In a town that has been lived in and built up by so many different cultures over centuries you only have go for a walk out the door to see layers of history. The medieval old town still has the original gates on either side. The art and archeological ruins left behind by the ancient Greeks and Romans have always attracted foreigners - along with the gorgeous surroundings and climate. The hillside is dotted with Cypress and Olive trees, Cluster Pines and gardens full of lemon and orange trees.

There is something pretty unique about not only Taormina’s geographical position, but the fact that so many have flocked through history to witness the same red sunsets and palm trees, smell the orange blossom and look out at the constant backdrop of an active volcano, Mt Etna. We kept pinching ourselves as we heard distant rumblings or saw swirls of smoke and clouds of rust coloured light at the volcano’s mouth by night. It blows your mind not only as a geological wonder, but a constant reminder of the classical Greek myths and legends about this place. We were following in the path of all the artists, intellectuals and aristocrats who came to Eastern Sicily, making it one of the world’s first ‘tourist’ destinations.

And a walk along the busy main street, Corsa Umberto will still give you all the lively cafes and modern shops you need - in fact we thought is was a pity that some 70 buildings had been allowed to sneak in. But I love that there was plenty of lively, present-day buzz and an outdoor café culture to enjoy - as well as all the medieval houses and palaces (built from pale limestone and volcanic pumice with lots of gothic embellishment). I felt from our very first night out in the streets that we had hit the jackpot.

There is plenty of real life going on. We passed a festive wedding at the Baroque CHURCH OF SAN GUISEPPI, full of gorgeous, laughing, olive-skinned young Italians. The bell tower and spire dominate the beautiful PIAZZA IX APRILE where we stopped for drinks at the well known restaurant, THE WUNDERBAR, made famous by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton when they were jetting setting around Europe in the 70s. They stayed at the San Domenico too. Wandering through the streets and squares here, you keep coming across fountains, gargoyles, halls, towers, crumbling walls, ancient houses and the original medieval gates to the city - all with stories that go back way further than ‘Liz and Dick’ but, knowing the Italians, feature even more passion and drama.

This small medieval village is right at the summit of Monte Tauro, balanced like an eagle’s nest over the whole area. Castelmola is so elevated that it gives you an amazing perspective of Taormina below, from a big piazza with lovely old stone patterned tiles. It’s a bird eye’s view of the twinkling lights and old buildings on the hillside, painted in peaches, salmons, mustards and ochres - and a panoramic sweep of the whole stretch of the ‘Ionian Riviera.’

The village’s narrow, crooked streets, churches with domes, orange, old street lights and 16th century fortress are so picturesque that it has a slightly surreal, fairytale feeling. Vincenzo told us this is considered one of the prettiest, untouched spots in Italy - so it’s well worth driving up the windy streets out of Taormina to visit…

There is a lovely, unusual little cafe bar in town called BAR TURRISI that seems to climb up and up on three-levels, with red umbrellas on he balconies adding a vibrant, happy mood. Open since the Second World War, things took a very eclectic turn in the 1979s when one of the family filled it with antique phallic symbols after having three sons in a row, so be warned. Only in Italy! The other specialty of the house is the almond wine, Vino alla Mandorla.

As much as we loved the wonderfully equipped LIDO Beach Club we were ready to explore more clubs and try PARADISE BEACH CLUB, at a neighbouring village called Letojanni.

The views on the way were so discouraging that I had to stay optimistic thinking, it’s going to get better, we’ll get to the jewel when we arrive. We passed through a built up area with a lot of crappy shops and arrived at a really barren pool with all the ambience of a motel in a small town. Not our cup of tea at all - put bluntly, it was horrendous. This was our record, we literally lasted less than a minute before deciding we are out of there.

The only question that went through our minds apart from WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? was, why would the San Domenico send us here? This didn’t come close to the Lido, so why recommend it?

On the Amalfi Coast if a top resort recommends a jeweler or a beach club there will always be a synergy with the guest. Perhaps because the staff here are older and possibly less worldly, they do not get the subtle differences. But there was definitely nothing subtle about the vibe at this club so we politely backed away and rang Katarina to get a quick turnaround. She was very conciliatory and said, “lets fix it.”



