Sicily boasts a number of beautiful towns, illustrated perfectly by Taormina.
Big footed Italy, kicked little Sicily, into the Mediterranean sea.
That’s the rhyme I learned in primary school for my class project on Italy. Other than that, I don’t a whole lot about Sicily.
Although I recently discovered you can take a Godfather tour of Sicily. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea so it must offer more than that!
Sicily has many sides to it after some reading up on the island. Culture and cuisine influence have clashed for over 3,000 years. Palermo offers colourful and bustling streets, but also ancient ruins. Sicily is also home the Europe’s highest active mountain, Mt. Etna.
I’ve written about how pretty Portofino and Burano Island are. We may have a new contender for prettiest part of Italy in Taormina. It inspired Truman Capote after all.
Taormina
This hilltop town has unbeatable views of… well pretty much everything, including Mt. Etna. These panoramic views are best enjoyed behind Church of St. Joseph. There are also many hiking trails around the mountain for alternative views of Taormina’s natural beauty. If you’re looking to stretch your legs (you could always take a taxi for around 15 euros too if you’re not), visiting Castelmola is always a great idea. Although seeing another pretty Italian village may be to much for some.
It may be an Italian island, but you’ll find ancient Greek ruins, its most famous being Teatro Antico di Taormina. The Greco-Roman theatre has stood the test of time and is actually still in use today.
Photo by Goldmund100
The streets are as you’d expect – narrow, winding, cobbled and pastel. Shops sell everything from antiques to handmade leather goods to designer jewellery.
Taormina offers the beach lovers something too. Take a cable car to reach the beaches, which can be busy during summer peak periods. But if you look hard enough you’ll find secret coves and unspoiled beaches hidden away from the flock of tourists where you can hideaway yourself too.
It’s not only the scenery which is beautiful. Make sure you stop at Roberto’s for a handmade crispy cannoli.
There are a number of ferries to Sicily making it easily accessible even for a day trip. Although you’ll probably want to stay longer once you’ve visited Taormina.
