Visit Taormina, Sicily: a place you’ll want to return to again and again – a complete guide

Taormina is one of the most beautiful places on the island of Sicily – a town blessed with wonderful natural features and a rich history. When you visit Taormina, you’ll find it set on rugged terrain high above the Ionian Sea, charming visitors with its historic center, cozy atmosphere, small shops, fragrant restaurants, and narrow streets that seem to embrace you the moment you step into them. This is one of those places that gives you the feeling you’ve traveled back to a beautiful moment in time.

In this article I tell you about the most interesting places to visit in Taormina and share useful information for your trip there.

Contents

Brief information about Taormina
Taormina quick tips
What to visit in Taormina, Sicily
Where is Taormina and how to get there
Where to park in Taormina
Where to stay in Taormina
Final thoughts

Brief information about Taormina

The history of Taormina begins even before the Greeks founded their first colony in Sicily in 734 BC. In ancient times, the city was protected by a triple fortress belt, from which two city gates have survived to this day, part of the modern landmarks of Taormina – Porta Messina and Porta Catania.

Over the centuries, the city followed the turbulent fate of the island, falling under the rule of various rulers. After the unification of Italy, Taormina gradually transformed from a fishing and agricultural village into an attractive destination for wealthy travelers. During World War II, the headquarters of the German command was located here, and on July 9, 1943, the city suffered heavy Allied bombing, which destroyed part of its southern area. Ironically, the feast day of its patron saint, Bishop Pancratius, is celebrated on this day. However, Taormina has survived and continues to develop, preserving its unique natural and historical character.

Taormina is regularly visited by many celebrities. Many of them stay in a historic building that housed the Dominican monastery for five centuries. In 1896, the monastery of San Domenico was expanded and converted into a hotel, and from a place of prayer and quiet contemplation, it quickly became a glamorous retreat for world celebrities. Among its most famous guests were Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Maria Callas, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani. In the 1960s, Audrey Hepburn, Princess Margaret (sister of Queen Elizabeth II), as well as the legendary couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, stayed here. Later, Roberto Benigni (Italian actor) and Walter Matthau (American actor) stayed at the hotel, and part of Luc Besson’s film “The Big Blue” was filmed in the San Domenico Palace.

What to visit in Taormina, Sicily

This section is devoted to the top landmarks to visit in Taormina, Sicily.

Corso Umberto

This is the main street in the city center and connects Porta Messina with Porta Catania. Along it and around it are the main attractions in Taormina, as well as many shops and restaurants. The distance between the two gates along the street is only 800 meters, add another 300 meters to them in the direction of the turnoff to the Ancient Theater. It’s not much, but stopping and exploring on the spot takes a lot of time.

There is a huge multi-storey car park next to Porta Catania (see location below). I recommend that you use it, if you come to Taormina by car. Therefore, I will list the main landmarks in Taormina in order, starting from Porta Catania.

Porta Catania

Porta Catania is an impressive city gate through which you enter the old city from the west, i.e. from the direction of Catania. The lively Corso Umberto street starts from here. The gate was built in 1440 during the Aragonese rule of the city.

Taormina Cathedral (Duomo di Taormina)

Less than 100 meters from Porta Catania is the Taormina Cathedral “San Nicolò of Bari” (Cattedrale di San Nicolò di Bari). Because of the large stones from which it is built, it resembles a fortress. It was built in the 13th century on the ruins of an old church dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari.

In front of the cathedral lies Cathedral Square, home to the beautiful Baroque fountain Fontana di Piazza Duomo, dating back to 1635. At its highest point stands a striking sculpture of a female Minotaur—half woman, half horse—which serves as the emblem of the city of Taormina.

Piazza IX Aprile

The next important stop is Piazza IX Aprile, one of the most beautiful squares in Taormina and a must visit place. As a rule of thumbs, wherever you go, the cathedral square is the most impressive, but here the rule has a charming exception. April 9, 1860, is considered a key moment in the history of Sicily. On this date, Giuseppe Garibaldi began his march from Marsala, Sicily, with a thousand volunteers (the “Red Shirts”) to liberate the island from the Bourbon Kingdom and join it to a united Italy.

The square offers an impressive panorama of the sea and the Etna volcano. It also houses the Baroque church of San Giuseppe (Chiesa di San Giuseppe), with its graceful, light facade and wide stairs.

Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II

This is another remarkable square in the center of Taormina. On one side of the square stands the Corvaja Palace (Palazzo Corvaja) – a building resembling a large fortress tower. It combines Arabic, Norman and Gothic elements. The street leads from the square to the Ancient Theater.

Ancient Theater (Teatro Antico di Taormina)

Among the most impressive sights to visit in Taormina is the Ancient Theater – a magnificent testimony to the ancient history of the city. It is the second largest theater in Sicily. It offers beautiful views of the sea and Mount Etna in all its splendor. To this day, concerts and performances are held here that carry the spirit of antiquity.

The theater was built during the Greek period in the third century BC for dramatic or musical performances. It was later expanded and transformed during Roman times to make room for games and gladiatorial battles. The theater is divided into several parts: stage, orchestra, and seating for the audience.

The entrance ticket costs 10 euros. You can buy it onsite, but I’d advise you to pic it up online here (with audio guide included) in order to skip the lines. You can buy it also from the official website.

Skip-the-Line Ticket & Audio Guide to the Ancient Theater

Porta Messina

This is the second medieval gate and is located at the other end of the main street, Corso Umberto.

And more

• The Municipal Park in Taormina (Villa Comunale) – if you have more time, you can take a walk in this beautiful city park.
• Castelmola – this is the village above Taormina, from which you can enjoy even more views of the sea and the entire area. The village has a wonderful old historic center. We visited it during our second visit to Taormina. Unfortunately, we were there at dusk, so our views were against a dark background.

Where is Taormina and how to get there

The city of Taormina is located on the island of Sicily, 53 km northeast of Catania and 261 km southeast of Palermo. In addition to driving, it can be reached by bus or train.

How to get to Taormina from Catania?

By car

The easiest and most convenient way to get there is by car. It will take you about an hour.

By train

Taormina’s train station is Taormina-Giardini. The train journey from Catania Central Station to Taormina takes about an hour and five minutes. From the station, you can walk to the center of Taormina in about 30 minutes or take the InterBus bus, which takes 10-15 minutes.

By bus

You can also take a bus from Catania to Taormina. There are buses every hour, operated by several companies. The fastest buses reach Taormina in about an hour, while others take almost two hours. Buses arrive at the bus station on Via Luigi Pirandello.

With an organized tour

This is also an option. Here are two interesting tours:

• From Catania: Taormina, Savoca and Castelmola with lunch
• From Catania: Day trip to Etna and Taormina with lunch

Where to park in Taormina

We used two parking lots. One is very large and is located near Porta Catania. Here is the location – Porta Catania parking lot. I recommend you to use it because it is more convenient and larger.

The other is smaller and is on the other side of the city, not far from Porta Messina. Here are the coordinates.

Where to stay in Taormina

Here are three budget accommodation options that offer great location.

Final thoughts

During our trip to Sicily, we often passed by Taormina and enjoyed it from afar. Right in the middle of our stay, we gave it the special attention it deserved. We really liked the long walk in the city – atmosphere, sights, delicious food. That’s why we decided to visit Taormina for the second time and we liked it again. Taormina is a place that will be remembered for a long time and you’ll want to return to again and again.