Isola Bella in Taormina: information and advice to visit it
Dear tourist friends, travelers, explorers, sea and nature lovers. Today I will talk to you about another marvelous pearl of our land. I prepared this article with information, advice, and curiosities to discover Isola Bella, one of Taormina’s symbols! This small island is surrounded by crystalline sea and contains tropical plants, which renders it a luminous beauty known throughout the world. Have you never visited this small paradise off the coast of Taormina? It is a must-see place to insert in your next trip to Sicily. Take notes to visit it without making a mistake!
- Isola Bella: where is it, how to park and how to enter
- Isola Bella: history and curiosities
- Isola Bella: an island, a beach, a botanical garden and a naturalistic museum
- Isola Bella and the Naturalistic Museum: ticket cost, timetable, and information for the visit
- When is the ideal period to visit Isola Bella?
- Boat ride on the coast of Taormina: a not-to-be-missed experience to fully discover Isola Bella
- How to reach Isola Bella from Taormina
- Reaching Isola Bella by car
- Reaching Isola Bella by train
- Reaching Isola Bella by bus
Isola Bella: where is it, how to park and how to enter
Isola Bella is located in the province of Messina and more precisely on the Ionian Sea off the coast of Taormina in the area of Mazzarò. It is a small limestone island a couple of meters from the mainland that, during low tide, is connected by a patch of land that allows you to easily reach it by foot. The entrance to the beach of Isola Bella is located on the National Road SS 114, around 200 meters from the cable car station, which connects the sea area to the center of Taormina. Next to the cable car station is a pay parking lot, which will allow you to find more easily a parking space for your car.
Isola Bella: history and curiosities
It is incredible to think of the particularity of the history of Isola Bella. It seems that the island was donated in 1806 by Ferdinand I of Borbon to the mayor of Taormina, Pancrazio Ciprioti, and was later sold in 1890 to Florence Travelyan, a rich English noblewoman, who, for only 14,000 lire, bought this jewel and took care of it. It is because of her that the island has its tropical plants and, above all, the name “Isola Bella”, her personal definition which confirms the love of a place which became her home. The island then bounced from owner to owner, it was later abandoned and pillaged for long periods. Only in 1990 the Region of Sicily bought it and in 1998 it was officially declared a natural reserve. From 2011, the island became the Museo Naturalistico Regionale di Isola Bella (Regional Naturalistic Museum).
Do you know…
- Isola Bella of Taormina, prior to the arrival of Florence Travelyan, had another name: “Scoglio di Santo Stefano”. It had that name because it was in the center of the Bay of Santo Stefano, bordered to the north by the Cape of Sant’Andrea and to the south by Cape Taormina or of San Leo.
- In Italy, there is another “Isola Bella”. It is a small island on Lago Maggiore that hosts the famous Palazzo Borromeo. To confirm the fact that Italy is full of naturalistic, artistical and historical treasures!
Isola Bella: an island, a beach, a botanical garden and a naturalistic museum
Much more than an island! Isola Bella offers a fully-equipped beautiful beach and is also a marine and botanical garden where one can admire extremely beautiful flora and fauna. It is not only a coincidence that Isola Bella became a naturalistic museum, because it is just that: an opened air museum where one can see a landscape without equals. An uninhabited island, which is now visitable, a common heritage for all which has two Victorian style buildings from whose balconies one can admire the natural spectacle around it. A sand and pebble shore…watch your feet! Bring with you some shoes for the rocks, to serenely experience this adventure. For the snorkeling lovers, I vividly advice to bring the necessary equipment to discover one of the most beautiful depths of the coast, or book with Tury a boat tour with snorkeling stops with included underwater equipment!
Beach clubs and small restaurants, right in front of the island, will render your stay much more comfortable and pleasant. You can rent beach cots and umbrellas, make a toast with a good glass of white Sicilian wine and taste Sicilian cuisine.
Isola Bella and the Naturalistic Museum: ticket cost, timetable, and information for the visit
How much is the ticket to enter and visit Isola Bella? The access to the beach of Isola Bella is free, while if you want to visit the naturalistic museum on the island, you must buy a ticket. To go to the island to see the extraordinary flora and the house (now with no furniture) of the noblewoman Florence Travelyan, the entrance fee is 4 Euros (intact)/ 2 Euros (reduced)/1 Euro (reserved for the residents of the province of Messina).
Where to buy the tickets to enter the museum of Isola Bella? You can acquire the tickets directly on the island in the ticket booth or online on the website of Aditus Culture, which manages the bookings.
What are the hours and when it is possible to visit the island? The island and the naturalistic museum are visitable every day from 9am to 7pm (last entrance). The hours can change by the needs of the park. Thus, I advise you to check the website on the official website of Aditus.
Regarding the access of people with disabilities, sadly both the beach and Isola Bella are not accessible (a big deficit for an important site that is in a heavily touristic area).
