Taormina (Sicilian: Taurmina; Greek: Ταυρομένιον - Tauromenion; Latin Tauromenium) is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina, about midway between Messina (ancient Messana) and Catania (ancient Catana).
Where is Taormina
Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century. It has popular beaches (accessible via an aerial tramway) on the Ionian sea, which is remarkably warm and the has a high salt content.
Taormina can be reached via highways (autostrada) from Messina from the north and Catania from the south......
Travel to Taormina
We stayed in a small hotel between Giardini Naxos and Taormina. The location was a great as "base camp" from where we were exploring the wonders of this area. Giardini Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily, holding an Archeological Museum with large area enclosing the interesting ruins of the ancient city. .
Few places bring together all the wonders of Sicily quite like Giardini Naxos. Halfway between Messina and Catania, Giardini Naxos and Taormina is less than an hour from Fontanarossa airport Catania.
Taormina's history in short
Tauromenion (on Greek) grew up in the fourth century BC as a result of decline of the Chalcidian colony of Naxos, even if it seems certain that when the first centre was founded Sicels were also present. Taormina soon became part of the sphere of influence of Syracuse and remained faithful to that city until the first Roman colonization around the third century BC. When Syracuse declined, Taormina became the capital of Byzantine Sicily, up to the time of the Arab conquest at the beginning of the tenth century. Dont Miss beautiful Taormina garden at Via Roma - Giardini di Villa Comunale. The gardens of Taormina are planted with a huge variety of flowering plants and shrubs ranging from the most common to the exotic.
Old town on a slopes of Mount Tauro hil
lBecause of Taormina's partyculary fortunate micro-climate and its splendid natural situation on a hill terrace of Mount Tauro overlooking the Ioninan coast with the majestic and spectacular volcano Etna as a backdrop and owing also to the vastness of its historical, cultural and archaeological heritage, it is one of the places most visited by tourist in the hole island.
Many foreigners have decided to build villas in the townn and many ilustrious personalities have sojourned there for example German Emperor Wilhem II and King Edward VII, such famous families as the Rothchilds and the Krupps, writers such as DH Lawrence - David Herbert Richards Lawrence and more recently stars and members of the international jet set.
Few places bring together all the wonders of Sicily quite like Giardini Naxos. Halfway between Messina and Catania, Giardini Naxos and Taormina is less than an hour from Fontanarossa airport Catania.