Isola Bella in Taormina
As its name suggests, Isola Bella ("Beautiful Island") is among the most stunning tourist attractions in Taormina. Along with the Ancient Theatre, it is part of the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park. It is a tiny, uninhabited island set in the middle of an enchanting landscape. A narrow isthmus, which is sometimes covered by shallow waters, connects it to the shore.
How to Get to Isola Bella from Taormina?
Isola Bella (Isula Bedda in the Sicilian dialect) is located between Cape Taormina and Cape Sant'Andrea, in the area called Taormina Mare.
To get from the center of Taormina down to Isola Bella, you can either walk (the descent takes about 30 minutes but offers several panoramic viewpoints) or take the cable car (€6 one way, €10 round trip), which drops you off in Mazzarò, near Via Nazionale (the SS114 road). Continuing to the right for about 200 meters, on the opposite side of the road, you will find the start of the stairs (134 steps) leading down to Isola Bella.
There is also a bus stop nearby. If you come by car, there is a paid parking lot available near the cable car station.
Once you are on the beach, to reach Isola Bella, you will have to walk across the narrow strip of sand that connects the island to the shore. This appears and disappears depending on the tide level, so you can cross either on dry land (when the island effectively becomes a peninsula) or through water that will reach roughly up to your knees.
Ticket Prices
Access to the beach located in front of the island is free. However, to visit the island itself, you will need to buy a ticket.
Tickets to visit Isola Bella are purchased directly on-site at the ticket office found after crossing the isthmus that separates it from the shore, climbing the few steps at the beginning of the island.
The price of a ticket is:
- Adults: €6
- EU citizens aged between 18 and 25: €3
- Children under 18: Free
Tickets can also be purchased online from the Aditus Culture website.
Note: bring some footwear with you, as you won't be allowed access to the island barefoot!
Sometimes, when weather conditions are unfavorable and water levels rise, Isola Bella remains inaccessible.
Opening Hours
Isola Bella in Taormina is temporarily closed due to the destruction caused by Cyclone Harry.
History of the Island
In 1806, Ferdinand I of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies, donated Isola Bella to Taormina. In 1890, it was bought by Florence Trevelyan, an Englishwoman passionate about gardening who came from a noble family. According to some theories, she had been banished from the court of Queen Victoria due to an alleged affair with Prince Edward, the future King Edward VII.
Florence built a house at the top of the island and designed an English-style garden. Among the local plant species, she planted exotic plants, giving the place a unique and novel character. She is also the one who, a few years later, would create the Villa Comunale park in Taormina.
After passing through the hands of several owners, in 1954, Isola Bella came into the possession of the Bosurgi brothers, wealthy entrepreneurs who owned a major citrus processing company in Messina. They built a residence on the island consisting of several pavilions, perfectly integrated into the surrounding environment: an example of bio-integrated architecture that was ahead of its time. The villa was even equipped with a swimming pool hidden among the trees.
In 1981, the Bosurgi family's firm went bankrupt. Isola Bella was put up for auction twice without success. Finally, in 1992, the island was purchased by the Region of Sicily, and in 1998 it was declared a nature reserve.
Visiting the Island
Isola Bella is a nature museum, renownedfor the beauty and diversity of its vegetation - where exotic plants coexist alongside characteristic Mediterranean shrubs (maquis) - as well as for the way its few structures were integrated into the environment. Among the animal species, the Podarcis sicula medemi stands out, a lizard endemic to the island. Protecting it is the reason why Isola Bella is not illuminated at night.
Several staircases lead you to rooms carved into limestone rocks and to viewpoints from which the wonderful vistas of the Ionian Sea and the area around Taormina are revealed.
Isola Bella Beach
Given the beauty of the surrounding landscape, Isola Bella beach (spiaggia di Isola Bella) is one of the most famous beaches in Taormina, and some even consider it the most beautiful of all Sicily's beaches.
The beach is quite narrow, with stones and pebbles, so it would be wise to bring aqua shoes (there are sharp rocks in the water, as well as sea urchins). Some parts offer free access (spiaggia libera), but they are almost always so crowded that it is hard to find a spot.
The three private beaches (lidi), with sunbeds and umbrellas for a fee (and at a fairly high price), are Lido Pizzichella, Lido Mendolia, and Lido La Plage, which belongs to the nearby La Plage Resort hotel (see also the article on accommodation in Taormina).
On the beach, you will find several bars and restaurants, as well as people offering massage services (quite insistently).
You will also find various proposals for boat trips around the island, including to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra).
If you are a snorkeling fan, bring your equipment. The island is included in the Isola Bella Marine Park, and the seabed is rich in fish, corals, and vegetation.
What should you generally expect from Isola Bella? Wonderful landscapes, high prices, and very large crowds around you.
Our opinion: it is a beach you must see, but it is not necessarily worth spending more than a day there. Instead, it is worth taking a boat trip to see the grottos near Isola Bella and the beauty of the surrounding scenery.
