Taormina, pearl of the Ionian Sea

Have you ever been to a place that has everything you can imagine in one vacation spot? This is it. 

Taormina is located on the side of a mountain about 820 feet above sea level which gives you some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. I kept taking picture after picture as if the one I just took wasn’t perfect enough. The view was so amazing. We chose to go in the offseason, which was late March-early April. It was perfect for us. There were no crowds since the cruising season hadn’t kicked in yet. 

So, we started the day by jumping in our car and heading out to the city. It was an easy drive from our hotel. Perfect weather was an added bonus. I had scheduled a cooking class at one of the restaurants in Taormina so that got us up and going early. We drove in and as we got closer we began to see more homes built on the mountainside.  I have no idea how they get to their homes, but they definitely have an amazing view. I’m not crazy about the idea of sliding off the side of a mountain so I wasn’t sure how the drive would be as we were getting closer to Taormina. We drove a few twists and turns before arriving at the parking lot a little lower than the actual city. We had heard parking is tight and not very plentiful, so there’s a parking garage before you continue up the cliff to the city. We parked and then hopped on the shuttle to take us up. We were dropped off close to one of the existing gates of the city. As we were entering, I realized the restaurant we would have our cooking class at was directly to our right so that eliminated any anxiety of finding it later. We then began our adventure into Taormina!!! 

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Taormina is the perfect little vacation city, whether you’re traveling alone, having a couples getaway, girls trip, or like to take in the sights, you MUST visit. As you enter the town, you begin to fall in love with the atmosphere and you tend to soak in the sights of each building and alleyway as you pass by. Once again, out comes my camera, and the picture-taking begins.  Since we arrived early the crowds were non-existent at this time. It can be a little deceiving because a thought went through my head…. is this really a popular spot. Well, that question was answered a little later. As you meander through the city, you see the groups here or there gathered chatting up the morning and enjoying their brioche with some espresso ( it would be tea for me).  You could soooo pull up a chair and just people watch if that’s your thing. You get such a chill vibe when you’re walking through the streets. Our top priority before the cooking class was the Greek Theater so we bee-lined it there. 

“No theater audience has never had such a sight in front of him” Johann Wolfgang Goethe – Journey to Italy

The Greek Theater is located at a higher elevation so it’s a slight incline getting to it. Once you get there you will understand why. The view is Ahhh-Mazing!!! I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a view quite like this in my life. We were told that when these theaters were built, they were placed where the natural landscape can be used as a backdrop for whatever event was taking place inside of the theater; a different backdrop depending on where you were sitting. The backdrop here is a snow-capped Mount Aetna off to your right and the Ionian coast to your left with its beautiful blue water. This particular theater is still used to this day. Can you believe that…something that was built in the third century B.C. is still being used today? Mind blown. So, back to the theater.

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As you walk into the theater it’s like you’re walking back in time. I tried to imagine how it was so long ago. Seats filled with people casually reclining and sharing their experiences of the day with their neighbors and friends while sipping on amazing Italian wine. We walked all around the theater and sat on the seats and took in the views. At the front of the theater, there are still a few pillars left that frame what looks like windows that lead to views of the outside. We were hunting to duplicate a view we saw on the front of a travel book and we found the money shot!!! It was the picture that made us want to go to this theater and the shot was right between these pillars.

As we walked around we also took a look at the back of the theater and even that view was breathtaking. Party in the front AND back!!! While we were there taking in the sights we actually ran into a couple, that through our chatting, we uncovered that they were going to be our cooking buddies at our upcoming class!!! It was comforting knowing we would see our newfound acquaintances again. We continued walking around the theater, soaking in the experience, and taking memories with my camera before we had to head to our class.

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We headed to our cooking class where we made pizza, bread, and pasta!!! YUMMY!!!! I’ll give you the details of the class in another post. After the class, we ventured out a little more and finished seeing the city. We wandered into the center of town. The atmosphere here is exactly how you would imagine a typical European town center; outdoor cafes, people leisurely walking around, the slight hum of conversations going on around you, and an amazing view. In the town center, you can see from the coast all the way up to Mount Aetna. The perfect weather, beautiful view, and tummy full of good food was a great way to end the day. Make sure to add Taormina on your stop when you’re in Sicily.