From Isola Bella to the sheltered bay of Mazzarò, and on to Letojanni and Giardini Naxos, each with up-to-date sea conditions so you can choose where to go today.
Taormina looks out over the Ionian Sea from the top of its headland, but below the town, between
Capo Sant'Andrea and Capo Taormina, lies a coast of small tucked-away bays: gravel and pebbles,
clear water and, at the centre, the islet of Isola Bella joined to the shore by a thin isthmus.
You come down from the town by cable car, in a few minutes.
It is a coast open to the east and northeast, so it faces straight out to sea and moves with
easterly winds; the more enclosed bays, like Mazzarò, stay the most sheltered. Further south,
beyond Capo Schisò, opens the long sandy bay of Giardini Naxos. Below are the most beautiful
public beaches, each with today's sea conditions: tap a row to open the full card with waves, wind
and water temperature.
Isola Bella and the Taormina bays
The stretch below Taormina is the heart of the coast: small bays of gravel and pebbles, separated
by headlands, with the islet of Isola Bella as the symbol. The bay of Mazzarò, more enclosed, is
the most sheltered and holds up even on windy days.
The main bay, of fine gravel and small pebbles, between Capo Sant'Andrea
and Capo Taormina, right below the cable car. Its enclosed shape makes it the most sheltered in
the area: it stays usable even when the wind blows.
Isola Bella is a cove of pebbles and gravel beside the islet of the same name, joined to the shore
by a gravel isthmus that emerges or is submerged with the tide. The islet is a Nature Reserve
(zone A): you reach it on foot along the beach, but respect the protected areas and the signs. You
arrive by the Taormina-Mazzarò cable car and a short walk down; the seabed is shallow and stony,
so water shoes are useful.
To the north: Spisone, Mazzeo and Letojanni
Heading north, beyond Mazzarò, the coast continues with more open gravel and pebble beaches, up
to the Letojanni seafront with all its services.
A gravel and pebble beach between Mazzarò and Letojanni, reached by a
flight of steps. More open than the bay of Mazzarò, and so more exposed to easterly winds.
Mazzeo is a mixed beach of sand, gravel and pebbles, easy to reach; just
beyond, Letojanni offers a long seafront of sand mixed with gravel, with services and a railway
station. Convenient and well connected, they are open to the east.
To the south: Giardini Naxos
Beyond Capo Taormina and Capo Schisò opens the bay of Giardini Naxos, with a long seafront and
beaches that change their seabed from one area to the next.
The seafront of Giardini Naxos, with fine golden sand in the Schisò area
and stretches of dark sand and gravel towards Recanati. The bay is wide and open, so more
exposed to winds from the northwest, north and northeast.
When the sea is calm in Taormina and Isola Bella
The coast here is open to the east and northeast, so it moves with the grecale, the levante and
the scirocco and calms down with westerly winds, which blow off the land. The practical rule: in
the morning the sea is usually flatter, before the breeze picks up; when an easterly wind arrives,
head for the bay of Mazzarò, the most enclosed and sheltered in the area, and skip the more open
beaches like Spisone or the bay of Giardini Naxos. MareCalmo takes into account each beach's
exposure to wind and waves, so you can see at a glance where the sea is calmest today.
Practical tips
Go early. In the morning the sea is usually calmer, before the easterly
breeze picks up, and it is easier to find a spot.
Use the cable car. To get down from Taormina to Mazzarò and Isola Bella the
cable car avoids the traffic and the effort of the descent.
Water shoes help. Almost all the beaches are gravel and pebbles, with stony
seabeds.
Respect the Isola Bella reserve. The islet is a protected area: follow the
signs and the permitted routes.
What is the sea like right now?See the calmest beaches in real time, coast by coast.
Isola Bella and the bay of Mazzarò are the most famous, but there is no single most beautiful
beach: there is the most beautiful one today. With an easterly wind even the most scenic bays turn
choppy, while Mazzarò, more enclosed, stays sheltered. That is why it is worth checking the sea
conditions before you set off.
How do you get to Isola Bella?
From Taormina you come down to Mazzarò by cable car and then on foot to the beach: the gravel
isthmus connects the shore to the islet depending on the tide. The island is a Nature Reserve, so
it is worth respecting the protected areas and the signs.
When is the sea calmest?
Usually early in the morning and, with an easterly wind, in the sheltered bay of Mazzarò. The
calm sea today page shows you in real time where
to find it now.
