Taormina Travel Guide
Weather, best time to visit, and the best food, culture, nature and activities.
Typical prices
- Budget meal€18.00≈ $20.56
- Mid-range meal€45.00≈ $51.39
- Cappuccino€2.00≈ $2.28
- Domestic beer€6.00≈ $6.85
- Taxi (per km)€2.00≈ $2.28
- Public transport ticket€1.90≈ $2.17
- Museum entry€10.00≈ $11.42
- Mid-range hotel (night)€180.00≈ $205.58
Food & Drink
- Trattoria da NinoSicilian · $$
A long-running family trattoria serving Sicilian classics like pasta alla Norma and fresh swordfish just off Corso Umberto.
- Osteria RossoDiSeraSicilian seafood · $$$
A softly lit osteria known for its seafood tasting menus and views toward Mount Etna from its terrace.
- Bam BarSicilian dessert · $
A local institution for granita and brioche col tuppo, Taormina's classic summer breakfast.
- Ristorante La GiaraSicilian · $$$$
An elegant dining room and terrace built into the old town's stone architecture, known for its Sicilian tasting menus.
- Wunderbar Caffè
A historic Corso Umberto café-bar that has hosted celebrities since the 1950s, with tables overlooking the piazza.
- Morgana Lounge Bar
A candlelit garden cocktail bar tucked behind Corso Umberto, popular for late evening drinks.
Culture & History
- Teatro Antico di Taormina (Greek Theatre)
A 3rd-century BC Greek theatre rebuilt by the Romans, famous for framing Mount Etna in its stage backdrop and still used for summer concerts.
- Palazzo Corvaja
A 14th-century palace combining Arab, Norman, and Gothic architecture, once home to Sicily's first parliament.
- Taormina Film Fest
An international film festival held in the ancient Greek Theatre, drawing major actors and directors each summer.
Nature & Outdoors
- Isola Bella
A small nature reserve island connected to the mainland by a sand spit, with clear water for swimming and snorkeling, reached via cable car from town.
- Spiaggia di Mazzarò
A pebble beach beneath Taormina reachable by cable car, with beach clubs renting loungers over turquoise water.
- Giardini Naxos
A long sandy beach in the bay below Taormina, site of the first Greek colony in Sicily.
- Mount Etna
Europe's tallest active volcano, offering guided hikes to craters and cable car access from Rifugio Sapienza.