Taormina: The Jewel of Sicily
There are so many dream places to visit along the Mediterranean Coast that we didn't really know where to start when looking for a summer getaway. It was the end of August and we were both already on a family vacation in France. With university classes starting shortly after this trip, we were very limited in time, but we really wanted to visit another country.
* We also had one major requirement: picturesque beaches (very surprising, I know).
After some exhaustive research, we've decided to visit the East Coast of Sicily. Prior to my trips, there are some things I like to plan (transport + accommodations + must-do activities), although I personally like to keep my schedule open so that I can adapt to the weather, the people I meet, and any opportunity that comes up. That being said, Taormina was on top of our must-do activities' list, so we went there on our first day!
Sicily, just like most Mediterranean destinations, has very steep and winding roads, therefore it's best to rent a car. Unfortunately, none of us was 25 at the time, so we had planned on using buses and trains. When we arrived in Catania on our first day (our base-point), our Airbnb host offered to drive us to Taormina ( yayy! 😁 ) which facilitated things a lot!
(Sorry for the dirty mirror, but we were really excited!)
It takes a bit less than an hour to get there from Catania, unless there is traffic, which can happen frequently during high season. The city of Taormina is divided in two parts: the lower part where Isola Bella beach is, and the actual city which is on top of a hill. The beach was our first stop. This is the view that we first had from the road. Needless to say that we stopped to take pictures!
After sunbathing for a couple of hours, we went uphill to visit the old town. Taormina is such a lovely city and the view that you get up there is incredible. We've wandered around the city for a while, enjoying the beautiful streets, the park, the church and the ancient Greco-Roman theatre.
We loved it so much that we both agreed to come back at least once during our trip. On our second visit, we stayed at the beach and tanned for hours. One important thing to note here: Taormina's beach is a pebble beach, so we highly recommend using water sandals. We didn't on our first day and going into the water was quite challenging! We ended up buying a pair each.
Around 4:00 PM, we decided to rent a boat and go on a little cruise. It's very easy to rent a jet ski or a small boat directly on the beach. The view from the water was very different, but as beautiful as from the shore, totally worth it. We spent about an hour cruising along the coast, exploring caves and swimming in the deep blue sea!
If you travel to Sicily, Taormina is a must go!