Located in the Mediterranean, the island of Sicily has a wide variety of interesting places to visit and Taormina certainly stands out for the charm of its streets.
After taking advantage of the direct flight to Catania, it was just an hour’s drive to Taormina.
On this occasion we stayed at the Grand Hotel Atlantis Bay (5* de luxe) and it turned out an unbeatable experience. The hotel is built on a cliff and features wonderful views from the terraces of the rooms. Thanks to its location close to the cable car it takes just a few minutes to reach the town centre. There is no doubt that this fantastic hotel’s facilities, restaurant, elegance and excellent service make it highly recommendable for the most demanding customers.
During the stay we visited Taormina itself and the Greco-Roman theatre, setting aside enough time to stroll and shop in the pedestrian streets of this beautiful town.
We went on several interesting outings in the surrounding area, including a visit to Catania, where we tasted the delicious granita (typical Sicilian crushed ice with cream) and explored the city centre, ending up in the fish market.
The outing to Mount Etna is a must. Sightseers are taken to an altitude of over 3,000 metres to see the craters, set in a typical lunar landscape of great expanses of lava and volcanic sand and with columns of smoke emerging from among the rocks. The off-road vehicles that leave directly from the hotel are a good option. A picnic lunch is included.
Cinema fans were able to visit the medieval villages of Savoca and Forza d’Agrò, famous for having provided settings for The Godfather and where some places are still preserved as they appeared in the film.
The days were rounded off by select soirees at the hotel and at the Castello di Calatabiano, a fully restored castle with breath-taking views.
On the last night there was a farewell dinner at the elegant Restaurant La Baronessa in the centre of Taormina, where we were able to relish sophisticated cocktails on the terrace while watching Etna in eruption in the background. This was certainly an unforgettable experience for all the participants.