Best time to go to Taormina in Sicily and what to visit there? Weather by months, water temperature, top attractions, history, prices 2023 in hotels and on excursions. How to get to Taormina on your own – in the article by good Time for Trip.
The town of Taormina on the east coast of the largest of the Mediterranean islands, Sicily, is one of the most beautiful Italian resorts. Definitely, it is not very famous and not as well known as, for example, Amalfi near Naples. Naturally, and not as popular among beach tourists as resorts Rimini and Lido di Jesolo on the Adriatic, Viareggio in Tuscany.
But thanks to the picturesque scenery – what only the view of Etna through the Greek amphitheater is worth – and the mild climate, visiting Taormina in almost any month of the year will be an excellent experience.
Not only that – we would generally include this resort in the TOP-5 places for a seaside holiday in Italy!
In addition, in Taormina you can perfectly relax and not at the peak of the summer season – that town is extremely cozy. And those travelers who love antiquity will especially like it – the resort is one of the top attractions in Sicily.
However, Taormina has so far happily avoided the mass tourist – primarily due to the lack of large beaches!
There is no doubt – sellers of package tours like to settle holidaymakers on the warm east coast of Sicily. But most of the hotels that have entered the orbit of their interests are located outside of Taormina. For example, in Letojanni.
Independent Vacationers
aimed primarily at beach leisure, are best to settle in Giardini Naxos. Replete with excellent family hotels at an affordable price – and for summer dates you can book a room or an entire apartment for only 70-80 € per night.
Very good, for example, Hotel La Sirenetta, providing guests with rooms with sea views. B&B Il Volo is located a couple of minutes from the beach. Near are cafes and restaurants, a supermarket, breakfast is served free of charge for guests.
Weather in Taormina
Sicily is not too far from Africa. Which, however, does not allow you to count on swimming in the sea all year round. Yes, and soak up the sun, if you go to the island in November, for example, or in March, it will not always work out.
So, looking ahead a bit, we must admit: June and September are the best times to visit Taormina. True, other months have significant advantages also.
But first things first!
May-August
The high season in Taormina, as in most other resorts in Italy, opens quite late – in June. Although in May the air temperature in this place allows a lot.
Stable +20-22 °C already from the first days of the last month of spring, rising to +26-28 °C on hot dates – what else can a northerner who misses the south dream of? At night, however, it is cooler: +16-20 °C. But there are almost no cages in comparison with the winter months.
Statistics say that it rains for a maximum of 2-4 days per latter month of spring. Which allows us to assert that the precipitation are not able to spoil holidays in Sicily in May. And in Taormina – in particular!
The sun warms, the sky turns blue almost daily, the atmosphere warms up more and more every day. In June, the dynamics only increases: there are more clear days, and air temperatures reach +30-35 degrees Celsius.
July and August are the hottest (up to +35-40 °C) and cloudless months in Taormina. It can be exceptionally hot, and for some, such weather is unbearable.
During this period, it is almost impossible here to catch rain. Which is appreciated by tourists – dry air, low humidity, cool breeze from the mountains make it easier to endure the summer heat.
- So July and August can also be considered good time for visiting Taormina
Autumn
Throughout September, Sicily has warm weather (up to +27-30 °C), characterized by a significant number of clear days. Only 5-6 of them are wet and the rains do not differ in special duration.
The number of tourists is gradually declining, prices in hotels also fall. So there are reasons to recognize September as a great time to to to Taormina.
Therefore, it is often simply impossible to find a free room for a reasonable price. Since modern holidaymakers are smart and plan their vacation for several months, even six months. As a result, reservations for September actually close as early as March.
Closer to the middle of autumn it gets a bit colder: October in Sicily is moderately warm, but the number of rainy days increases. However, daytime temperatures sometimes reaching the level of +24-26 °C and nighttime temperatures of at least +16 °C allow us to consider this month maybe as a best time for a seaside holiday in Taormina.
