Pro Tip: Take the cable car down to the bottom of the mountain (or get your steps in by taking the stairs) and check out Lido La Dolce Vita and Lido La Pigna.
Visit this ancient Greek amphitheater right in the center of town. There are also concerts happening here every night so perhaps check out an opera
Take a walk down the main street of Taormina and check out the endless amount of shops, bars, and restaurants
Visit the ancient village sitting on top of the mountain above Taormina
Take a half-day/full-day trip to Mt Etna and hike this active volcano in Sicily. If hiking isn't your thing, check out a winery. Fun fact: Americans introduced a bug to Europe that started killing all the grape plants throughout the continent and severely affected their wine production. A gardening technique called grafting, American roots & European plant fused together, saved wine production as we know it. The only place in Europe where the bug could not survive, but grapes could, is Mt. Etna so you can do a wine tasting of the original ancient grapes that created wine!
Take a tour and view all the Sicilian locations where scenes from The Godfather were filmed. Follow in the footsteps of silver screen mobsters in a Fiat 500. Stop at Coppola’s favorite Bar Vitelli for a lemon granita; admire St Lucia church, where Apollonia and Michael Corleone were married; then head across the island in a classic vintage car to the medieval village of Forza D’Agrò.
Sky Rooftop Bar, Amazing views and cocktails The Bar inside Hotel Metropole, best place for sunset and cocktails The Pub, nice beer and all live sports Arke Bar, chill out with a beer or cocktail on the steps Daiquiri or Medousa Bistrot, nice cocktails Morgana Lounge Bar, very famous discotech
Vineria Modì Bistrot du monde Principe di Cerami, Michelin-starred Bam Bar, desserts, best granita (Italian ice) in Taormina Nove, best pistacchio in Taormina Villa Zuccaro, best pizza in town Granduca, amazing pizza and pasta Osteria Nero D'Avolo, an Anthony Bourdain favorite (try the Pasta al Finocchietto and fried sardines!)
Italy has some of the best food in the world and there are certain Sicilian delicacies you MUST try that you can't find anywhere else (or, they just simply don't make it as good anywhere else). - Seafood, cooked: swordfish (spada), lobster, prawns, octopus (pulpo) - Seafood, raw: red shrimp and prawns (gamberi rosso and scampi crudo) - Granita: flavored shaved ice, often served with a brioche bun (lemon (limone) and almond (mandorle)) - Pistachios: served in sweet and savory dishes - Arancini: fried balls of risotto with various fillings (meat (carne) is our favorite) - Cannoli & Cassata (a marzipan cake) - Gelato (chocolate, pistachio and hazelnut (nocciola) are our favorites, but don’t let that limit you!) - Pasta dishes: pesto trapanese (pesto made with tomatoes and almonds), pasta ala norma (tomato-based sauce with eggplant and ricotta salata), pesto pistacchio con gamberi (shrimp), pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines) - Panelle (fried chickpea fritters - Nicole's favorite!)
Visit this river park for some beautiful hiking, body rafting, river rafting, mountain biking, quad excursions, and swimming in natural pools.
For those extending their trip, we recommend visiting the Baroque island of Ortigia, a small, pedestrian-only island south of Taormina. Widely considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Sicily, Ortigia has stunning architecture, beautiful beaches, and charming eateries.
Noto is beautiful Baroque town in southern Sicily. It is possible to visit the entire town in a half day - just be sure to bring your camera and try the gelato.