I know that some would say Taormina is not exactly Sicily, overestimated, expensive, touristy… But if you have a look at my pictures of Taormina, you may (or may not) trust my vision of Taormina.
First time I came to Taormina (and Sicily) quite many years back. I guess it was 2010, and I was literally the first travel advisor to visit Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant’Andrea after their reopening as part of Belmond (that time – Orient-Express as it was before re-branding). We drove all the way down from Amalfi Coast, and my Italian friends were shrugging their shoulders: are you guys crazy??? There is no road! Well, there was a road, and it was a beautiful one all the way through Calabria, bridges and tunnels, and bridges again, some road work here and there which slowed you down (it is said that Italian government invested tons of money to make work done, but mafia kept sacking funds, so the highway was never properly finished).
We took ferry to Messina, and it was one of the worst driving experiences ever to get out of the city. Well, Messina is quite messy when it comes to traffic. And then we had fun in Taormina: GPS took us to one of its small streets which was climbing up the hill, curve after curve, and at some point we found out that street became a bottle neck, too narrow even for our tine Fiat 500. Surprise! The trick was that we could not u-turn or back up, we were literally trapped, and my husband (quite a good driver indeed) was like… oh… not quite sure what to do next.
Behind us was a local car, and driver was honking. I explained as good as I could that we can’t go through this bottle neck. The driver said “va bene” (well, it was supported by some vigorous gesticulation), and told my husband to leave the car and flip in the mirrors. Then he took the wheel and drove our car millimetre after millimetre through the street which was visually and obviously too narrow for that. I was sitting next to him with open mouth in admiration. Few minutes later we arrived to Grand Hotel Timeo (my husband running after the car thinking that I was kidnapped).
I returned to Taormina quite many years after, again by kind invitation of Belmond Hotels, to find it the same charming, full of character and characters, and delightful for all senses – the views, the food, the people… Well, the rates in luxury hotels are quite grown, the same as level of luxury hospitality, but the streets are still populated by locals, and authenticity is still there to enjoy. Taormina is still one of the most charming resort towns of Italy, real, entertaining and simply beautiful.
For the full experience, invest in ape calesse ride (ape is a tiny car made of scooter) and boat tour along the coast. Both will put never-ceasing smile on your face, and I promise your driver and your skipper will be so entertaining!
Where to stay? The answer is easy. Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo if you wish to be in the town centre. Villa Sant’Andrea if you wish to be on the beach. There is a stay in one play in two concept – two equally beautiful properties are connected by complimentary shuttle, or you can use funicular as a public transportation. You can breakfast in other property if you wish, you can use swimming pools in both as you like, you can enjoy the beach of Villa Sant’Andrea being a guest of GH Timeo. Easy.
There are some more fabulous options: Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, and new opening – boutique hotel Palazzo Vecchio.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. [email protected]
