Taormina

Located on Monte Tauro, on Sicily’s Ionian coast, Taormina is a hilltop town that is known for its Greek ruins, designer stores and sweeping views of Mount Etna. With roots going back as far as 358 BC, when it was originally founded as Tauromenion and Sicilian settlers opened the town to survivors from the Greek colony of Naxos, Taormina has since been influenced by the Roman, the Byzantines, Arabs and Normans. Commonly referred to as the ‘pearl of the Ionian Sea,’ Taormina has long been favoured by charterers over the years. One of the town’s most defining landmarks is the Teatro Antico, a Hellenistic theatre carved right into the rock in the third century BC. An active site for concerts and festivals to this day, the stage is surrounded by Etna, the Bay of Naxos and the Calabrian coast in the distance. Another key site is the islet of Isola Bella, a protected nature reserve connected to the shore by a slender pebble spit that offers exceptional swimming and snorkelling. Ideal for exploration on foot, the main street Corso Umberto, car-free, winds through Taormina past Palazzo Corvaja and Piazza IX Aprile, a panoramic terrace lined with cafés. The Villa Comunale gardens, designed by English noblewoman Lady Florence Trevelyan, provided the perfect backdrop for an afternoon among the flora and fauna. Charterers are sure to enjoy Sicilian cuisine, from swordfish rolls to pasta alla Norma. Located on Sicily’s eastern seaboard, Taormina is also a great starting point for an extended charter north to the Aeolian Islands and Calabria.