Taormina

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Italy · Sicily · Ionian Coast

Taormina


A Greek theatre with Etna smoking behind it, a cliff-top town of lemon trees and baroque churches, and Sicily's most glamorous summer since long before the television cameras arrived.

When to go

April to October; July and August are hot and busy. May, June and September are ideal. Etna is skiable in winter, when the town is quiet and cheap.

Getting there

Catania Fontanarossa airport 50 minutes by private chauffeur; Palermo 3h. Helicopter transfers from Catania take 15 minutes.

What we arrange

Hotels and chalets, private transfers and helicopters, restaurant reservations, guides, events and everything in between — on one WhatsApp thread.

Where to stay

The three we would book first.

Every hotel here is one we know personally. Tell us your dates and we will come back with availability, the right room category and any partner benefits that apply.

San Domenico Palace, Four Seasons

15th-century convent · Icon

A former Dominican monastery on the cliff edge, restored by Four Seasons, with cloisters, Etna views and a great deal of recent fame.

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Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea

Beachfront · Mazzarò Bay

A 19th-century private villa on the beach below town, with a cable car connecting it to Belmond's Grand Hotel Timeo above.

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Grand Hotel Timeo, Belmond

1873 · Beside the Greek Theatre

Taormina's oldest hotel, literally next to the ancient theatre, with a terrace bar that has hosted everyone since D.H. Lawrence.

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Where to eat

Tables worth planning a day around.

Otto Geleng

Belmond Timeo's starred dining room on a terrace above the bay, named for the painter who put Taormina on the map.

1 Michelin star

Principe Cerami

The San Domenico Palace's fine-dining table, Sicilian produce with French technique and Etna in the window.

1 Michelin star

Bam Bar

Granita and brioche the way Sicilians actually eat breakfast — almond, pistachio or lemon, standing at the counter.

Insider table

Things to do

Beyond the obvious.

01

Teatro Antico di Taormina

The 3rd-century BC Greek theatre with Etna framed through the ruined stage — go at opening or for an evening concert.

02

Mount Etna by 4x4

Europe's most active volcano, up to the 2,900m craters with a volcanologist, finishing at an Etna DOC winery.

03

Isola Bella

The tiny nature-reserve island below town, reached on foot at low tide or by boat for a swim off the rocks.

04

Baroque Val di Noto

A day among the UNESCO-listed baroque towns of Noto, Modica and Ragusa, with chocolate at Modica and lunch at a starred table.

Insider note

Stay up in the town for the views and the theatre, or down at Mazzarò for the sea — the cable car links them in three minutes, so the choice is only about which you want on your doorstep.

Plan Taormina

Dates, travellers and what you need arranged in Taormina — we'll quote within one working day.

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