Taormina, Sicily
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Perched high on the cliffs of Sicily’s eastern coast, Taormina is a place of beauty, indulgence, and cinematic fame. If the sweeping views look familiar, it’s because The White Lotus chose this glamorous town as its backdrop—showcasing both its opulence and its dreamlike setting above the Ionian Sea.
A Playground for the Wealthy
Sony A7R III
f/2.8
16mm
100
1/8000 secTaormina thrives as a tourist haven, buzzing with luxury boutiques, yachts anchored in the bay, and a constant flow of international visitors.
We even spotted the Ritz-Carlton yacht gliding offshore, a fitting symbol of the town’s rarefied atmosphere.
High-end hotels set the tone: at the Four Seasons, simply sitting at the bar requires a reservation and a €50 minimum per person.
For dinner, we chose the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo. The meal was as elegant as promised, with impeccable service and a dining room overlooking the sea and Mount Etna. But if I had one complaint—it’s that they couldn’t stop serving us. Course after course kept arriving, each dish more elaborate than the last, leaving us both dazzled and a little overwhelmed.
What makes Taormina unforgettable are the views. To the south, Mount Etna rises in smoky grandeur, its volcanic silhouette ever-present against the horizon. Many hotels and restaurants capitalize on these vistas, but outside of the town center, you’ll often need a car to reach the best viewpoints.
The Path to Castelmola
One of the highlights was the drive up the winding roads to Castelmola, a tiny hamlet perched even higher above Taormina. The village itself is charming and compact, but the real reward is the 360-degree panorama—stretching from Etna to the Mediterranean to the rugged inland hills.
A World Apart from Sicily
As beautiful as Taormina is, spending time there feels almost like stepping into a bubble. Its economy leans heavily on luxury tourism, and culturally it feels somewhat detached from the rest of Sicily. Here, everything is polished, international, and curated for visitors, a striking contrast to the grittier, more authentic rhythms you’ll find in towns like Catania, Siracusa, or Palermo.
For that reason, I’d recommend Taormina as both a highlight and a launching point. It’s absolutely worth visiting—whether for the views, the food, or the glamour—but it’s equally important to step beyond its boundaries to experience Sicily’s broader, more grounded identity.