Things to Do in Taormina

Taormina sits on a hillside terrace above the coast, about 45 minutes from Catania, with a still-functioning Greek theatre framing Etna in the background — genuinely one of the better view-plus-history combinations in Sicily. Isola Bella below is reached by cable car or a steep path, and gets crowded fast once cruise groups arrive mid-morning, so go early or late instead. The old town leans heavily on shops aimed at day-trippers, so treat the centre as a walk-through and book your actual activities — boat trips, Etna day tours, Godfather film-location walks — in advance.