A mini guide to Ragusa and Taormina, Sicily
It’s been 4 months since I last posted here - it’s definitely been a BUSY summer and I am so ready to slow down for a few weeks now. We’re coming up to September and I’ve been missing sharing my photos and guides on here so I’m going to share a backlog of posts from recent trips, starting with my honeymoon in Sicily at the end of May into early June…which feels like a lifetime ago now! We visited Sicily for a week and my exact itinerary, food and drink recommendations and places we stayed in are all below.
Arriving in Ragusa
We started our trip in Ragusa, a peaceful and understated part of Sicily. We caught a flight from London to Catania and then got the bus to Ragusa. We pre-booked our bus online via Etnatrasporti - our experience was that you could book for a specific bus time but it didn’t matter if you got on the one after that!
We stayed at La casa di Irene and I’d highly recommend it - the view from our room was incredible! The apartments were so clean and well-maintained, they’re in the perfect location to walk to the old town and great value. You also have access to a shared terrace where you can enjoy a view of Ragusa Ibla or you can book the apartment with a private terrace.
We spent 2 nights in the city which was the perfect amount of time to explore but you could also stay longer and visit nearby towns such as Modica and Noto. If you’re short on time, I recommend heading straight to Ragusa Ibla (the old town) to explore the beautiful streets and churches.
Things to do in Ragusa, Sicily
Have drinks on the famous stairway in Ragusa Ibla leading up to the panoramic viewpoint of the town at the Church of St Mary of the Stairs (this is also a great spot to watch sunrise). You can have drinks at a bar called Al Gradino 284 but it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Walk through the Gardens of Ibla - another peaceful spot to relax
Wander aimlessly around Ragusa Ibla (the old town) - the architecture and churches are so beautiful
Have tapas and wine at Enoteca Il Barocco - it’s also a concept store so you can buy a few treats or gifts to take home
Enjoy a delicious Italian meal at Scale del Gusto with a beautiful view of Ragusa Ibla
After a couple of nights in Ragusa, we headed to Taormina. We pre-booked a bus via Etnatrasporti again from the same stop we were dropped off at. The total bus journey from Ragusa to Taormina took approx. 3 hours.
Arriving in Taormina
Taormina is a much more touristy spot in Sicily compared to Ragusa so there’s a lot more to do and it is incredibly beautiful. We spent 5 nights in Taormina - it was our honeymoon so we wanted to make sure we had enough time to fully switch off in between all the exploring. So, we purposely extended our stay here to give us a couple of days to stay horizontal by the beach but you could also plan a shorter trip here.
If you’re planning a shorter trip, I’d recommend taking 2 days to explore Taormina and 1 beach and boat day (or the other way around). If you’d also like to visit Mount Etna, you should take into consideration most of the guided tours take at least 5 hours so you might want to factor in an extra day for this too.
Where to stay in Taormina
There are endless options of where to stay in Taormina so we decided to split our stay between two places. Taormina is a hilltop town so you should first decide whether you want to be closer to central Taormina (at the top) or closer to the sea and beaches (at the bottom) and book your stay accordingly.
We started our trip right at “the top” of Taormina in Taormina Rooms Panoramic Apartments - they have lots of apartments but we picked to stay in the one with a private garden and stunning view of the sea and Mount Etna. When we visited, they were still building their pool but it’s complete now so it’s another reason to stay here! From the apartment, you can walk straight down (lots) of steps to central Taormina in about 15 mins.
For the second half of our stay in Taormina, we treated ourselves to a *dream* stay at Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea by the beach - staying in a hotel like this has been on my Pinterest board for as long as I can remember. It’s a luxury hotel so the whole experience is incredible. A few of the standout features include the breakfast, the private beach and complimentary group boat trip. They also include a shuttle bus to/from their sister hotel, Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo which is in central Taormina so it’s easy to explore.
Things to do in Taormina, Sicily
Visit the beautiful gardens called Villa Comunale di Taormina for a peaceful walk
Visit the Teatro Antico di Taormina, an Ancient Greek/Roman amphitheatre with incredible views
Have the most delicious pasta at Osteria da Rita - the queue was crazy long (we waited at least an hour) so I’d recommend getting there for opening
Have cocktails and dinner at Timoleone Cocktail Bar & Vegetarian Restaurant - probably one of our favourite spots on the trip
Wander around Taormina and all the local shops
Visit Chiesa Madonna della Rocca and enjoy the view of the sea before walking down the steps to central Taormina
Have pizzas at Al Saraceno with a stunning view of Mount Etna. This is within walking distance to the Taormina Rooms Panoramic Apartments
Do a boat trip that takes you to beautiful swimming spots
