"Unique panoramas, romantic radiance, lots and lots of stairs and uphill climbs, cool, brutally expensive boutiques, cozy cafes, and a relaxed atmosphere. Large cruise ships pour tourists into Taormina, so I recommend that non-boat tourists should avoid the famous sights and the downtown area (such as Corso Umberto) between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. During the middle of the day, it’s best to go swimming and sunbathing by the hotel pool.
Tourist information staff seem as bored as physically possible if the kiosks are open at all. The beaches in the Taormina area are also not the best. Taormina isn’t particularly interesting for young people and children, though the surrounding area within a radius of approximately one hundred kilometers it is full of exciting landscapes and settlements. We ate in the smaller villages more often than in the larger towns. That saved us money. In Taormina, restaurant prices are brutal, except for some little places in side streets. In the countryside, apart from the famous tourist destinations, there are surprisingly few tourists.
We’ve heard that in Taormina in the summer, until the middle of September, there are big crowds. From Mazzaro, take the Teleferique cable car (3 euros one-way) to the top of the hill and walk back down. The Sicilians are crazy drivers, and disregard all traffic rules, even the basics. I had to be on my guard at the wheel of our rental car. On the beach, they asked for 16 euros for a sunbed (plus an umbrella), and beer was 5 euros. "
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"Somehow I imagined the theater differently. I thought I'd see the sea beyond the surviving ruins, but the huge black wall which is an almost permanent feature ruins the famous view depicted by the painter Csontváry. But even so, this arena, which can seat 15,000 spectators, with its intact columns, walls, and tunnels, is a miracle.” (Louis)
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“The panorama of the city, the small streets with their narrow flights of steps, and the romantic atmosphere, completely fascinate the tourists visiting here. It is also an ideal place for those who want to go to the beach, because here you can find the most beautiful beaches, and the waters of the Ionian Sea are very warm. "
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“Even for an amateur photographer, the theater is an ideal theme, with Etna in the background. The latter was not visible when I went, but the theater itself was unforgettable, not least because of the outrageous price of the ticket!
Taormina has amazingly charming streets, and I must in particular mention the lovely little fruit and veg stalls, which are like an old-time fair, as well as the souvenir vendors and, of course, the unmissable cafes and confectionery stores.
Another great attraction is the island of Isola Bella in the bay of Taormina, which sometimes becomes a peninsula at low tide. The Italians have taken care of this too, making it a nature reserve to make sure people don’t try to wade across.” (2017)
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“With its colorful houses, alleyways, sea, and tourist focus, it reminded me a lot of Piran in Slovenia. Probably Taormina is unbearably crowded in the summer, but in January we caught it at its best. We took a big walk, admired the views, drank iced coffee, then missed the bus back, so we even ended up staying for dinner. It was worth it for the sunset in Taormina.” (2017)
“Taormina is a really cute little town, To me, it felt a bit like Segovia, albeit more focused on tourists, but with a real southern atmosphere. If I had to pick one city from Sicily, it would be Taormina. Without a doubt. Taormina is, surprisingly, not a World Heritage Site, which I would have definitely expected it to be. It has only one truly world-class attraction, but it’s a really huge, fascinating thing: the Greek theater.” (2017)
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"There are relatively few ‘must-see’ attractions in the city. One is the Greek theater - which was painted by the famous Tivadar Csontváry – and another is the coastal island of Isola Bella, but it’s also worth going just for the atmosphere. Taormina is interwoven, like a cobweb, with flights of steps that lead all the way from the shore to the summit, through a maze of small streets. If you love variety, you can surely always find a different way to get from A to B.
Tickets to the Ancient Theater of Taormina, or the Greek theater as it's often called, are 10 euros for an adult and 5 euros for a child under 25. The theater, which is more than a thousand years old, is still roughly half intact, though some parts have been renovated. The lower seating area is still used today, although metal structures are brought here, which spoils the view somewhat.
From the top row of the more than a thousand-year-old theater, the view of the sea and Mount Etna is also amazing.
However, the best thing about the whole place is the view. If you sit in the top row, then
‘It’s a wonderful sight that you’ve never seen in a theater yet, and probably nowhere else either’, and if you imagine the people who sat here millennia ago, the place is really uplifting. To sum it all up, it's worth paying the €10 ticket.” (2019)