In early November, there is a chance to catch a few days of warm sunny weather. But starting from the second decade of the month, the thermometer rarely shows above +18 °C during the day. And at night it is just right to wear a sweater – the atmosphere sometimes cools down to +10-12 degrees Celsius.
Winter
This time of year in Taormina has its advantages. For it is often quite warm (+10-18 °C during the day), moderately rainy, almost deserted – in the sense of tourists.
Water Temperature
In May, only stubborn and young people will climb into the Mediterranian sea to swim. Or tourists who miss the south a lot! Since the water area is warmed up to +20-21 °C at best.
But with the onset of summer, the Mediterranean Sea warms up at an accelerated pace. And by the end of June, the idea of taking water baths in it will not cause rejection among the most gentle categories of vacationers.
Even the locals are starting to actively swim and dive. What is known to be the best marker!
In July and August, the water off the coast of Taormina heats up to +27-28 ° C. The sea is not in a hurry to cool down and in September – the water temperature reaches +25-26 °C.
Only by the middle of autumn, in the minds of vacationers settles the thought that it is time to finish with swimming. Although in the early November in Taormina a pleasant anomaly is often recorded: it is warmer in the water than on the shore.
The beaches in the resort, by the way, are pebbly – in contrast to the same San Vito Lo Capo. So it’s worth stocking up on appropriate shoes in advance for not to injure your feet.
History
Taormina was founded by the ancient Greeks. Like no one they knew how to find the best places for their cities – it happened around the 4th century BC. Further, the history of the city developed according to a template scenario for the Mediterranean!
At first, the Romans adopted the Greek craving for a carefree life on the seashore. Appreciating the excellent quality of wine from grapes grown in Sicily and the same quality of marble from local quarries. They were succeeded by the Byzantines, and the Arabs who came here in the 10th century.
Then were the Normans, who captured all of Sicily a century later. And the Spanish Aragonese house that reigned after.
In the end, the city, along with the island, became part of the united Italian kingdom. And it was no longer the conquerors, but the tourists who were drawn here.
The names of some are still heard to this day: Goethe and Dumas, Maupassant and Wilde, Nabokov and Wagner, Nietzsche and Dali, the Russian Tsar Nicholas I. They all spent a lot of time here, and are unlikely to ever regret it!
What to Do
For those who come not only to swim, there is something to see in Taormina. In particular, a certain number of ancient buildings have been preserved in the town. Therefore, even an ordinary walk along the streets to the sea will charge you with a mass of positive emotions.
The Greek forum with an amphitheater is the most famous attraction of Taormina. It offers an amazing view of the city and the coast, as well as of lying about 50 kilometers southwest Etna.
By the way, it’s the main volcano of Europe! On which anyone, even a completely unprepared physically person, can climb.
Also, in Taormina there is an ancient Saracen fortress. Yes, and the same old 2-3-storey town, replete with cobblestone towers and wonderful medieval churches, makes a charming impression.
It is no accident that the resort hosts Italy’s oldest historical film festival, the Taormina Film Fest, in June. A little later, it is replaced by an art festival, Taormina Arte. During which the arena of the Greek forum becomes the venue for open-air performances.
The local film festival will yield in importance to Cannes. But world-famous actors have also visited Taormina.
Marlene Dietrich and Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren, Gregory Peck and Marlon Brando, Robert de Niro and Tom Cruise, Colin Firth and Antonio Banderas roamed the local streets!
How to Get There
The transport accessibility of Taormina, given its location, is good. After all, the city is located on the railway line connecting Messina and Catania.
Those who intend to arrive at this resort directly – bypassing the best tourist attractions of Sicily, such as the Greek temples in Agrigento, covered with legends of Syracuse, the Norman Palace and the Cathedral in Palermo – should choose Catania International Airport as a starting point.
Which is located just 50 kilometers south of Taormina! From Catania Airport to the resort it’s only about 1.5 hours by bus.
© Goodtimefortrip.com
Be the first to comment