Taormina (Sicily)

A medieval hilltop town spilling across the slopes of Etna; an ancient Greco-Roman amphitheatre carved into the cliffs; the tiny paradisical Isola Bella rising out of the Ionian Sea. Any one of these treasures would cast a spell; Taormina holds them all. Explore the pretty bays, grottoes and beautiful pebble beaches below. Stoll amongst historic palazzi, churches and piazzas; shop ceramics and chic boutiques; eat Sicilian caponata, pasta alla norma or pasta alici paired with Sicilian white wine. Or head up the slopes of Mount Etna, through rolling hills of olive groves, vines and apricot trees until the landscape becomes barren, lunar-like, otherworldly.