Taormina in 8 Hours, Taormina, Italy (B)

Taormina was first described to me as the jewel of Sicily and it’s not hard to see why. Beautiful Baroque architecture and ancient ruins, adorable boutiques and cafés and stunning vistas overlooking postcard-perfect coastlines. Where do I sign up?

Located on the eastern side of Sicily high above the Ionian Sea between Messina and Catania, Taormina has long been a tourist magnet with a resort-town feel like that of the Amalfi Coast or Lake Como. The result and only possible drawback is that Taormina can be too popular at times with inflated prices and flocks of holiday-goers crowding its narrow streets and scenic viewpoints. So during our stay in Catania we decided that the best option for us would be to dedicate one day to discover all of the richness that Taormina has to offer. Needless to say we weren’t disappointed. Here’s what you need to know if you too are dreaming of a daytrip to this incredible destination.

Taormina is about an hour away from Catania by car or bus. Since we had rented a car for our trip, driving would offer us more flexibility over public transportation. It’s a relatively straightforward route via A18 and SS114, but since Taormina’s historic core is closed to traffic you have to sort of loop around the city to reach one of its three parking facilities. We parked at the Porta Catania garage, which is just steps from the city center and charges by the hour. Be sure to take your ticket with you because you pay via an automated vending machine at the street level entrance (level 7) before returning to our car. If you’re driving it’s also worthwhile to note that there is one toll along the way. Instead of paying as you pass through, you take a ticket when you get on the Autostrada and give it to the attendant at the booth when you get off to determine how much you owe. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).