Travel guide – taormina

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Overview

Sicily’s most famous resort town, Taormina, was the 19th-century haunt of British aristocracy and the place chosen by D H Lawrence to write his erotic novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The town boasts what is surely the most photographed view in Sicily, across the beautiful ancient Greek amphitheatre to the sea with Mount Etna in the background. Taormina today remains Sicily’s favourite tourist haunt with its winding medieval streets and tiny passages hiding some great restaurants, cafes and ice-cream parlours, some hidden in secluded gardens and others in pleasant squares or terraces with sea views. It is a great place to shop, too, with thousands of boutiques selling crafts, fashion, jewellery, ceramics, mosaics and porcelain dolls. A popular beach is at Giardini-Naxos, a few miles away, and a funicular connects the old town to the coastal area of Mazzaro below. The stone walls of the old city, sited on a plateau, enclose some fascinating archaeological monuments and medieval palaces including the Palazzo Santo Stefano.

Climate

Sicily has a Mediterranean or coastal climate with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The mountainous interior has cooler temperatures with snowfall during winter, while along the coast winter temperatures average about 50°F (10°C).

Health

There are no specific health risks associated with travel to Italy. EU citizens can make use of Italy's health services provided they have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Cases of the

N1 bird flu were found in swans in southern Italy and Sicily, but there is a low risk of human infection; as a precaution all close contact with wild, caged and domestic birds should be avoided, and poultry and egg dishes should be cooked thoroughly.

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