3 Days in Taormina, Sicily – Italy

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For two hours we’d driven through a mix of quiet farm roads lined with fruit trees and weathering Sicilian cities with narrow streets. It was the sudden gain in elevation up a cliff with mountain views to my left and the turquoise ocean to my right when I knew this little seaside village would be stunning.

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My trip to Taormina had began over 6 months earlier with a text to an old college friend expressing my interest in visiting her in Madrid this year. She’d replied immediately saying she’d love to have me and that another friend was ours was already planning a trip and we could all sync up. The planning began. We’d spend a couple days exploring Madrid and a few days somewhere else. Ultimately this coastal Sicilian city built into a cliff-side and rich in history was our choice.

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Travel

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We flew RyanAir from Madrid, Spain to Catania, Sicily. Then flew Alitalia from Catania back to Madrid. I’ll share the U.S. travel (& crazy good deal I found!) on my Madrid post. A couple of things to note about the airlines we used:

• – European airlines are CHEAP. The U.S. needs to take notes. I paid $38.22 for a one way ticket. Thirty. Eight. Dollars.
• – Both airlines claimed to have VERY strict bag policies but my slightly too long, too heavy pack fit fine on both flights with no complaints from airline staff
• – RyanAir did reroute us to a different city a couple days before our trip resulting in an extra bus ride of 1.5 hours. But again my flight was $38.22 so it was fine.
• – Spain and Italy are in the Schengen Area, so it was very easy to travel between the two.

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Transportation

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We used buses to/from the airport to the bus stop in Taormina, a taxi from the bus stop to our Airbnb, and then our own two feet for the entirety of our stay. And with a village built into a cliff – we got some serious steps.

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Accommodations

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My friends found an adorable, affordable Airbnb with an incredibly cute patio and city view.

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The apartment was walking distance to everything we needed, very secure (literally took us a few minutes to unbolt and rebolt doors), and a perfect size for 3 people. One of us slept on the pull out couch in the living room and the other 2 shared the queen bed in the one bedroom. The view alone made it worth it!

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Things To Do

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Confession? Prior to this trip, I’d never heard of Taormina. My friends had started the planning before I was certain I could join (due to the last minute duty station and move this winter I had no idea what airport to fly out of). They suggested this city once I’d finally purchased a ticket to Europe. One Google search and a bit of research – I was in love.

The town has been a tourist destination since the 19th century known for its beaches, an ancient Greek theatre, and situated just 45 minutes away from Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna.

It was cloudy and high 50’s / low 60’s for the majority of our trip, so we ended up not going to Mount Etna. However, the weather didn’t stop us from enjoying the beaches or any other highlights.

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Teatro antico di Taormina

The ancient theatre of Taormina is a Greek theatre built in the third century BC, and rebuilt by the Romans at a later date. It’s a stunning piece of history, still amazingly intact (although restored). We spent a couple hours exploring the theatre, taking in the views from its hilltop, and exploring the paths around it.

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Isola Bella

A small island connecting by a narrow strip of sand to Taormina’s main beach.

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Madonna della Rocca

The Madonna della Rocca (the church built on a rock) sits above Taormina and the little hike up the hillside provides gorgeous views of the city, beach, and theatre below.

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Castelmola

A beautiful little village atop a rock up a windy, steep, sometimes treacherous trail from Taormina. I hiked it in Chacos (more on these wonderfully practical, beastly looking shoes later), but I was struggling at various points. We stopped a handful of times for water breaks, but ultimately made it in about an hour. A taxi up to the village is 15 euros, but if you have the shoes and the lung capacity, hike it slow for the views along the way.

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The village itself is a beautiful, quirky little spot with the crumbling walls of a medieval castle as its main tourist attraction. Narrow, windy streets through the village are lined with adorable shops, restaurants, and residential homes. Castelmola also had a strange affinity for…uhm…phallic objects. According to a shop keeper I chatted with, they bring prosperity and good luck to females.

I did a bit of research about these ceramic heads we saw every where in Taormina and Castelmola, and found an interesting (re: horrifying) legend about them.

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Corso Umberto

The main street of shops and restaurants is a focal point in Taormina. It’s a bit touristy, but great for finding gifts or grabbing a drink or desert and enjoying the view (or people watching).

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Eat / Drink

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The food and drinks in Taormina were all superb. Some observations from my brief visit:

• – Sicilians love their carbs, or at least the restaurants love to provide carbs. Croissants for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch. Pasta for dinner. I was not complaining.
• – Aperitifs are amazing. I could sustain on Aperol Spritz cocktails.
• – And when I say sustain, I mean it literally. With every drink we ordered, the restaurants bring snacks FOR FREE. Peanuts. Chips. Vegetables with dipping sauces. Bruschetta. Seasoned mixes of nuts I couldn’t identify. It was a whole appetizer (or mini meal) for the price of your cocktail.
• – Coffee and wine in Europe tastes better than any/all coffee and wine in the States. It’s just a fact.

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My absolute favorite restaurant in Taormina was Caffe Solaris. Amazing pasta dishes. Affordable prices. A charming little family-owned restaurant away from the main tourist area. We ate dinner here TWICE because it was so lovely. Get the spaghetti carbonara.

Other favorites included:

• – C&G Cioccolato e Gelato for breakfast and/or dessert
• – Bam Bar for drinks and Granita
• – Trattoria Don Ciccio for pasta/seafood

We chose the majority of spots for breakfast/lunch/drinks on a whim. I can’t find or locate the name of the adorable little deli that made the unreal sandwiches for our hike. Or the beach side convenience store where the guy working not only recommend a bottle of wine, but opened it, and provided us cups to drink it down on the beach.

It happens like that with travel. A moment occurs, so perfectly aligned, it feels as though you’re the luckiest person in the world to have came across this person or place. A part of me wonders if those select moments are supposed to remain a hidden gem. Somewhere you don’t announce to the world.

What I can say about Taormina’s food and drink is you won’t be disappointed, regardless of wherever you stumble upon for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or or happy hour.

All in all

My trip to Taormina was one for the books. It was my first time in Italy and I couldn’t have had a better impression. Stunning views. Charming streets. Welcoming people. Fantastic food. As I look through these photos and reminisce on my time spent there, I’m also reminded of the deep conversations, the constant laughter, and the enduring friendship of women I don’t get to see near often enough.

Travel is such a gift, but so is traveling with good company. I hope to never take either for granted. I hope new places with old friends (or with the same old love of my life) is a persistent recurrence til the end of my days. I hope life changes never deter me from seeing more of the world with people I love. And I hope the memories from this trip stay with me always.

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Arrivederci, Italia!