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 “
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.
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 !
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
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 !
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.
5.Visit Castel Mola, rarely visited by non-Sicilians, this is a fascinating place with breathtaking views and so much history.
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 🙂
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This is one of the places I wish I could travel to and take photos
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 🙂
awww Italy is a wonderful place to visit, but Sicily has a magic you’ll be carrying for years to come.
I would hop on a plane right now and go if I could! It looks so beautiful and I’m sure the food is amazing!
yes and yes, I hope you get a chance to go someday, Sicily will stay with you forever.
Oh my gosh girl, I am SO JEALOUS! It’s a dream of mine to go to Italy, Sicily especially. And I love that white dress!
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
What a beautiful location! Sounds like you had an amazing time!
Yes it was absolutely a scene out of a movie. Wish it lasted longer of course.
Yes it was absolutely a scene out of a movie. Wish it lasted longer of course.
Yes it was absolutely a scene out of a movie. Wish it lasted longer of course.
Sicily is on my bucket list, I can’t wait to go
Would love to visit Sicily one day! The pizza and ricotta shells sound delicious! Beautiful pictures, and looks like a wonderful vacation!
What a fantastic trip, I love all your adventures!
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.
Wow! You just put Italy on my bucket list! Love the pictures, especially the “toes”. Nothing says vacay than feet up in the air. 🙂
Sicily sounds and looks amazing! Thanks for sharing your trip with us! Yummy food too!
Oh, how I’d love to take this trip! Marvelous tips!!
I hope you do too 🙂
Florentina…wow..some of these photos look like they could be paintings..brilliant! I would LOVE to go to Sicily. My brother in law is from Italy, so all the Italy talk has always made me want to visit!
why Thank you, i’m flattered, IPHONE forever 😉 I really hope you go, it will change you, Sicily has a way to get in one’s soul.
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!
Derek, as you know the Cannoli alone are worth that flight 😉
Gahh gorgeous. I would so love to go some day.
Rome has been on my bucket list for many years. This will surely be of much help planning our trip for next year. Gorgeous!
Rome is cool except that airport is hell, but ” Sicily is the Clue to Everything ” 😉
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!
Of course you will !