Taormina's Coast
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ISOLA BELLA BAY
Isola Bella beach is the most famous and photographed beach not only in Taormina, but in all Sicily.
The bay enclosed between Capo Taormina and Capo Sant'Andrea is, like a precious pearl, is not by chance called "The Pearl of the Mediterranean"
Covered with Mediterranean plant and exotic essences, the enchanting island is a luxuriant botanical garden, thanks to Lady Travelyan, an English noblewoman with a hobby of gardening who owned it for a short time.
Sheltered by the two promontories, the beach is made of gravel and pebbles. You can choose whether to settle comfortably in one of the beaches equipped with umbrellas and sunbeds or in the stretch of free beach.
The best and most peaceful spot is the small beach at the base of Isola Bella, reachable by wading an isthmus of land lapped by the water, but you have to arrive early to find a place.
Of course, there is no shortage of bars, restaurants and everything you need to spend a relaxing day on the beach, including skippers who take you around the bay with a stop at the Blue Grotto of Capo Sant'Andrea, where for a game of light shades the waters they take on amazing iridescent colors. For the rest, however, they are clear and incredibly transparent, shallow and scattered with rocks, therefore ideal for swimming and snorkeling among seaweed and reef fish.
BLU CAVE
The most beautiful cave in the protected marine area of Taormina, not far from the Isola Bella beach. Many corals, many varieties of starfish in the walls complete the bright colors of the Blue Grotto, characterized by the wonderful plays of light recreated by the sun's rays passing through an underwater cave.
MAZZARO' BAY
In just 10 minutes from Taormina, you can visit the Mazzarò beach, located in an enchanting inlet where nature dominates the landscape and the sea shines with blue and emerald reflections.
It has always been the favorite of Taormina’s local , ever since Mazzarò was a tiny fishing village.
Practically when the cable car arrives, Taormina's beaches are considered the most elegant, overlooked by some of the most luxurious hotels in the area.
But even if you are not staying in one of these resorts, do not miss the opportunity to take a dip in the blue and clear water of this wonderful bay framed by the green and wild promontories of Capo Sant'Andrea and Capo Mazzarò, where there are caves and marine ravines that you can explore with a mask and fins. As in the nearby Isola Bella, here too the beach is made of gravel and pebbles and you will find both bathing establishments and free areas.
MERMAID BAY
The Bay of Mermaid is one of the best seaside resorts in Taormina. Not very visible from the outside because it is sheltered by a small promontory, it is not very crowded. The bay is very similar to a natural harbor where the local fishermen. Inside it is characterized by a very low and therefore very visible seabed, it recreates the perfect habitat for many marine species, in particular the posidonia a marine plant rich in properties important for the ecosystem of our sea. The stone islets that emerge from the emerald waters are very suggestive, an ideal place for snorkeling enthusiasts.
CAPE SANT'ANDREA
Characterized by fantastic colors created by the sunlight and the magnificent orange corals, in the blue and clear water of this wonderful inlet framed by the green and wild promontories of Capo Sant'Andrea and Capo Mazzarò, in which there are caves and marine ravines.
LOVE'S CAVE
The famous cave of love is located inside the bay of Isola Bella behind the Capotaormina
It is a particular inlet as it has a very low height with a rocky wall that descends to the inside and recreates an intimate environment with a stripe of sand with space for only two people.
Legend has it that once Isola Bella was divided into two parts, a reserve for women and one for men, and young couples in love met there to spend romantic moments.
CAPE TAORMINA
About 5 km from the large bay of Naxos, Capo Taormina, with its rocky seabed and its rock peaks that protrude from the water, represents a scenario of incomparable beauty! The bay sheltered by the cape that sinks into an almost sandy mixed seabed at about 25 meters depth; where it is possible to observe colonies of corals attached to the rock and some species of fish that populate these waters.
A magical and unique scenario thanks to its enchanting position. Looking south we admire the majesty of Etna, the highest volcano in Europe that overlooks the bay of Taormina
The bay of Capotaormina offers its guests an elegant and fascinating moment
PRICKLY PEAR ROCK
The huge stack located in the Isola Bella bay adjacent to Capo Taormina is
Faraglione of the Indian fig because a multitude of Sicilian fig plants spontaneously grow in its rock, a very characteristic and appreciated fruit in our tradition.
Nobody knows how ancient it is but every time you approach it it's like seeing it for the first time.
SPISONE BAY
Large boulders that emerge in the sea here and there are the distinctive feature of the beach of Spisone, north of Taormina. Being close to the motorway exit, it is easily accessible.
Spisone beach is located in the bay of Taormina, populated by many lidos but also by some stretches of free beach. The stone islets that emerge from the waters are very suggestive. The sand is made of pebbles and the seabed is varied. The most suggestive part is that towards Capo Mazzarò, with overhanging rocks and a narrow beach.
SUN CAVE
takes this name thanks to its location being the last cave illuminated at sunset, it is also called polyphemus cave from the famous legend of Ulysses that says that the giant who threw the stacks that created Acitrezza lived there.
Its position offers a spectacular view of Mount Etna overlooking the bay of Naxos, the rocky wall is surrounded by corals and various marine flora, and the water recreates magical reflections of color based on the position of the sun during the day.
VILLAGONIA BAY
Villagonia is One of the most comfortable beaches to reach from the city center.
The bay is a real natural gulf, made up of rock and gravel, located at the foot of Taormina.
Very close to the Taormina-Giardini railway station.
It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sicily, for its white sand and transparent sea, frequented by locals and tourists from all over the world.
GIARDINI-NAXOS BAY
Giardini Naxos is located in one of the most beautiful landscape frames in the Mediterranean: between the lava of Etna, the mouth of the Alcantara river and the promontory of Taormina. The city is the first Greek colony of Sicily, founded in 734 BC by colonists from Chalcis Eubea and Naxos in the Cycldi, these at the helm of Teocles decided to establish their settlement in one of the most fascinating bays in all of Sicily. In 476 BC the tyrant of Syracuse Ierone transferred the citizens of Naxos to Lentini, probably re-founding the city. In 403 BC the city was completely destroyed by Dionigi I of Syracuse. From the 4th century onwards there was a new foundation, a new urban center TAUROMENIUM (Taormina). Until the 19th century Giardini was a fraction of Taormina, called the "village of the Giardini" only at the end of the century it was recognized its independence.
ELEPHANT'S ROCK
Not far from the Mermaid Bay and next to the bay of spisone, it is possible to see an impressive rock with the shape of an animal. Here the rocks take on characteristic aspects that stimulate the imagination of those who admire them, stimulating the search for analogies and correspondences with known shapes. This is the case of a rock, about 10 meters high, named Elephant’s rock, precisely because it resembles a huge prehistoric pachyderm that seems crouched, with its trunk reaching out to the clear and crystalline water, intent on drinking.
This stretch, which alternates between a rocky and flat bottom, alternated with large boulders, about 45 meters deep, are particularly popular with divers and diving enthusiasts.
