The most beautiful hotels on the east coast of Sicily (Taormina and surroundings)
Beautiful places attract beautiful people. Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren, among others, found their way to Taormina, a charming coastal town in eastern Sicily. One for the bucketlist.† These are the most beautiful hotels on the east coast of Sicily (Taormina and surroundings).
To make your trip extra easy and fun, we've collected all our favorite places in one handy Google Maps map of SicilyWith the most beautiful beaches, cozy trattorias, viewpoints, and stylish places to stay that you really shouldn't miss. Open the map on your phone and you'll immediately see where you want to go.
Isola Bella Infinity Suites is an aparthotel overlooking the Ionian Sea and the island of Isola Bella. Bella is an understatement. Infinity does not refer to the infinite views (although they are there), but to the infinity pools which are laid out on all the terraces. It is quiet around the hotel, but the centre of Taormina is only two kilometres away. You can eat there, but you can also just do it in your own apartment. There is no restaurant, but there is a in suite chef.
The Mazzarò Sea Palace is a lot less small-scale than the above, but with 68 rooms and suites not so massive that you feel like you've ended up in an impersonal resort. On the contrary, if we are to believe the reviews, the staff do their best to make you feel at home. The hotel has two restaurants, a bar, private beach, swimming pool, fitness and wellness centre. During the ride to the centre of Taormina you are treated to beautiful views, which you travel by cable car.
Villa Sant'Andrea is a five star Belmond Hotel in Sicily. The villa is a five-minute drive from Taormina, but they don't owe those five stars to the location alone. Villa Sant'Andrea reminds me of a grand hotel, has spacious suites with sea view, a kids club, a restaurant with terrace overlooking the bay of Mazzarò and a rose gold bath. Combined with Italian hospitality you will come a long way.
The east coast of Sicily is beautiful, as is the rest of the island, so a rental car is a must. Via Booking.com you can book everything in one place: from rental cars to (water) taxis and from hotels to apartments.
Also from the La Plage Resort you are within ten minutes at the cable car that takes you to the center. The hotel is one of the RHC Group, which has several hotels in beautiful locations (hello Amalfi Coast). If you feel like you're déjà vu get when you look out the window? Could be right. When you're on the 'right' side, you can catch a glimpse of the set of White lotus.
In Calatabiano, about ten minutes drive from Taormina and close to the coast, there is a historic castle surrounded by citrus trees: Castello di San Marco Charming Hotel & Spa. The castle was restored to its former glory by the Murabito family and the gates are now open to guests again. In and around the castle you feel like you've landed in a fairy tale. Outside: old towers, lush gardens, a chapel, a millstone (old wine cellar) and former workers' cottages. Inside: large halls, arches of lava stone, cozy fireplaces and chandeliers that catapult you straight back to the time of the Sicilian nobility. But then in a dimension with tennis courts, a spa, fitness room and swimming pool. The Sicilian nobility would have been jealous of that.
Ngonia Bay Boutique Hotel began as the dream of a Sicilian family who wanted to combine luxurious hospitality with rediscovering one of the most beautiful corners of the island. Ngonia, from the Greek word for 'corner', is how the ancient Greeks called this hidden cove, caught between sea, sky and mountains. The hotel is located in Milazzo, which (although a little further, about 1,5 hours drive) is a popular stop for those visiting the Aeolian Islands from Taormina. Like the rest of the hotels on this list, Ngonia Bay a lovely swimming pool and it is located on the beach.
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