Taormina

Situated midway between Messina and Catania (from which it can be reached via highways (autostrada), Taormina has been a very popular destination with tourists since the 19th century. It has beautiful beaches (accessible via a Funicular) by the Ionian sea, which is remarkably warm and has a high salt content. Tours of the Capo Sant'Andrea grottos are also available. Taormina is built on an extremely hilly coast, and is approximately a forty-five minute drive away from Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.

Taormina in ancient times was a Greek colony with the name Tauromenium, founded approximately in about 400 BC, which submitted to Roman authority in 212 BC during the Second Punic War.

WHAT TO SEE

The Teatro Greco, rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. With a diameter of 109 metres, this theater is the second largest of its kind in Sicily. It is frequently used for operatic and theatrical performances and for concerts.