For most tourists, the greatest appeal of Taormina is the town itself. Its streets are a pleasure to stroll, lined with romantic buildings and opening onto terraces with stunning views.
Taormina’s main street, Corso Umberto, begins at Piazza IX Aprile and then crosses the town before ending at Porta Catania. The entire street, with its squares and terraces, shops and open-air cafés seems made for sauntering and stopping to savor the views of Mt. Etna and the sea.
Little lanes, often rising in steps, lead off the main street and are worth exploring, too. Just strolling along Corso Umberto, browsing in its shops and stopping in a café for an espresso or gelato, is one of the most popular things to do in Taormina.The approach to the town is equally appealing: from the coast road at Cape Taormina, Via Pirandello snakes its way up the mountain, passing Byzantine rock-graves on the left, the belvedere on the right, and the funicular to Mazzarò. It brings you to Porta Messina, which, together with the adjoining Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, forms the grand entrance to the town.
