Photo John Menard from Phoenix, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Messina · Sicily
Things to see in Taormina
In Taormina the atlas lists 21 historic places: 8 archaeological sites, 5 museums, 3 fortresses and towers, 3 historic villas and palaces, 1 castle and 1 historic theatre.
For most of these places we don’t have verified opening hours yet: always check the official website before you go.
Don’t miss: Ancient theatre of Taormina, ancient Greek theatre.
- 21historic places
- 10,471inhabitants
- 204 maltitude
The town
Taormina (Sicilian: Taurmina) is a town in the province of Messina on the east coast of Sicily.
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 1 Servizio Turistico Regionale di Taormina (Ufficio informazioni turistico), is on Largo Santa Caterina (near Palazzo Corvaja), ☏ +39 0942 23243. Mon-Fri 08:30-14:30 & 15:30-19:00; also May-Nov: Sat 09:00-13:00 & 16:00-18:30.
The town service provider ASM (which runs the local buses, cable-car and parking lots) declared bankruptcy in 2011.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
21 places
Archaeological sites 8
Museums 5
Villas and palaces 3
Castles 1
.jpg){kind=link}
Historic theatres 1
Getting there
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 1 bus station, Via Luigi Pirandello. The Interbus from the airport runs via central Catania (80 min; fares approx €5 single, €8 return). Four buses a day run direct to Taormina from Messina (just under 2 hours, fares €4.30 single, €6.80 return).
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 2 Taormina-Giardini 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 3 Goethe's path, 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.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
What to see, according to Wikivoyage
Despite 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.
Teatro Antico (Teatro Greco). Ancient theatre of Grecian origin, but re-built in Roman brick in the 3rd century BCE. Piazza IX Aprile. A square with a balcony facing the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Etna. In the corner of the square stands the Torre dell'Orologio. Torre dell'Orologio/ Porta di Mezzo. A clock tower and gate to the southern part of Taormina. Palazzo Corvaja (Corvaja Palace). Medieval palace, dating from the 10th century, that was built by the Arabs when they ruled over Taormina. The main body is an Arabic tower. It has also an inner courtyard where the Arabic influence can be seen in the architecture. Odeon. 24h. Remains of a small theatre built by Romans in 21 BCE, visible from the surrounding streets. free. Parco Duca di Cesarò (Villa Comunale).
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage · Underlined names link to our own pages.