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Taormina Beach and Sun
TAORMINA AREA, IN THE EAST SIDE OF THE SICILY ISLAND
Sicily’s most famous resort town, Taormina, was the 19th-century haunt of British aristocracy and the place chosen by D H Lawrence to write his erotic novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The town boasts what is surely the most photographed view in Sicily, across the beautiful ancient Greek amphitheatre to the sea with Mount Etna in the background. Taormina today remains Sicily’s favourite tourist haunt with its winding medieval streets and tiny passages hiding some great restaurants, cafes and ice-cream parlours, some hidden in secluded gardens and others in pleasant squares or terraces with sea views. It is a great place to shop, too, with thousands of boutiques selling crafts, fashion, jewellery, ceramics, mosaics and porcelain dolls. A popular beach is at Giardini-Naxos, a few miles away, and a funicular connects the old town to the coastal area of Mazzaro below. The stone walls of the old city, sited on a plateau, enclose some fascinating archaeological monuments and medieval palaces including the Palazzo Santo Stefano
Tour the ancient town of Taormina, the very essence of Sicily, with stunning views of the deep blue Mediterranean waters to the east and lofty Mt. Etna, Europe’s highest volcano, to the west. Walk through its stately Greek Theater, erected in the 2nd century B.C. and still used for dramatic performances. Visit the Cathedral of San Nicola, a harmonious blend of Gothic and Renaissance elements built between the 13th and 16th centuries. See Corvaia Palace, an ornate, Gothic-Catalan structure; the Odeon, a small Roman theater; and the Corso di Umberto, Taormina’s bustling shopping thoroughfare.
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