The Good Hotel Guide has TWO excellent hotels in the beautiful Italian town of Taormina on the east coast of Sicily. So while you’re visiting the luxurious Villa Carlotta and Villa Ducale, here’s a taste of four terrific trips to take.

1. Mount Etna

Take a cable car and jeep up to the spectacular rim of Mount Etna either independently or join one of the many trips on offer. You can also take a scenic trek around the volcano’s earlier lava flows and craters and experience scenery which looks as though it belongs on an episode of Doctor Who.

2. Greek Theatre

Dating back to the early 7th Century BC, the Ancient Greek Theatre ‘Theatro Greco’ is very well-preserved and offers extensive views over the beautiful seascape and back to the distant peaks of Mount Etna. The theatre is just a short stroll from Taormina’s most famous street, Corso Umberto.

3. The Godfather locations

For film fans, The Godfather movies were filmed in some beautiful places surrounding Taormina. See the train station in Taormina-Giardini, the bar in Savoca (have a delicious coffee or granita) and the church in Forza Dagro. As well as seeing the movie locations, visiting these spots gives an interesting insight into life in rural Sicily.

4. Try cooking

Sicily is all about the food – and the wine – so while you’re there book on a cooking course to get some handy tips and enjoy the thrill of making something new. Learning how to make fresh pasta is fun – and eating it washed down with complementary wine is the perfect way to end your cooking session.

Find out more about our hotels in Taormina:

Villa Carlotta

Or have a look at all our luxury hotels in Italy.