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Taormina sightseeing
A stroll down Corso Umberto, Taormina.
A passeggiata through Taormina: The Greco-Roman theater, Palazzo Corvaja, beaches, and other sights
The single most popular activity in Taormina is simply ★★ strolling up main drag Corso Umberto, window-shopping and people-watching.
Corso Umberto curves from Taormina's northerly Porta Messina city gate, through which most people first enter the town, straight through Taormina.
It passes through the central cafe-lined square of Piazza IX Aprile and leads all the way to the Piazza Duomo and the far end of town. We'll be following it in a minute, but first, a detour.
- Hitting the beaches on the coast just below town.
- A side trip to the weird basalt landscape of Alcàntara Gorge.
- Visiting the (paltry) ruins of Naxos, Sicily's oldest Greek colony.
- Visiting Mt. Etna.
- For guided bus tours from Taormina to these and many other sights around Sicily, contact Taormina's SAT Group (tel. +39-0942-24-653, www.satgroup.it).
A detour to the Greek Theater
Just a few steps down the Corso, the street opens to the left into Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
The single greatest sight in town, the ★★ Greek Theater, lies just a few blocks east of here along Via Teatro Greco (the leftmost, upper road leading off the piazza).
Definitely make the detour to visit. I'll wait.
OK, retrace your steps back to Corso Umberto and turn left to continue along it. Within two strides, another small square will open up, this time to your right.
This is the Largo S. Caterina, anchored on the north side by the Palazzo Corvaja.
Palazzo Corvaja
The courtyard of Palazzo Corvaja. (Photo courtesy Comune di Taormina) The Palazzo Corvaja is a fine 14th-century example of local masonry style, its gray limestone walls highlighted with black and white lava trim.
In addition to housing the town's little tourist office, the palazzo also contains the Museo Siciliano d'Arte e Tradizioni Popolari, a small collection of Sicilian folk art and crafts just up a staircase in the palazzo's pretty little courtyard. It's open Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 8pm. (Adm)
On the west side of the little square is a tiny church of Santa Caterina. Walk around the right side of it for a peek-a-boo view of the first of Taormina's hidden Roman-era sights: The Odeon... 
Related pages
- Sight: Greek Theater
- Sight: Odeon
- Taormina beaches
- Hotels in Taormina
- Restaurants in Taormina
- Taormina planning FAQ
- Taormina homepage
- Other destinations in Northeast Sicily
Palazzo Corvaja, Largo S. Caterina/Corso Umberto
tel. +39-0942-628-322 or +39-0942-23-243
www.comune.taormina.me.it
www.taohotels.com
www.taorminaetna.it
www.taormina.it
Public transit (parking, funivia, bus):
www.taorminaservizipubblici.it
Trains: www.trenitalia.com
www.booking.com
www.venere.com
www.airbnb.com
www.bedandbreakfast.com
www.hostelworld.com
Reid's Recommended hotels in Taormina
★ Hotel Villa Gaia [€€–€€€]
★ Villa Nettuno [€€]
★ Hotel Villa Belvedere [€€–€€€€]
Hotel Villa Schuler [€€€–€€€€€]
Hotel Villa Fiorita [€€€]
» More hotels in Taormina (from €39)
» B&Bs in Taormina (from €35)
» Apartments in Taormina (from €75)
» Agriturismi (farm houses) near Taormina (from €36)
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This material was last updated September 2012. All information was accurate at the time.
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