Taormina

Taormina (Sicilian: Taurmina) is a town in the province of Messina on the east coast of Sicily.

Understand
Taormina is a charming hillside town and is one of Sicily's most popular tourist resorts. It can get very hot and busy during July and August, but the crowds melt away in the evenings. Early summer and autumn are ideal times to visit.

The TIC

The town service provider ASM (which runs the local buses, cable-car and parking lots) declared bankruptcy in 2011. The regular administration of the company was restored in 2021, after 10 years during which operations were supported by the municipality.

Orientation
The main town of Taormina, which is what you've come to see, straggles along a hillside, 2 km up a hairpin road from the coast. The main access road is Via Luigi Pirandello (SP10), which leads to the bus station and Porta Messina at the east end of town. The pedestrianised high street Corso Umberto I stretches from here to Porta Messina at the west end. Bypass roads above and below carry the town traffic, while unseen and unheard deep beneath, the Messina-Catania Autostrada burrows through the mountain.

Above the main town, Via Leonardo da Vinci (SP10) continues to zigzag upwards, to Sanctuario Madonna della Rocca and the castle. And on it climbs, to end at the hilltop village of Castelmola. This is a separate township but it's such a tiny place, reached only by this road, that its facilities (such as they are) are described on this page.

The name "Taormina" is also loosely applied to the strip along the coast road SS114 below, notably to the railway station Taormina-Giardini-Naxos. Taormina town limits include the beach area of Mazzaro at the foot of the cable-car, and the tip of the peninsula where Via Pirandello starts its climb. Most package tourists stay down there, or in nearby resorts such as Giardini Naxos and Letojanni. Hoteliers down on the coast invoke the T-word to boost their prices, but for practical purposes - and considering the feel and identity of the place - they're altogether somewhere else. Stay in Taormina itself if you can.

By plane
The nearest airport is Catania-Fontanarossa. Interbus runs a direct bus between the airport and Taormina, roughly hourly 07:00-20:00. The journey takes about 90 min, fare €8.20 (€7.50 if bought online)

By bus
Bus is the best public transport option, as this will bring you up the hill to the town centre

By train
There are trains roughly hourly from Messina to the north and Catania to the south, both taking just under an hour. The problem is that the railway station is down on the seafront, a steep 2 km below the main town along a hair-pinning, busy road. You'd have to transfer to the ASM bus or Interbus: the station is equally far from the cable-car. Alternatively, city is also reachable using, which is a short but steep (200m elevation) trail that leads to the city. There are some unpaved sections, good walking shoes are recommended.

By car
The exit from the Autostrada is just north of town. Follow road signs onto V Garipoli, which climbs to the long-stay parking lot of Parcheggio Lumbi, a five-minute uphill walk to the east gate of Porta Messina. Ascending V Pirandello from the coast road comes to the same place. There is a free shuttle bus (as of June 2018) from the car park into town. Parking costs €2 for 1½ hours, €8 for 3 hours, €16 for 24 hours, €25 for 48 hours and €6 for each additional 24 hours (Oct 2019).

Or, from the Giardini area further south on the coast road, you can ascend V Crocefisso, leading to the other long-stay lot Parcheggio Porta Catania just below the west gate of Porta Catania. €2 for 1 hour, €7 for 3 hours, €12 for 12 hours, €15 for 24 hours, €1-2 more in Jul, Aug, Easter and Christmas (Oct 2019).

If your accommodation is outside the pedestrianised area, you may drive on to reach it, by the anti-clockwise one-way system. (Miss your turn-off and you'll have to make another 3-km circuit.) If it's within, ring ahead for advice: it may be okay for you to come to the hotel and drop off, otherwise park in the closest long-stay and schlep. Parking tariffs are about 50 cents per hour up to 48 hours, thereafter €6 a day.

Cruise ships occasionally moor offshore or at nearby ports, and bus their customers up to Taormina. But these are tour itineraries, and not available to book for point-to-point travel.

On foot
Most of the centre of Taormina is pedestrianised, making it easy to wander around by foot.

By bus
ASM runs four local bus lines:


 * Linea verde (the "Green Line") runs between Madonna della Rocca next to the castle at the top of town; down through the centre, main bus station, and Lumbi car park; on down to the foot of the cable-car at Mazzaro; then south along the coast past the railway station, then a final turn uphill to St Vincent's Hospital. There are 8 services on Sundays but only four the rest of the week.
 * Trappitello runs from central Taormina past Lumbi car park to the coast road and railway station, then south to the village of Trappitello. Five times a day M-F.
 * Circolare rossa (the "Red Circle") loops round town centre and Lumbi car park. Roughly hourly Sunday, no mid-morning or afternoon buses midweek.
 * Beachbus runs from central Taormina down to the coast, then north to Mazzeo, a short walk from Letojanni. Seven per day.

See
Despite of its relatively small size the town is rich in history. The city provides the 'Taormina Cult' tour highlighting the famous sites and stories of the city's residents and visitors. There are 21 informational plaques in both Italian and English around the city. The first of the 21 stops is the Hotel Grand Excelsior, but it does not appear that there's an intended order. On the coast at the foot of town adjacent to Giardini Naxos:

Do

 * Wander up and down the main street - Corso Umberto I taking in the sights
 * Walk down from Castelmola village to Taormina (or vice versa if you're fit). This path is in decent condition, unlike the path between Taormina and the railway station, which remains unsafe.

Buy

 * There are plenty of souvenir shops.

Castelmola
Castelmola is a village 5km above Taormina. It's built around the ruins of a Norman castle, which used to be the citadel of Taormina. The Interbus takes 15 min, leaving Taormina M-F at 09:40, 10:40, then every 2 hr until 18:40, Sundays less frequently. You can also walk up the footpath, it's safe (October 2022), unlike the path from Taormina down to the coast.


 * Eat: options include Ristorante Parco Reale, Pier de Cat Bistro, Gallo Cedrone and Taverna dell'Etna.
 * Drink: bars include Cosmopolitan Bar D'Allura Giuseppe, and the one everyone's heard about:
 * Sleep: accommodation, all along the road up from Taormina, includes Villa Pace B&B, Hotel Villa Sonia, Villa Regina, and B&B Casa Bellavista. There are several other small B&Bs.

Go next

 * Giardini Naxos - a popular resort just below Taormina. Enjoy its beaches, hike along the Alcantara and see its gorge.
 * Mount Etna - Plenty of agencies offer day trips there, or with your own car you could reach either the Sapienza or Provenzana base stations. To walk to the summit, you must have a guide, warm clothing and stout footwear, clear weather, and a volcano that isn't erupting (which it does quite often).
 * Catania is the regional transport hub, so you'll probably have to pass through it; it's worth a day to explore.
 * The main attractions further south are Syracuse, Ragusa and Modica
 * To reach the north coast, the quickest way is to blat along the autostrada A18. A more attractive route SS185 winds through the hills, with views back over Etna, and through the picturesque medieval town of Novara di Sicilia overlooking ancient Tyndaris and Abacaenum. From the coast either turn west for Palermo, or go a little way north to Milazzo the port for the Aeolian Islands, or turn east to the ferry port of Messina.