I had noticed this part of the coastline past the Capo Sant’Andrea headland on one of my runs. Our hotel pool attendant, Maurizio had told us we had to see Isola Bella, so this was our chance. It’s a tiny islet covered in leafy, Mediterranean foliage and linked to the beach by a sand spit on this exquisite little cove. It’s a unique, gorgeous setting amongst the palms and bouganvillea of Mendolia Beach.

We decided it would be the perfect launch point to travel along the coastline by boat, a trip (3 hours is enough) that we knew would reveal grottos, coves and the scenic beauty of places only accessible from the sea. I have the explorer bug and wanted to get out on the water. There are plenty of boatmen out on the beach, ready to take you. They have a real local flavour with their hand gestures, dark curly hair and melodic accents, so you know you’re in Sicily.

We spent the morning on beautiful crystal green waters, sometimes passing party boats out for the day; seeing the topography that would be invisible from an inland road - like tiny, cliffside dwellings right out on the edge of a sheer rock face, covered with ivy that trails towards the beach below. The medieval towers of Castelmola village way up high are visible from the water, as is the Capo Taormina coastal road; it’s fun to swap vantage points and see the same sights from the sea.

Best of all: after heating up under the sun, we cooled off with a swim in the magical, cragggy Grotto Azzurra and the waters of Baia delle Sirene, overlooked by the gorgeous Villa Sant'Andrea that was built by British aristocrats in the 1830s. It was a spectacular place for summer fun; I loved that we weren’t just passively observing the scenery, but swimming and sailing through it. If you have a free day it is well worth getting to know the Eastern Sicilian coastline a little better.

We returned to Mendolia Beach Club and once again were shown to front row beach seats that the San Domenico had booked for us. This was amazing considering that we had not booked to come here originally, and in fact only arrived here at Mendolia after 2pm having left Paradise Beach and done a boat excursion first! We loved this beach straight away. The owners were warm and friendly, and could not wait for us to walk over to the restaurant for lunch. (See Places to eat).

A morning run will always stay challenging - and interesting - when the terrain is on such a steep hill. I ran along Taormina’s narrow streets that wind through the centuries-old neighbourhoods, with plenty of old dwellings to catch my eye. When the buildings fell away and I was running past fields, I had great views through the olive and cypress trees down to the rocky coves of the Ionian Sea. Sometimes I could see far enough to another town. It was truly spectacular with lots of variety and ‘light and shade:’ flat, hilly, architectural and natural, rural beauty.

Summer in Sicily is a late night Latin culture where people have their first Sambuca at 10pm and don’t eat until 11 - so I had Taormina almost to myself before 8 am in the morning. One morning, bizarrely, I passed a lady who I run past every day in my harbourside suburb back home in Sydney. Sadly, in the way that people from the same city sometimes keep their distance when they cross paths in a foreign country we didn’t greet each other, keeping our Italian ‘spell’ intact.

From across town I could look back and get the faraway perspective of the coral and pale yellow walls of the San Domenico Palace Hotel rising out of the rock. When I ran all the way down the little winding road that hugs its way around the foundations of the Hotel, I decided to call out from the street, “Sheira” - very Romeo. Another highlight of the run was doing my stretches and exercises in the gorgeous gardens back at the hotel. Rambling and lush rather than manicured, the flowering creepers, potted cacti, geraniums, ivy and arches of trailing vine in the sunshine create a sleepy, Mediterranean oasis where time stops. There were frangipani flowers, banana trees, little orchards and hedges, with beautiful bursts of colour from the bougainvillea. I wanted to go up to the gardeners and say, “My God, you guys are brilliant.” Stretching and taking in the beauty of the grounds, there was no doubt that I felt more alive ! These mornings alone were a wonderful memory, with such great endings. I am sure other runners - or walkers - would love to make the journey around town and come back to the ‘Secret Garden.’ Let me know if you do…