Taormina
An ancient theatre on a hill above the Ionian Sea, with Etna behind it
- When to go
- September 23° · 8 rainy days
- Per day
- €€€€€price 5 of 5
- How many days
- 1–2days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 40 km Reggio Calabria · 47 km Catania
- Right now
Taormina takes one to two days: the historic centre is a single pedestrian street, Corso Umberto, and the beaches lie below the town, 3 min away by cable car. From Catania airport a direct bus takes 80–90 min, and a third day fits Etna and the villages around.
The town sits on a hill about two hundred and fifty metres above the sea, and you reach it by bus from Catania airport: Interbus/Etna Trasporti bus, direct, no transfer, 80–90 min, a single ticket at €7. Inside, everything is on foot, because the Corso Umberto, the main axis of the old town, is closed to traffic, and the squares and churches hang off its sides.
The walk has a natural order. First the ancient theatre, which opens at nine; then the Corso Umberto as far as Piazza IX Aprile, with the Duomo close by, and the view from the terrace. In the afternoon you climb towards the castle, and in the evening you go down into the Villa Comunale, which in summer stays open until midnight. The free stops that dislike crowds belong to the same round: the Odeon and the Roman wall of the Naumachie.
The other half-day goes downhill: the cable car runs to Mazzarò, and from there Isola Bella is a short walk. The third day belongs to the surroundings — Castelmola, Savoca and Etna, covered in the day trips. Summer is hot and packed; April to June and September to October are better.
Guides for Taormina
Shorter, practical pages for one concrete question each — how many days, how much money, where to sleep, where to escape the city.
Taormina in 2 days
→The first day is on foot through the old town, the second goes down to the sea, and Etna is left for a third.
Day trips from Taormina
→Castelmola is fifteen minutes by bus, Savoca an hour, and Etna needs a whole day and organised transport.
The best time to visit Taormina
→Spring and early autumn suit Taormina; summer is hot and packed, and in winter some stops shorten or close.
Beaches in Taormina
→Mazzarò by cable car, Isola Bella on foot from there, Spisone further along the coast — and all three are pebbly or…
What to see in Taormina
The ancient theatre
A Greek theatre the Romans reworked; after the second-century enlargement it measures about 109 metres across, the second largest on Sicily. Entry is €14, open daily 9–19.45 (last entry 19.00), no booking. From the upper rows you see Etna.
€14
Isola Bella
A small islet in the bay below the town, a nature reserve you enter for €6; hours: summer 9–19.45 (ticket office until 19.00); closed to visitors in Nov–Dec. On the first Sunday of the month entry is free, and in November and December it is closed to visitors.
€6 · closed November and December
The cable car to Mazzarò
It runs from the town to the beaches in 3 min; a single ride costs €8. Hours: summer 8.00–1.30, winter 8.00–20.00, every 15 min. It opened in 1992 and in summer runs past midnight.
€8 · 3 min
Castello di Taormina
A castle on Monte Tauro, about a hundred and fifty metres above the town, with Arab roots. Entry is €10; hours: daily 10.00–19.30 (May–Oct); shorter outside season. The climb is steep, so go in the cool of the day.
€10
The Duomo
The Cathedral of St Nicholas on the square of the same name, open 9.00–20.00, entry free. You can drop in without a plan.
free
Piazza IX Aprile
A terrace in the middle of the Corso Umberto looking over the sea and the coast, free and open at any hour. The Duomo is a short step from here.
free
Ready for Taormina?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Taormina — day trips or weekends.
Italy
→The cities on the high-speed line are an hour or two apart; the coast, Matera and the Tuscan hills lie off it
France
→From Paris the TGV reaches Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg in about two hours — France is chosen by direction, not by city
Spain
→A country where dinner is at ten and the city wakes up as everywhere else turns the lights off
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