Taormina travel guide
A Greek theatre facing Etna, Corso Umberto and the cable car to Isola Bella
A hillside resort on Sicily's east coast with a Greek theatre framing Mount Etna and beaches reached by cable car. Go April to June or September to October, avoiding the July and August crush; two or three nights is ideal. Taormina is pricey, and many nationalities visit visa-free.
Taormina hangs on a terrace of Monte Tauro above Sicily's east coast, roughly halfway between Messina and Catania, with Mount Etna filling the view to the south-west. It has drawn foreign visitors since the 19th century. In high summer it is one of the busiest resorts on the island.
The Teatro Antico is the first stop. Greek in origin and rebuilt by the Romans, it keeps much of its stage wall, and through the gaps you see the coast and Etna. Arrive at opening time to have the upper tiers nearly to yourself. In summer the theatre hosts concerts and the Taormina Film Fest.
Corso Umberto I runs the length of town from Porta Messina to Porta Catania. Halfway along it opens onto Piazza IX Aprile, a balcony over the sea with Etna on the horizon and the Torre dell'Orologio gate at one corner. Palazzo Corvaja, near the Messina end, wraps a courtyard around an Arab-era tower.
Down at sea level, the cable car drops from the edge of town to Mazzarò every 15 minutes, running into the evening and later still in summer. A short walk south brings you to Isola Bella, a tiny island joined to the beach by a strip of shingle and protected as a nature reserve. Beaches here are pebbly and small; Giardini Naxos, further south, has longer stretches.
For the best view of all, walk up to Castelmola, the village on the crag above town. That path is in decent shape. The old path down to the railway station is steep and partly unpaved, so take a bus up from the coast with luggage. Below Corso Umberto, the Parco Duca di Cesarò, a terraced garden with quirky follies, makes a shady escape at midday.
Start the day the Sicilian way with a granita and a soft brioche. Judge restaurants by the food rather than the terrace, as some places with the finest views of the bay serve the weakest meals. Busy as the days are, the crowds thin in the evening once tour coaches head back down the hill.
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Top things to do in Taormina
A Greek theatre, a long pedestrian main street and beaches below, with Etna and hill villages for day trips.
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Best time to visit Taormina
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Pleasant for walking the hill town and swimming at Isola Bella.
Very hot and crowded by day; evenings are calmer and the theatre hosts concerts and films.
Mild for Sicily and quiet, with the town to yourself, though the sea is too cool for most swimmers.
The Taormina Film Fest takes over the Teatro Antico in summer, so check dates if you want to visit the theatre by day.
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Getting there
Interbus from Catania airport
Catania-Fontanarossa is the airport to use, and the bus is the best public option because it climbs all the way to the town bus station on Via Luigi Pirandello. Interbus and Etna Trasporti run direct coaches from the airport through the day, and Interbus also links Taormina with central Catania and with Messina. Trains are the weak link: Taormina-Giardini station is down on the seafront, 2 km below town along a busy hairpin road, so you need a bus up anyway. Drivers leave the motorway just north of town and climb to the Lumbi car park; from Giardini to the south, Via Crocefisso leads to the Porta Catania car park instead.
- Coach from Catania airport
- About 85 to 90 minutes, frequent in summer, fewer runs in winter
- Interbus from central Catania
- About 80 minutes
- Train from Catania or Messina
- Under an hour to Taormina-Giardini
- Bus from Messina
- Interbus, slower than the train
- Lumbi car park
- About five minutes' walk up to Porta Messina
- Goethe's path climbs about 200 m from near the station to town; it is short but steep with unpaved sections, so skip it with luggage.
- A shuttle has run from the Lumbi car park into town; ask at the car park.
Where to stay
Corso Umberto, Mazzarò or Giardini Naxos
Staying up in the old town lets you enjoy the evenings after the day crowds go home, with everything on foot. Mazzarò and the coast below suit a beach holiday, with the cable car for trips up the hill. Giardini Naxos, further south, has a longer beach and more modest prices, and Castelmola above town is the quiet option.
