and cream one. They were both delicious, and they are up to their hype. Feeling refreshed, it was time to move on.
If you have more time in Taormina and fancy cooking, why not try a Sicilian Cooking Class from a professional Chef? After cooking you get to taste your creation with the other participants in the group. Book this activity HERE.
We went back to Corso Humberto and to” Porta Messina” (Messina Gate), another old gate on the other side of town. After a few photos of the area, we decided it was time to walk back to the car and drive to our next stop which was going to be Cefalú.
Cefalú
Cefalú from Taormina is about 2 hours and 40 minutes, so it was better to get going. We had seen all the best attractions of Taormina and were satisfied for having covered a lot of ground. It would be nice to return one day with more time, we both enjoyed our day very much, but for this visit, we saw enough.
The drive was another stress-free and easy one with almost no traffic on the way. We arrived at Cefalú at around 7 pm and went straight to the B&B I have booked for our 2-night stay.
We booked a B&B called “B&B Panorama” in Cefalú. The main reason for booking this one was that it had a free public car park in front of it (and we read in reviews that it was easy to park there, and their description shows it had parking). They also served breakfast, which was an advantage as not many B&Bs there seemed to serve.
The photos looked good enough, and the price was very good compared to other ones closer to town. The distance to the Old Town and the main attractions was about a 20-minute walk. It ended up being one of those you-get-what-you-pay-for accommodations.
On arrival, we went straight to the “easy to park” car park. After many drives around, no space and nobody seemed to be moving out soon. We decided to drive on the roads nearby and try to find somewhere else to park.
We drove all around with no luck, no car parks or available spaces on the roads to park. The only option was to drive back to the car park in front of the B&B and wait until someone left, so we could get the space. We waited for almost an hour, but finally someone left, and we could park there.
The check-in at this B&B is fully automated, which means they send you a code on your mobile to access the front door and your room. There is no one on the premises to check you in. We were surprised that this B&B was in one block of residential flats, so we had to open the main entrance door, take a lift to the 5th floor, enter the main B&B flat and once inside to enter the room.
The building was not very nice either. It was old and in need of refurbishment, and the lift, well, the lift was tiny and looked like an antique brought in from the last century.
The inside of the B&B was not too bad. It was quite new and clean, and the bedroom was very nice too. However, it didn’t have any sea views as it claimed on its description.
We were not very happy with the parking, the building and access issues at the B&B, but it was too late to worry about it. I’m leaving the links to the B&B in case you are still interested in booking it.
I suppose on some occasions, such as high season, it is more difficult to find good accommodation there, and you have to make some compromises. In this case, feel free to use the links to B&B Panorama.
We had a restaurant booked for 10 pm, and all we wanted was to have a quick shower and leave for our anticipated dinner at “Cortile Pepe” restaurant.
After showering and getting ready, we went in the direction of the restaurant in the Old Town. When we arrived there, the door was locked and there was a sign to ring the bell.
We saw the inside, and it was empty; nobody was at the tables. We found it a bit strange, but soon someone came to open the door and let us in. The reason it was locked, and nobody was at the tables, was that everybody was at the back, in the terrace. They have a large terrace at the back, and as it was a warm night, everybody wanted to stay outside.
It was one of the nicest dinners we had in Sicily. The food was exceptional, the wine was delicious, and the service was first-class. We both enjoyed everything we ordered and can highly recommend this restaurant in Cefalú.
After dinner, we walked back to our B&B for our first night in Cefalú. I will tell you all about our day in Cefalú in our next post.
I hope this post will give you some idea of what can be done in a day in Taormina and will help you plan your own visit there.
Below is a reel from the Travelling Surveyor Instagram account showing photos of Taormina. Check it out and follow me on Instagram as well.
Don’t forget to check the tours of Sicily and other places available at Tourradar, I’m sure you will find the perfect tour that will fit your requirements and budget. If you book it via my link you can get a discount by using this code: RoseG50.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO TAORMINA
Below you will find a list of what to visit, where to stay and where to eat around Taormina. I classified each place as follows:
BOLD – Visited, tried and recommended
NOT BOLD – Not visited or tried, but planning to visit or try and heard very good reviews
RED – Visited and tried but do not recommend, avoid or be cautious
*** – Excellent
** – Good
* – OK
£££ – Expensive
££ – Fair and affordable
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£ – Cheap
PLEASE NOTE: Every hotel, restaurants and attractions I mention on my blogs are not sponsored reviews and we always paid the full price when visiting. We give our own opinion of the place and detail our experience, good or bad.
THINGS TO DO IN TAORMINA
ATTRACTIONS
1 – Taormina Castle – ***
2 – Chiesa della Madonna della Rocca – ***
3 – Isola Bella Beach – ***
4 – Isola Bella
5 – Belvedere di Via Pirandello – ***
6 – Villa Comunale di Taormina – ***
7 – Piazza IX Aprile – ***
8 – Duomo di Taormina – ***
9 – Teatro Antico di Taormina – ***
10 – Bam Bar – ***
11 – Porta Messina – ***
WHERE TO STAY
ACCOMMODATION
1 – Villa Sirena – 5* – £££
2 – San Domenico Palace – 5* – £££ (White Lotus Hotel)
3 – The Belvedere – 4* – £££
4 – Hotel Villa Taormina – 4* – £££
5 – La Terrazza di Porta Messina – 3* – ££
6 – Taormina Charming Rooms – 3* – ££
If you prefer to look for your own accommodation, search and book via the below widget:
I use affiliate links such as the links above for Booking.com, Get your Guide, Viator and others. It means that if you use any of my links to make a booking, I will get a small commission from the partners I’m affiliated with without any additional cost to you. Please, use the links provided when making a booking, this is a way of supporting blogs like this so we can continue writing informative and interesting posts. I’m very thankful for that.
BEST PLACES TO EAT
RESTAURANTS
1 – Vineria Modi – £££
2 – San Michele – £££
3 – Teatro 44 – £££
4 – Ristorante Pirandello 2.0 – ££
5 – Liola – ££
6 – Le Naumachie – £££
We only tried the ones in bold , the others are the result of my researches and ones that I would like to try. If you tried any of my recommendations above, please send me a message and tell me about your experience good or bad, so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks!
If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like to read:
On this trip to Italy:
1 – Catania – Day 1
2 – Catania – Day 2
3 – Taormina
4 – Cefalú
5 – Palermo – Day 1
6 – Palermo – Day 2
8 – Punta Secca
9 – Ragusa – Day 1
10 – Ragusa – Day 2
11 – Modica
12 – Noto
13 – Siracusa – Day 1
14 – Siracusa – Day 2 – Coming soon
15 – Catania and Conclusion – Day – 3 – Coming soon
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