The Best of Taormina, Sicily

Stroll and Shop Along the Main Street, Corso Umberto

This beautiful street is a nice place to take a leisurely walk on your way to the town’s main piazza. With loads of high-end shopping, souvenir shopping, restaurants and gelato stops, you can spend hours just on this one street! Something to be sure to be on the lookout for (just throughout Sicily in general) is the Sicilian ceramic Moorish heads.

Walk Around the Piazza IX Aprile

This dazzling piazza is a great place to roam around with stunning views of Mount Etna. Besides the balcony overlooking the water, there are also two churches that are worth visiting within the plaza: Church of San Giuseppe and the Church of Saint Augustine. This is a great spot to take pictures, enjoy some gelato or enjoy a drink from a nearby restaurant! There are also street performers that play classic Italian music on occasion and a very large Christmas tree right in the center during Christmas time!

Take a Sicilian Cooking Class

Italian food is already well-loved by most, but Sicily takes it to a whole other level! Specializing in seafood, Sicilian cuisine is one of a kind and a great way to learn more about it is through a cooking class! There are many options listed on websites such as GetYouGuide or TripAdvisor, so you can choose what may be best for your group. The one we did was called “Cooking Lab” and it was a little higher-end than just pizza or pasta, but it was delicious and I loved learning about the history of Sicilian dishes and what makes them so special! Another fun idea is to learn to make cannolis — Sicily is known specifically for their pistachio cannolis!

Go and See San Domenico Palace, the White Lotus Hotel

If you’re not already staying at the San Domenico Palace as your hotel, then you should at least go see it from the outside! This hotel is where many famous people have stayed, and it is just a site in itself. There is a beautiful view overlooking the hotel, the water and Mount Etna from a small church, Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, and I highly recommend going here for sunset pictures!

Gambino Winery

Of course, when visiting Italy, it is an experience to taste their wine. What better way to do it than making a trip out to a winery? We had the best experience at Gambino Winery. The excursion included an in-depth wine tasting with many fabulous cheeses and other delicious foods. A tour of the place where the wine is made and lots of time to hang out and take pictures while the sun was setting over the vineyards and mountains is also included. This is a great winery for ordering true Sicilian wine and shipping it back home! This was definitely one of my favorite activities while in Sicily.

Take the Cable Car Down to Mazzaro Bay & Isola Bella

If you want to take a visit to the beach, use the cable car (15 min, ~6 euros roundtrip) or take a hike down to Mazzaro Bay. You will find dazzling water views and a whole new area to explore. You can also visit Isola Bella, a beautiful pebble beach/small island with a very interesting history!

Greco-Roman Theater

This is a must-do experience while in Taormina! It is an easy walk from the main piazza and does have admission fees for adults. However, if you can visit it on a clear day, it will be well worth the visit as there is much to learn about the theater and, in my opinion, it has the best photo ops of Mount Etna!

Hike to the Top: Chiesa Madonna Della Rocca

Want to get a bird’s eye view of Taormina? Take a hike up to the sanctuary, Chiesa Madonna Della Rocca, for a breathtaking view! Great excursion for any time of the day, just make sure you’re ready to walk a lot of steps!

Day Trips

Something that I was unable to do on my recent visit to Taormina was visit Mount Etna. If you have the time, this is definitely an awesome way to spend the day! Being Europe's highest volcano, there are many tours out there that can be booked for all types of activities. From hiking to wine tasting, there is something for everyone and is bound to be an unforgettable experience.

Trattoria da Nino (Spaghetti pic): Great apps, gave us free limoncello
This restaurant was our first taste of Sicily and it did not disappoint. They had an amazing menu with great appetizers for the table and incredible pasta! The ambiance was also very nice and they gave us all free Limoncello shots at the end of the dinner which made for a fun memory.

Vecchia Taormina: This is one of the many cafes surrounding the piazza! I recommend this one specifically for their views of Mount Etna and the water. I ordered fresh squeezed orange juice (recommended for any cafe with the juice machine), a cappuccino, and a chocolate croissant, and it was all delicious. However, you can’t go wrong with any of the cafes here!

Bell'Assai: Although I ordered the (very delicious) gnocchi here, I highly recommend this place for their Sicilian style pizza! It was our favorite restaurant food wise and has a beautiful view of Mazzaro Bay. This is the place to go on the way to the beaches after hiking or taking the cable car!

Fine Dining

There are multiple Michelin Star restaurants in Taormina and in surrounding areas that are worth checking out. Two of my recommendations from this extensive list are Vineria Modì or La Capinera for a fine dining and luxurious experience.

Pizza Mania: Looking for a casual night in instead? This place was our staple for ordering big pizzas to go! They have amazing classic pizzas along with some really unique pizzas (we ordered one that had french fries on top and it was actually pretty good).

General Food Recommendations

As mentioned before, Sicily is known for their pistachio desserts, and more specifically, their pistachio cannolis! Also make sure to try true Sicilian pizza since it is world-class famous. Additionally, you can’t miss out on their seafood as Taormina is located right on the coast.