simone99

Hello,

Im planning on spending 5 days on the East Coast of Sicily and would like to use Taormina as a base to visit Mt Etna, Siracusa and Catania (aswell as go to the beach in Taormina and explore the town aswell). However, Ive heard from various people that Taormina is 'awful' and touristy. Im confused, because lots of people in this forum have raved about it.

Any advice on this would be appreciated!

Thanks!

willit

I have only spent a day there, so am no expert. Touristy - certainly, but as with most touristy places, it is for a reason. The views are stunning, particularly from the greek theatre. There are a lot of very expensive shops, the restaurants and cafe's seem to be significanly more expensive than the rest of Sicily.

I liked the place far more than I had expected, but I might consider using another location as a base and just doing the daytrip to Taormina. There are several discussions on Sicily on the board. if you search for RAR or GAC as user names, I seem to remember both supplied information that I found useful.

I have an account of my October trip to Sicily at www.microbes.plus.com/sicily2005.htm -

AP6380

I have been there twice. It is touristy, but not in a tacky way. It still has a lot of charm. Here's a link to my trip report:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34412340

AP6380

By the way, it also depends on the time of year. My first time I went in March-April, the 2nd time in August. It was over 100 degrees in August and very crowded.

isabel

I agree with the others. Very touristy but for a very good reason. Absolutely beautiful little town in a magical setting. Not really typical of the rest of Sicily, but that doesn't make it a very worthwhile place. I would go there again in a heartbeat. I just think it's too bad that many people see ONLY Taormina and think they have seen Sicily. I suppose it would be like someone coming to the US and seeing only New York City and thinking the whole country was like that. (That's an extreme example I know, but the idea is there). Not really representative of the rest of the area, but still probably the single most beautiful part of it.

While it was a bit more expensive than the rest of Sicily, on the whole Sicily is fairly cheap, compared to some parts of Italy (northern) so it still wasn't too bad. My trip report on Sicily is at:
fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34657352
and photos are at www.pbase.com/annforcier

caroline_edinburgh

I also agree. I've been three times & will go again. It is touristy for a good reason - it's beautiful. And touristy in a good way - not really anything cheap & nasty, but lots of nice places to eat ! If you're only going to Sicily for 5 days, I'd definitely recommend staying in Taormina.

cmt

Touristy: yes, very. Awful: definitely not. It is certainly not a typical unspoiled Sicilian town, and a large portion of its year-round population is made up of foreigners. It has been "touristy" and a major draw for foreigners since long before tourism, is general, became common, and that fact is part of its history and part of what makes it unique. It's a beautiful place in a part of Sicily with lush vegetation, and it has spectacular views, especially from the Freco-Roman theater, which is a site worth visiting even without the views.

mamc

We just returned from Sicily and absolutely loved Taormina. As others have indicated, it is touristy but the reason places become known as touristy, is because most are really worth visiting. The setting and views are spectacular, the town is lovely, especially if you spend time in places other than the main pedestrian and shopping street, the weather was wonderful. I can't recommend the beaches. Taormina isn't typical Sicily but we loved it, nonetheless, as we did the rest of Sicily.

gertie3751

I would say one day is enough! It IS very touristy and crowded, especially if there is a cruise ship in port. But it's also very pretty and the view from the Greek Theatre is jaw-dropping. I was there in October which had the advantage of being not too hot, but the disadvantage of being rainy. There isn't a decent museum (that I found) to hide from the rain in. I didn't think much of the beach; it was pebbly, small, and quite crowded. In 6 days I had only one clear day when the clouds lifted and I could see Etna. Taormina is worlds away from the rest of Sicily, and very expensive by comparison.

cmt

In my post above, I meant to type Greco-Roman, not Freco-Roman.

Greco
Greco
Greco

degas

I always thought it was Gecko-Roman!

cmt

Degas, that must be because of those cute little lizards climbing around the ruins on a sunny day.

39Steps

Simone, we loved Taormina and I would highly recommend staying there. The seafood was as good as it gets. It's one of our favorite travel destinations.

SusanEva

Dear Simone,

I stayed in Taormina for two weeks in April, 2003 because I was taking a language course. It is a lovely town and we thought it made a great base for exploring.

The setting and vistas, including incredible views of Mount Etna, made it a memorable place to stay. As others have mentioned, the theatre was a highlight, particularly for the views. The town is rich in mixed architectural history. Great shopping, especially for decorative crafts, food items and ceramics. Great food. Because it is a tourist location, lots of choices for day excursions, via bus or private hire. Great park, good central piazza with gorgeous views.

Negatives: difficult to drive in and around, but easy to walk (hilly though!), lots of mediocre restaurants, especially the pizzeria type places - look for recommended retaurants and don't just wander in. I expected it's more crowded in summer than during our time in April.

I understand your dilemna. I remember being confused when I was planning the trip because of lots of conflicting advice about different locations in Sicily. We were really glad we ended up stying in Taormina. Perhaps one reason is that we really liked our hotel, the Bel Soggiorno, which has rooms with terraces looking out on the Med and Mt. Etna.

http://www.belsoggiorno.com/

That said, having staying in Taormina for two weeks, I wouldn't return, but would look for new places to explore. Maybe this is what motivates others to recommend different locations?

Good luck with planning,

SusanEva

Tries2PakLite

simone99 -- we also loved Taormina. We were only there for 2 nights, but loved every minute. The views from the amphitheatre are amazing.

We also enjoyed the Bel Soggiorno, although the charm is a bit on the monastic side (at least our rooms were), but the views were incredible.

rbrazill

You might consider staying in Giardini-Naxos or Lettojani. They are right next door to (on either side of) Taormina. They are cheaper and their beaches are much nicer. They lack the chic-y ambience of Taormina, but make up for it in other ways.They are both beach resorts which attract primarily native Sicilians, rather than foreigners. They are close enough to Taormina so you can go there any time you want, but are easier to travel from (particularly if you have a car) if you want to explore.

gfeibleman

I just got back from Sicily and felt 2 days in Taormina was not enought. we loved it. However, as a base you may want to split your time between Ortygia and Taormina. Read our Sicily and Malta trip report. Picture link coming within the hour. I agree with the folks that it whatever touristy part there is is due to the wonderdful setting, lodging and food. In the spring it may be less crowded as it was in November.

Sea2Sicily

It’s a big tourist trap that gets worse every year: more crowded, more tacky, more expensive, more pretentious! Unless you have tons of money to leave in the hands of the greedy inhabitants, who think they are royalty, a one day visit is enough. Best bet, bring a lunch and enjoy the view from the public garden. Taormina has fake old store fronts, snooty shop girls, and everything double the price you will find elsewhere. If you are impressed with fakery and snobbery, come and stay, you’ll love it!