Taormina
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Taormina has long been a destination for the cognoscenti, writers like D H Lawrence stayed there and it’s where the affairs of a local inspired him to write Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It’s been the Sicilian tourist destination of choice since the nineteenth century and was part of The Grand Tour. Visitors such as Oscar Wilde, Evelyn Waugh, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Tennessee Williams and Richard Wagner have all been attracted by its sense of chic, mild climate and spectacular views of Mount Etna.
Today this former fishing village in the northwest of the island is the developed tourist destination in Sicily. Abundant with luxurious hotels, bars, cafés and restaurants, this is a place where you’ll hear more English spoken than anywhere else on the island. The downside is that it’s also the most expensive and can be packed with crowds at the height of summer. Yet it’s still a stylish spot, especially along the main street of Corso Umberto I that’s full of shops geared towards the average pocket as well as that of well-heeled clientele.
Much of the town’s popularity rests on the fact that its medieval layout is peppered by Arab, Norman and Baroque buildings, and sprawls down the slopes of Monte Tauro. So there’s always a panorama of the smoking Mount Etna volcano, which looks particularly attractive when capped by snow during the autumn to spring months. There’s culture on offer too in the form of the remarkably well-preserved Teatro Antico Greco-Roman amphitheatre still in use for performances of classical theatre, opera and pop concerts. Taormina is also host to a film festival in June that attracts an international set. Of course there are beaches too. At the foot of Monte Tauro, one forms an isthmus to the tiny island and nature reserve of Isola Bella, but most people head for the nearby sands of what was the first Greek colony in Sicily, Giardini-Naxos.
It is possible to get away from the crowds at any time. The quiet groves of the Villa Communale are situated on a cliff with views out to the Ionian Sea, and were the brainchild of an English aristocrat. They also offer some welcome shade among a clutch of Victorian follies and exotic plants. The more energetic can climb three miles uphill through winding streets that follow the Stations of the Cross and lead to the tiny cliff-top church of Madonna della Rocca and the medieval castle of Castelmola. The reward is some unbeatable views of the coastline, particularly at sunset.
Useful links
Taormina Arte - Festivals & concerts at Teatro Antico
Taormina Film Festival
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