Taormina overview

Although mega-touristy, Taormina, on Sicily, is one of the best places to base yourself when visiting Mount Etna, and indeed the entire island. It’s a lot smaller than Catania and Siracusa and is also pretty close to the ferry port at Messina, plus it is quite nice to look at. The town is spread over cliffs and offers nice views of the sea with looming, rumbling Etna in the background. There are one or two nice beaches in Taormina and the town is also good for sightseeing, with Greek and Roman remains as well as a glut of palaces and squares from its medieval days. Hikers can easily walk right up Mount Etna (unless it decides to belch out lava) from town. Taormina is well endowed with hotels and other types of digs and is near to Catania and Messina, where there is an airport and a ferry port respectively.