Sicily Travel-7 Things To Do In Taormina Italy

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A collection of photos and videos from our Sicily Travel adventure + 7 things to do in Taormina the jewel of the Mediterranean !

Goethe was right: ” to have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything “

Sicily Travel-7 Things to Do in Taormina

When we decided on going to Sicily this summer we really wanted to get away from it all. We were not after the fanciest hotels and resorts as after a while they all look pretty much the same. So much so that it doesn’t really make much difference if we go to Sicily or Miami.

We were after some adventure, we wanted to do Sicily the way Italians and Sicilians do Sicily. So we ventured across the mystery surrounded island, from Palermo to Catania, Messina and Taormina, to the top of a mountain where the wind and warm sea breeze would embrace us with its silence. The Sicilian silence you have to hear and feel in your soul … The beauty, the love, the pain, the sorrow, the perfection of imperfection, the peace, you can feel it all with one deep slow breath …

The first night We rested our heads in a charming little hotel in the center of Palermo, Hotel Ambasciatori ! Old wooden elevators, simple furniture, tall ceilings, spacious rooms, and a spectacular terrace view with a whiff of old Sicily all around it, the perfect setting for two lovebirds looking for shelter from the mid August pouring rains.

A walk to the Champagnerie for a late night pizza and drinks in front of the Teatro Massimo is the perfect way to intertwine your stay with the fabric of the Palermitane(I) lives.

Sicily Travel-7 Things to Do in TaorminaSicily Travel-7 Things to Do in Taormina

The next morning we were on a bus to Messina and a short train ride to Taormina. We took a cab up the mountain to Hotel Bel Soggiorno, an old Italian villa standing there since 1908. Gorgeous wrought iron veranda , our own terrace with breathtaking panoramic views of the sea and Mount Etna. Just what my soul was searching for.

Drying my hair and my clothes in the fresh morning sea breeze and enjoying endless meals of Sicilian tomatoes and freshly picked basil from outside our bedroom door, just a couple of lines off of my bucket list of things to do in Taormina !

Sicily Travel-7 Things to Do in TaorminaSicily Travel-7 Things to Do in TaorminaSicily Travel-7 Things to Do in Taormina

Sicily Travel-7 Things to Do in Taormina Italy

Here is my Sicily Travel list – have done them all!

7 Things to Do in Taormina Sicily

1. Eat Sicilian Cannoli, only the best will do at Roberto’s. Stuffed in front of your eyes with real fresh ricotta. While you are at it grab some real nougat to go.

Pasticceria Roberto: Via Calapitrulli, 9, Taormina Sicily, Italy

2. Have dinner at al Giardino Ristorante, a family run restaurant with simple but delicious Sicilian cuisine. Must ask for the ricotta fritters !
Via Bagnoli Croce, 84, Taormina Sicily, Italy

Sicily Travel-7 Things To Do In Taormina

3. Have Pizza at Santa Lucia Trattoria -Pizzeria on Via Cappuccini , 8 Taormina Sicily. A simple Sicilian pizza parlor where the locals go. Hidden on a side street away from your topical tourist trap this tiny restaurant is a hidden gem. Don’t expect anything fancy but at least a 30 minute wait, because this pizza is the real deal, the best pizza you’ll ever have in your life. This is the real deal kids !

Sicily Travel -7 Things to do in Taormina

4. Go to the Opera at the Teatro Antico Di Taormina. The ancient theater of Taormina from the Greek period, under the stars by the sea, an unmatched experience in an absolute picturesque location.

Sicily Travel- 7 Things to do in Taormina

5.Visit Castel Mola, rarely visited by non-Sicilians, this is a fascinating place with breathtaking views and so much history.

Sicily Travel- 7 Things to do in TaorminaSicily Travel- 7 Things to do in TaorminaSicily Travel- 7 Things to do in Taormina

6.Get your Italian custom handmade sandals by Luigi at Bottega Del Sandalo on Via Bagnoli Croce, 30 – Taormina. This one is for the ladies along with strolling up and down Corso Umberto, the Main Street in Taormina filled with shops and terraces.

7.Take the gondola from Taormina down to Massaro beach and Isola Bella ! A Thrilling ride especially if you’ve never taken the gondola before and enjoy pure beauty all around you! Time for IL DOLCE FAR NIENTE 🙂

Sicily Travel- 7 Things to do in TaorminaSicily Travel- 7 Things to do in Taormina

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75 Comments

  1. I’ve been to Italy several times (I used to live in Austria) but I’ve never been to Sicily! Your post has convinced me 🙂 I must go! Love the photos. They remind me of that soul-satisfying feeling you wrote about that travel experiences can bring. Thanks for sharing this 🙂

    1. aww thank you ! I love that dress too, it was a real steal in clearance a couple of years back and it has traveled with me from California to Kauai to Mexico, Italy and Romania. I have a hunch its gonna take a trip to El Salvador and Cuba soon haha

  2. That trip looks fantastic! I’m so so jealous right now 🙂 I’ve been to Milan and the Gelatos were to die for. Can’t wait to visit Sicily after your post.

  3. Ah man, I miss Italy. I’ve been all over, but you make me want to go back and enjoy the good eats. Awesome pics, thanks for sharing!

  4. What an amazing trip! I’ve always wanted to visit Italy, and if I do someday I will for sure refer back here to this post!