Taormina: Day trip from Catania

REASONS TO SEE TAORMINA

1. GREEK THEATRE
   Possessing a beautifully preserved Greek theatre with a view of Mount Etna that demands photographing, this theatre is second only in size to the one in Siracusa. In Roman times the theatre was also used for gladiatorial combat. Events of a less bloodthirsty nature continue to the present day.
2. CORVAJA PALACE
   was built in the 15th Century, and was the seat of the Sicilian Parliament. It has a stunningly beautiful internal courtyard and beautiful , ornate large windows on the front. Currently the first floor houses the museum of arts and popular traditions while the ground floor hosts the tourist information office.
3. ODEON
   next to the Corvaja Palace, a miniature version of the larger Greek Theatre mentioned above. The Odeon is thought to have been where exclusive events were staged to select audiences – away from the hoi polloi in the larger theatre.
4. GIOVANNI COLONNA PARK
   just south of PORTA CATANIA, this garden was built by Lady Trevelyan in the late 19th Century in a gothic style blending English gardening fashion of the time and eastern influences. The range of plants make this an interesting place to wander, and the breathtaking views will keep your camera occupied.
   

   
   You can read about the house in Daphne Phelps' tale of her Sicilian adventures in this book:
5. CASA CUSAN
   a five minute walk from PORTA CATANIA. This house was a hub for artists and is now a museum. Commissioned by Robert Kitson, a celebrated painter who moved to Taormina seeking an environment more accepting than the restrictive society he left behind in England. Kitson was known as the “Crazy Englishman”, due to his flamboyant appearance – moustachioed, always elegant, in brightly coloured jackets. The house still has a significant collection of antiques that caught Kitson’s eye and which were buried during the war, by his loyal employees, when Kitson had to return to England.
   After the Second World War, the Mayor of Taormina was instrumental in bringing Kitson back to help with the reconstruction of the city. Kitson continued to divide his time between the UK and Sicily. The story of the house after Kitson died, is told by his niece, who inherited it after he passed away. She wrote about leaving behind her work as a social worker and entering the quixotic and mysterious world of Sicily. Her book is full of characters, both the local people she worked with and celebrities who came to soak up the heady cultural atmosphere.
   The most celebrated of Kitson’s watercolours are to be found in the museum that was once his home. The house itself contains a dining room designed entirely by Frank Brangwyn, giant of the “arts and crafts” movement. The list of cultural greats who spent time at Casa Cusani reads like a Who’s Who of 20th Century culture – Picasso, Dali, Hemingway, Henry Moore, Tenessee Williams, Bertrand Russell, Roald Dahl, Greta Garbo.
   With Brangwyn, Kitson created a garden that is also considered one of Italy’s great gardens, given special status for its radical design, and artistic vision, and being the only “arts and crafts” garden in the howle of Italy.
6. THE SHOPS!
   Taormina has, of course, plenty of shops capitalising on the tourist influx with prices to match! In addition to the typical trinkets found everywhere, you will find a range of fantastic boutique shops from sellers of artisanal perfumes, to antiques dealers, tailors and dressmakers with very high end, unique wares.
7. ISOLA BELLA There is more to Taormina, the churches, historical gates and so on, but we cannot neglect to mention the “beautiful island.” Isola Bella was developed by Lady Florence Trevelyan (The same lady who commissioned the park.) She built a home, and planted gardens on the island which is connected by a strip of stones to the mainland. All who see this place are astonished at its beauty. This really is a picture perfect bay with its wondrous island.
   

   

How to get from Catania to Taormina

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE.

We cannot emphasize enough that the bus and train to Taormina take you to two different places. For the city of Taormina (which is on the hill an hours walk uphill from the coast below) take the bus. If you only want to go to Isola Bella, or don’t mind a walk up a steep, winding road for an hour, then take the train. The train stops in Giardini Naxos – the name of the Ancient Greek settlement was Naxos and it lies on the coast, not in Taormina.

BUS

Every day, there is a direct bus service from Catania to Taormina.
During weekdays, there is almost 1 ride per hour, except for the lunch break. First of all, you can take the bus from the bus station Viale della Libertà, in Catania. Once in Taormina, the bus stop is just 5 minutes walk from the city centre.
Usually, a single ride from Catania to Taormina takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes and costs € 4.90. Check online for up to date timetables and pricing information. (www.interbus.it)
The tickets are available online and at the shop in Via D’Amico, which is opposite Catania Central station. When you have your ticket the bus station is visible from the ticket shop.

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TRAIN

Generally, the fastest way to get from Catania to Taormina is by train. Every day, there are around 30 trains connecting the two coastal cities. Generally, the trains leave from Catania Centrale or Catania Europa and arrive at Taormina-Giardini. The average journey is 50 minutes.
The first train leaves daily at 4:50 am and the last one is at around 9 pm. Check online for up to date timetables.