- Corso Umberto and old town
- Car-free and central, crowded by day
- Mazzarò
- Beach hotels at the bottom of the cable car
- Giardini Naxos
- Longer beach and cheaper rooms, bus up the hill
- Castelmola
- Quiet village above Taormina with wide views
Getting around
On foot, cable car and ASM buses
Most of central Taormina is pedestrianised, so you will walk everywhere along Corso Umberto I and the lanes off it. The cable car is the quick link to the sea, dropping from the edge of town to Mazzarò on the beach every 15 minutes from 08:00, with longer hours in summer. ASM runs a handful of local bus lines linking the castle and the centre with the Lumbi car park, Mazzarò and the railway station, plus a summer beach line from the station north to Letojanni. Timetables are thin outside peak hours, so check them first.
- Cable car
- Town centre to Mazzarò beach every 15 minutes
- ASM town buses
- Castle, centre, Lumbi car park, Mazzarò and the station
- Summer beach bus
- Railway station north to Letojanni
- Trappitello line
- Centre, station and Trappitello village, a few runs a day
- Walk the decent path between Taormina and Castelmola rather than the rough one down to the station.
Know before you go
What makes Taormina worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Teatro Antico at opening time, with Etna framed by the ruined stage wall.
- Piazza IX Aprile, the terrace on Corso Umberto that looks over the sea.
- Isola Bella, a tiny island reserve reached across a strip of shingle.
- The walk to Castelmola for a view over Taormina and the coast.
- The Parco Duca di Cesarò, shady terraces and follies above the sea.
Good to know
- July and August are hot and packed, though the crowds melt away in the evening.
- Avoid walking up from the station with luggage; take the bus.
- Local buses are sparse on weekdays outside peak times, so check timetables.
- Long-stay parking is at Lumbi and Porta Catania; the centre is closed to most cars.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Taormina, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Taormina are being researched.
Teatro Antico at opening time, Castelmola next morning
Two days in Taormina starts at the Teatro Antico at opening time for the view of Etna, then Corso Umberto, Palazzo Corvaja and Piazza IX Aprile, with an afternoon swim at Isola Bella via the cable car to Mazzarò. On day two, walk up to Castelmola in the morning and take an Etna tour after lunch.
Be at the Teatro Antico when it opens, before the tour groups, and climb to the upper tiers for Etna framed by the ruined stage wall. Then walk Corso Umberto from Porta Messina, stopping at Palazzo Corvaja and its Arab-era tower and at Piazza IX Aprile for the view over the sea. Pass under the Torre dell'Orologio and have a granita on the way.
In the afternoon take the cable car down to Mazzarò and walk to Isola Bella for a swim. Ride back up and rest in the Parco Duca di Cesarò before dinner in town.
On day two, walk up to Castelmola in the cool of the morning for the widest view of the coast. After lunch, join a tour to Etna or its wine estates, or a drive to the villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agrò. End with an evening stroll along the Corso once the day visitors have left.
Granita, arancini and terraces over Naxos bay
Start the day in Taormina like a Sicilian, with an almond, lemon or coffee granita and a soft brioche. Arancini make an easy lunch between sights. Restaurants are plentiful and quality varies, and the best views of Naxos bay often come with the weakest meals. Fish is best at Mazzarò and Giardini Naxos.
Eat like a Sicilian and start the day with a granita, almond, lemon or coffee, scooped up with a soft brioche. Street snacks such as arancini, fried rice balls with a ragu or cheese filling, make an easy lunch between sights.
Taormina has more restaurants than its size suggests, and quality varies. Judge a place by its food: some spots with the best views of Naxos bay and Etna serve the weakest meals.
Casa Giolì, opposite Piazza Duomo, focuses on Sicilian cooking at high prices. Al Giardino on Via Bagnoli Croci, near the public gardens, is liked for its food and friendly service. For gelato, Gelatomania on Corso Umberto serves big portions and dairy-free flavours. On the coast, fish restaurants at Mazzarò and Giardini Naxos are worth the trip down.
