Taormina, Italy

Taormina is a tourist resort high above the Mediterranean sea surrounded by 2 sweeping bays and facing Mount Etna on the northern side. Etna is Europe’s highest active volcano, often snow capped, giving visitors a memorable, dramatic and breathtaking view over the Med. In recent and past history Taormina has always been a popular tourist resort. Visited by Romans, Normans, Saracens, Arabs and Greeks to name a few - all choosing it as their residential site. At 210 meters above sea level, Taormina has an immensely appealing coastline full of grottoes, picturesque bays, sandy or pebbled beaches and rocky coves. All of these are easily reached by cable care or the shuttle bus services provided by the towns hotels.

The resort has an extremely mild climate and is very popular to this day. Visitors can find examples of Taormina’s golden era - the Greek Theatre, the Cathedral of St Nicola from the 13th Century, the Palazzo Corvaja from the 14th Century, there’s also the Roman Naumachiae and the 16th century Dukes Palace of St Stefano.

In Victorian times the contemporary photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden made the resort fashionable in Parisian art galleries and conservative cultural clubs in Europe with artistic portraits of nude shepherd boys around Mount Etna. Since then Taormina has been the hideaway of celebrities such as DH Lawrence, Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, Anatole France, Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms to name but a few.

World renown Sicilian cuisine is well catered for in the towns trattorias, pizzerias, restaurants and pubs. A wide variety of budget and taste is catered for.

Recently Taormina became the playground of Francis Ford Coppola, Ingmar Bergmann, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Woody Allen and even Elizabeth Taylor. The attractions bringing them include relaxing walks through the old town, Greek theatre, painting exhibitions in the local churches and palazzo, shopping in the famous Corso Umberto with it’s cafes with classical music and pastry shops. Golf is a big favourite with a well maintained 18 hole green. Superb sandy beaches and mild Mediterranean climate for nearly 8 months per year allows practice of all water sports such as sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving or even professional sunbathing.