With warm weather and less crowds, a trip to Taormina in the fall is the perfect time to visit this magical place.
The post may contain affiliate links.
While many people visit Taormina, Sicily in the summer months, autumn is probably the best time to visit. The weather is still warm, the crowds are less, and the water is the perfect temp for swimming. The fall in Taormina has its own kind of magic with warmer days and cooler nights.
Where to Stay
Did you know that there is an upper and lower part of Taormina? The upper part (centro storico) is up on the hillside with stunning views. Here is where all the restaurants, shops, and sites to visit are, and includes the famous hotel from The White Lotus Season 2.
The lower part, is closer to the water so you can walk to the beaches more easily, it’s quieter, less restaurants but still lively enough during the day but very quiet at night. There are several hotels in this area with one of the more popular ones being The Una Hotel which has the restaurant Le Grand Bleu, which was also used in The White Lotus Season 2 for a small beach segment. We stayed in this apartment rental for our family which was right around the corner.
The Benefits Of Staying In Town Vs Closer To The Beach
Positives for Staying In Town
- Staying in town, which is where the majority of people stay, you get the benefit of all the scenery, food, and shops to explore.
- The town is very walkable and fun to explore. However, you also get all the tourists. This may be right for you if you are looking to be in the action and center of everything and don’t have a rental car.
Negatives For Staying In Town
- You are 15 minutes from the beach, by car. You can take the funivia (cable car) down for a roundtrip fee of 15 euros but depending on the time you may need to wait a bit to get down to the water, then back up again.
- Driving is fine but you will have to find parking which is a bit limited in many areas including down by the beaches. You may get lucky and your hotel may have a transport shuttle to and from the beaches.
- It takes longer to get to other areas of Sicily. You have to plan an additional 15 or so minutes if you plan to go elsewhere while you are here.
- When traveling outside of the center of town be aware that roads have a lot of curves and parking garages are very tight if you have a rental car.
- It’s more touristy
Postives For Staying in the Lower Part of Taormina
- Less touristy
- Much quieter
- Closer to the beaches and the train station
- Easier to get to other areas of Sicily
Negatives for Staying In The Lower Part of Taormina
- There are only a few restaurants in the area
- You are walking along the street right next to the cars zooming by
- It takes effort whether you drive up or take the funivia (cable car) to get up to the main part of town
- Parking is limited
Things to Do Outside of Taormina
- Do a tour of Mt. Etna – get there early, buy tickets for a tour and head up to this magical area. Remember it’s at elevation so bring warm clothes. (We packed gloves, hats, and packable jackets and hiking boots for this)
- Take the train from the Taormina-Giardini train station to Catania and take a food tour. We booked a daytime food tour that was amazing.
- Reserve a wine tour at a winery in the region. They have many options along with tours including meals. We did this one Emilio Sciacca Winery at the base of Mt. Etna and it was delicious.
- Take a taxi from the upper part of Taormina and venture up to Castelmola for lunch and the views.
Other Things to Know
- The mornings are cool the afternoons are warm and perfect.
- The water is warm enough to swim and the beaches are busy.
- Bring water shoes, the beaches consist of tons of pebbles and some areas especially near Isola Bella you have to climb through rocks to get into the water
- Popular restaurants still have lines
- It gets dark early and restaurants on the water have no views if you are staying in the lower part of Taormina.
- It’s still warm enough for outdoor dining, bring a light sweater
- Visit Bam Bar early before the cruise ships dock for the day
- Visit the Ancient Theater early again before the cruise ships dock for the day
- Villa Comunale di Taormina is a beautiful park and a nice spot to get away from crowds
- If you are driving be aware that the roads are very winding and narrow and parking garages can be challenging.
- We encountered a lot of mosquitos so bring bug spray if you are staying down by the water
I hope this helps you in planning for your trip to Taormina, while I think some these are a bit more fall focused travel tips, I do believe most of the information is useful for visiting Taormina any time of year.
