Taormina has been seducing travellers since antiquity, when Greek colonists chose this dramatic clifftop above the Ionian Sea for one of the ancient world's most spectacularly sited theatres. Centuries later, 19th-century Grand Tourists, artists and European aristocracy rediscovered the town, and their villas, gardens and grand hotels still line the winding streets beneath the shadow of Mount Etna. Today Taormina remains Sicily's most glamorous resort town, threading medieval alleys, Baroque churches and sweeping sea views into a single unforgettable hilltop panorama.
Part of Taormina's magic is the arrival itself, and travelling by rail along Sicily's dramatic eastern coastline is one of the most romantic ways to reach it. Guests travelling with the Orient Express La Dolce Vita experience Sicily as part of a wider Italian rail journey, arriving in style after rolling past vineyards, coastline and countryside in restored vintage carriages. It's an entrance befitting a town that has always drawn writers, film stars and royalty to its terraces.
Once in Taormina, days unfold slowly: espresso in a piazza overlooking the sea, a wander through the Teatro Antico, a swim below the cliffs at Isola Bella, and a long, unhurried dinner of Sicilian classics as the sun sets behind Etna. It is a destination built for lingering, and luxury rail travel is the perfect complement to its unhurried, indulgent pace.
- ✦Ancient Greek-Roman theatre with Etna views
- ✦Baroque Corso Umberto and Piazza IX Aprile
- ✦Isola Bella's turquoise nature reserve
- ✦Hilltop village of Castelmola nearby
- ✦Sicilian classics: pasta alla Norma and cannoli
- ✦Etna volcano excursions
- ✦Reached via Orient Express La Dolce Vita
Places to See in Taormina
Teatro Antico di Taormina
This 3rd-century BC Greek theatre, later enlarged by the Romans, is Taormina's defining landmark and one of the most beautifully situated ancient theatres in the world. Its stone seats frame a jaw-dropping backdrop of the sea and Mount Etna simultaneously, and it still hosts concerts and film festival events in summer.
Corso Umberto
Taormina's pedestrianised main street runs the length of the old town, lined with Baroque palazzi, boutiques, cafés and gelaterias. It's the town's social spine, connecting the Porta Messina and Porta Catania gates and passing landmarks like Piazza IX Aprile.
Piazza IX Aprile
A sweeping terrace-square off Corso Umberto with a checkerboard pavement and postcard views over the Bay of Naxos and Etna, flanked by the clock tower gate and the church of San Giuseppe.
Isola Bella
A small nature reserve island just offshore, connected to the mainland beach by a sandy isthmus. Its clear turquoise water and rocky coves make it one of Sicily's most photographed swimming spots, reachable from Taormina by cable car and a short walk down.
Giardini della Villa Comunale (Villa Trevelyan)
An English-style public garden created by Scottish-born Florence Trevelyan in the late 19th century, filled with exotic plants, quirky Victorian follies known as "beehives," and more spectacular sea views.
Duomo di Taormina (Cattedrale di San Nicolò)
A fortress-like medieval cathedral in the heart of town, fronted by a Baroque fountain topped with Taormina's centaur symbol.
Castelmola
A tiny hilltop village above Taormina, crowned by a ruined Saracen-Norman castle, with panoramic views stretching down the coast — best reached on foot or by a short taxi ride, with a stop at the historic Caffè San Giorgio or Bar Turrisi for a glass of local almond wine.
Naxos and Mount Etna excursions
Nearby Giardini Naxos marks the site of the first Greek colony in Sicily, while Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna, looms inland and is a popular half-day excursion for hiking, cable cars and lava-field jeep tours.
Food & Gastronomy
Sicilian cuisine is a crossroads of Greek, Arab, Norman and Spanish influences, and Taormina serves some of the island's finest expressions of it, from cliffside trattorias to Corso Umberto cafés.
- Pasta alla Norma — Catania's signature dish, found on nearly every Taormina menu: pasta with fried eggplant, tomato sauce, salted ricotta and basil.
- Granita con brioche — a Sicilian breakfast institution, semi-frozen fruit or almond granita served with a soft brioche bun for dipping, best enjoyed at a café terrace in the morning.
- Cannoli siciliani — crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta, often finished with pistachio or candied fruit.
- Arancini — golden fried rice balls stuffed with ragù, mozzarella or pistachio, a classic Sicilian street food snack.
- Pesce spada (swordfish) and fresh seafood — grilled or rolled into involtini, reflecting Taormina's Ionian coastline and active fishing tradition.
- Granita di mandorla and almond wine — Sicily's prized almonds appear in granita, pastries and the local almond liqueur served in Castelmola's historic bars.
- Sicilian wines — the volcanic soils of nearby Mount Etna produce increasingly celebrated Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco wines, widely poured in Taormina's restaurants.
- Pistachio of Bronte — Sicily's celebrated pistachio, grown on Etna's slopes, turns up in gelato, pesto and pastries across town.
Corso Umberto and the surrounding lanes are dotted with family-run trattorias, wine bars and pasticcerie, making Taormina an easy town to eat extremely well in without ever needing a reservation far in advance.