Almonds turn up in most Sicilian sweets, and the pastry shops along the Corso sell soft pasta di mandorla biscuits by weight, a better souvenir than anything in the ceramics shops.
Etna tours, the Castelmola footpath and the Godfather villages
Mount Etna is the classic day trip from Taormina, by agency tour up the volcano or along the Etna wine road. Castelmola needs no tour, since a footpath climbs to it from town. Savoca and Forza d'Agrò, used as locations in The Godfather, lie to the north, and trains reach Catania and Messina in under an hour.
Mount Etna dominates every view from Taormina, and the volcano and its vineyards are the classic excursion. Local agencies run tours up the mountain and along the Etna wine road, where estates grow grapes on black volcanic soil.
Castelmola, on the crag directly above Taormina, needs no tour at all: a footpath links the two, and the view from the top takes in the whole coast. Coming down is easier than going up.
North of town, the hill villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agrò were used as locations in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. One local outfit runs self-drive and guided tours to them in vintage Fiat 500s.
For the beach, Giardini Naxos to the south has the longest stretch of sand nearby, while a summer ASM bus runs north from the railway station to Letojanni. Trains along the coast reach Catania and Messina in under an hour.
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How we research our Taormina travel guide
Bus links, Etna access and the Teatro Antico's hours are rechecked when they change. Taormina details follow the Comune di Taormina website and Italia.it.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Taormina.
Getting there
Interbus and Etna Trasporti run direct coaches through the day, more often in summer than in winter. The trip takes about 90 minutes and ends at the bus terminal on Via Pirandello.
About 2 km down on the coast. Trains from Catania and Messina take under an hour, then you need a bus up.
General
Nearly. It drops you at Mazzarò beach every 15 minutes, and Isola Bella is a short walk south along the shore.
Either works for long stays; Lumbi, near Porta Messina, is on the ASM town bus route. The centre is largely pedestrianised.
April to June and September to October. July and August are hot and crowded, though evenings are calmer.
Yes, clearly from the Teatro Antico and Piazza IX Aprile on a clear day.
Steep paths lead down, but the cable car or a bus is far easier, especially on the way back up. The Corso itself is pedestrianised and level.
Yes, a path climbs from town to the village; it is in decent condition but steep.
Not comfortably in one day. Give Etna and its wine estates a day, and the Godfather villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agrò a half day with a car or tour.
Yes. Two or three nights lets you see the theatre and town, spend time at the beach and add an Etna trip.
Most of central Taormina is pedestrianised, so you will walk everywhere along Corso Umberto I and the lanes off it. The cable car is the quick link to the sea, dropping from the edge of town to Mazzarò on the beach every 15 minutes from 08:00, with longer hours in summer. ASM runs a handful of local bus lines linking the castle and the centre with the Lumbi car park, Mazzarò and the railway station, plus a summer beach line from the station north to Letojanni.
Taormina is best known for:
- The Teatro Antico at opening time, with Etna framed by the ruined stage wall
- Piazza IX Aprile, the terrace on Corso Umberto that looks over the sea
- Isola Bella, a tiny island reserve reached across a strip of shingle
- The walk to Castelmola for a view over Taormina and the coast
- The Parco Duca di Cesarò, shady terraces and follies above the sea
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Taormina is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Warm enough to swim from late spring, without the heat and crowds of July and August.
- Best overall: April - June, September - October (Pleasant for walking the hill town and swimming at Isola Bella)
- Summer: July - August (Very hot and crowded by day; evenings are calmer and the theatre hosts concerts and films)
- Winter: November - March (Mild for Sicily and quiet, with the town to yourself, though the sea is too cool for most swimmers)
Visa & documents
Schengen rules apply in Italy. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Violent crime against visitors to Italy is rare. Pickpocketing is the main problem, especially on buses and metros in Rome (bus 64 is notorious), at Roman and Florentine sights, and at Termini and Naples Centrale stations. Wear your bag across your body and zip it, and use only licensed white taxis or official ride apps.
