A clifftop Sicilian town facing Mount Etna
Taormina perches on a terrace high above the Ionian Sea, looking across to Mount Etna. Its ancient Greek theatre, later remodelled by the Romans, frames one of the great views of the Mediterranean, and still hosts summer performances. Corso Umberto is lined with boutiques and cafés serving granita, and a cable car drops down to the beaches and the tiny island of Isola Bella. Etna's lava fields and wineries make an easy excursion.