Taormina

Look for a hostel called The Odyssey in Taormina. It is a very clean place and very inexpensive. They have two private rooms (maybe three) for families, and a dormitory room with bunk beds. I stayed in both types and was very impressed. The bathrooms are okay, showers a bit hard to use and you have a time limit on hot water, but everything is clean.

The hostel is sort of difficult to find. Its not in the middle of town. You have to wind your way through the neighborhoods, but if you see people along the way-usually they’ll help point the way.

One more thing, the back patio of this place has the most amazing view of the coast line. Get a bottle of wine and go watch the sunset from there. Its well worth it!

Great little village on the mountain side, pretty church, magnificent view!

I really liked this town – a little touristy (comparatively speaking with the rest of Sicily but certainly not Italy) but spectacular scenery, where the mountains meet the sea, and with a volcano on the horizon for added effect. The people are friendly, the arena and the botanical gardens are beautiful as is the rocky coastline beneath the town, with Isola Bella (see photo), a beautiful island home for some lucky folk.

I suppose that is why the most wealthy people in the world hang out here. I mean really. This place is incredible. Don’t fail to go up to the theater and check out the views of Etna. If it was good enough to open a Woody Allen movie, it is good enough a place for you.

Of course, I was there in January, and me, my brother and my mother were the only people in the amphitheater, so don’t buy into the idea that these places are all crowds all the time.

For some reason people love to travel at the height of the season and then complain about crowds. Asking WHEN people visited places is very, very important.

Don’t waste time here. It reminded us of what the Italy section of Disney World would be like. Spend your time in real cities.