Taormina Holidays

Cary Grant and Greta Garbo used to be regular visitors to Taormina, on Sicily’s east coast. And today this charismatic resort still attracts a glamorous crowd with its Medieval old quarter, elegant piazzas and hold-your-breath views of Mount Etna. There’s also a well-kept Greek amphitheatre, designer shops and some of the best pasta in this part of Italy.

Taormina sits on top of a hill, so a cable car from Via Pirandello takes you down to the beaches. The most popular is Mazzaro, a pebbly strip with a well-equipped lido where you can rent beach umbrellas, chairs and watersports kit. There’s also a small, sandy beach next door, in the Bay of Spisone, that’s a big hit with the locals.

Marking the start of Taormina’s Medieval quarter is the Porta di Mezzo, or clocktower – a favourite landmark of street artists here. The area's a great place to wander, with its winding streets, Baroque fountain and 15th-century cathedral. Between antique shops and boutiques there’s also the shaded Villa Comunale – thought to be one of Sicily’s most beautiful parks.

In Taormina, you’ve got one of Europe’s most jaw-dropping volcanoes on your doorstep. The hour’s journey to get there takes in the postcard–pretty village of Castiglione di Sicilia, as well as the Alcantara Gorges waterfall – formed from an old lava eruption. And when you arrive at Etna, there’s the walk through the national park up to the volcano’s craters to look forward to.