3-Day Itinerary in Taormina: The Pearl of Sicily

If this is the first stop (or your only stop) of your Sicilian itinerary, you will want to be flying into Catania Fontanarossa (CTA) airport. There is public transportation available but the seamless way to get there is by private transfer. For other parts of Sicily I recommend getting a car, but not for Taormina as it is definitely a pedestrian destination with a funicular at your disposal when you do not feel like climbing those charming but oh-so-steep streets.

After having checked in to your hotel, I suggest going for a stroll to start taking it all in. If it’s not yet aperitivo-time sit, down for your first ‘granita’ at legendary Bam Bar. It will likely not be your last one; this local delicacy was introduced by the Arabs and it is a shaved ice of sorts. It comes in a multitude of flavors, from the obvious coffee and strawberry to the unique ‘granita ai gelsi’, mulberry granita in English. Don’t pass on the whipped cream, the play of textures is half the fun.

After having sampled this culinary gift of the Gods, walk over to Palazzo Corvaja on Piazza Badia. Bearing the marks of Normannic, Arabic and Gothic architecture, this building is in itself a testament to the fascinating history of Sicily. Construction started in the 1300s and it was privately owned by the homonymous family until 1945. Today the building houses the Sicilian Museum of Art and Popular Traditions, as well as the Tourism Office.

No Italian town is complete without a ‘duomo’ and Taormina is no exception. What is unique to this ‘duomo’ however is that it looks more like a fortress than a church. Possibly a reflection of Sicily’s history with conquests and occupations. The inside, however, is more traditional.

Following a bit of culture, I suggest you sample some more local foods and go for an aperitivo. If you are not staying at the San Domenico, you will for sure want to check out their Bar & Chiostro for a drink and some light nibbles from their tapas menu.

For dinner a trip to Taormina is not complete without a reservation at popular Tischi Toschi - Sicilian slang for emigrants who have lost their ability to speak proper Sicilian when they return to the mother(is)land. This is a high quality trattoria that has even earned a mention in the Michelin Guide.

If full on Michelin-starred dining is your thing head to Otto Geleng in the Belmond. This 16-seat restaurant allegedly serves up one of the most unique dining experiences in all of Sicily. If you are not yet satisfied, go for some drinks and live music at Casamatta.

Although the recommended hotels all offer stunning pools, a dip in the beautiful waters of the Ionian Sea is a must. If you want to stick with a “White Lotus” theme, you should visit the beach club, La Cambusa, in nearby Giardini Naxos. This little beach town is actually where the original founders of Taormina fled from to form a new town on the Monte Tauro, roughly in the year 400 BC.

Today you can get there easily. Just rent a bike from one of the many bike rentals in Taormina and in 20 minutes you will be there. Stay for the day or choose to party into the evening; the beach club transforms into a lounge and night club at sunset.

If you are lucky enough to be in Taormina on the right night, however, you might want to head back in time to catch a concert at the Teatro Antico. In the summer of 2023 you can catch Enzo Ramazzotti, Jimmy Sax or Andrea Boccelli live on what might be the world’s most spectacular stage. This Roman style theater, which at the most could hold 10,000 spectators, was inaugurated in 301 BC as a stage for traditional theatrical performances, but was later adapted to host gladiator games. After the Fall of the Roman Empire the theater was left in ruins until it was restored in 1955. Whether you go for a concert or not, I recommend you do a guided tour and learn about the fascinating history of Taormina’s most famous attraction.

By now you might be curious to explore the Etna National Park. There are multiple tours that depart from Taormina and depending on your degree of interest and fitness level you are bound to find something that suits you, whether it be trekking the slopes or contemplating the landscape aboard a jeep.

A visit to the Etna is easily combined with a tour of one of the many wineries in the region. The climate (much cooler than by the sea), the eruptions and ensuing ash rains, coupled with the volcanic minerality of the soil, makes this one of Europe’s most exciting wine regions. The well-known Planeta family has several wineries across Sicily, and a fabulous resort in Menfi, out west, but that is for another guide. Once on the Etna you should visit their Feudo di Mezzo estate. They produce 6 wines here in addition to their Brut Metodo Classico. If you are someone who enjoys some good quality sparkling wine, this one will surely blow you away.

Once you are back in town it is time for an aperitivo, the Daiquiri bar in front of the Duomo makes a good Negroni, or you could have a Spritz. Make sure to tuck into an ‘arancino’ or two, the snack of choice for Sicilians and visitors alike. It is a fried and stuffed ball of rice, the size and color of an orange (hence the name). Fillings may vary but I have yet to try an ‘arancino’ I didn't like.

For dinner you can round off your Taormina trip with a dinner at the unpretentious, yet beautiful Trattoria da Nino. I suggest passing on the omnipresent ‘spaghetti alle vongole’ and instead try a local specialty such as ‘spaghetti ai ricci ‘(sea urchins), or bottarga (cured fish roe). Either way the view from the terrace is bound to add a special flavor to a meal in this restaurant.

At breakfast you might want to leave room for another granita at Bam Bar before you head to the airport or onwards for the next leg of your Sicilian trip. How about the Aeolian Islands, Siracusa and Ortygia or the baroque cities of Val di Noto? Or the allure of distant Pantelleria?