On the other hand, regarding the access to dogs and other pets, the entrance to Isola Bella is allowed (obviously respecting the rules of civic behavior).
When is the ideal period to visit Isola Bella?
Many of you often ask me when to visit Taormina and Isola Bella and there is no clear answer. Everything depends on your needs and expectations. To answer, I shall ask another question: what type of visitor/tourist are you? If you are a lover of mild climates, from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and a tepid feeling on the skin, then I suggest to visit Taormina and Isola Bella in the spring or in autumn (April-May in the spring and September-October in autumn): you will not find the great confusion of the warm months and the sea water is much cooler to take a pleasant bath among the pebbles of Isola Bella.
If you love the summer atmosphere, the heat, the perfect suntan and never tire in floating on the hot Sicilian sea, I suggest to summer months from June to August, an ideal moment which you can dedicate not only to the visit of Isola Bella but also to all those sea experiences, such as the boat excursions off the coast of Taormina and the snorkeling among the rocks and depths of Isola Bella.
Boat ride on the coast of Taormina: a not-to-be-missed experience to fully discover Isola Bella
Sicily offers many opportunities for those who love the sea and boat rides, in each province (except Enna, which is landlocked), there are traces of marvelous coastlines which are reachable only by sea. And this is also true of the coast of Taormina, which, other than the famous Isola Bella, hides many other treasures only accessible and visitable by a boat ride: you can enjoy extraordinary coastal landscapes dominated by Taormina and Etna on the background, sea caves, hidden bays, strangely shaped rocks, overhanging cliffs on the sea and for those who bath in crystalline waters, exceptional depths.
One of the not-to-be-missed experiences in Taormina that I propose to insert in your vacation is a boat ride to discover Isola Bella from the sea with departure from Giardini Naxos or from the port of Catania. You can choose among private, half and full day excursions, with lunch/dinner and/or aperitif on board. Be careful to not make a mistake! There are many tours online and it is very easy to stumble upon unpleasant experiences. Before booking, always look at the departure site: I do not want you to be in perfect time but not in the right place to hop on board!
Boat ride to discover Isola Bella from Giardini Naxos: itinerary and timetable
If you are already in Taormina and don’t have much time at your disposal, I advise you to evaluate the boat ride off the coast of Taormina with a length of 2 hours with different bathing stops. You can choose the private excursion if you would like the entire boat for yourselves to live the experience in perfect relaxation with the possibility to personalize the itinerary or the group excursion to share with others these moments of fun and conviviality.
You can comfortably choose among these different departure times: 10am, 12 noon, 2 pm, 4pm and 6pm.
Click on the following link to discover the itinerary and the other details of this boat excursion off the coast of Taormina to discover Isola Bella and the sea caves.
Snorkeling tour on a raft with departure on the beach of Isola Bella
An experience thought for snorkeling lovers and it is a raft ride with equipment and guide to discover the depths that surround Isola Bella. This tour departs directly from the beach of Isola Bella and is held twice a day: 11am and 3pm. The length is 1.5 hours and on board you will be pampered with various drinks, fresh fruit and almond-based cookies.
If you are interested in this tour, don’t hesitate to contact me on Whatsapp or by mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information.
Boat ride on the coast of Taormina from Catania: itinerary and timetable
If you are in Catania and want to go to the coast of Taormina comfortably, there is a daily excursion to discover Isola Bella and its coast on board of a yacht.
This boat tour is only in private form and only a maximum of 10 people can go on board. The boat has all the comforts: an ample sundress on the bow, a bathroom on board and a shady area with a tables and sofas. Furthermore, during the stops, the guests can use a two-seat canoe, a SUP and snorkeling masks.
The timetable: departure at 9am from the port of Catania and return at 4pm. On board there is an aperitif and the possibility to request a lunch of typical local products and good Sicilian wine.
For more details on this extraordinary excursion, don’t hesitate to contact me via Whatsapp or by mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
How to reach Isola Bella from Taormina
If you are in Taormina and want to reach Isola Bella, there are many possibilities but the most convenient is the cable car. Convenient, comfortable, and quick, the cable car of Mazzarò (which will help you remember the protagonist of Verga’s “La Roba”) is ideal to reach the beach of Isola Bella, departing from the center of Taormina from Via Luigi Pirandello, 200 meters from the Arch of Porta Messina. The Cable Car of Taormina is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8am to 1am. On Monday, the opening is at 9am. It departs every 15 minutes and the fare is 3 Euros each way, but there are many possible solutions for a pass:
- Single ride – 3€
- Daily – 10€
- Weekly (residents) – 15€
- Monthly (residents) – 30€
- Weekly (non residents) – 50€
- Monthly (non residents) – 100€
To not forget, here is the Maps position of the Cable Car of Taormina (descent)
For those who wish to reach Isola Bella without the cable car, you can do so by foot from Taormina: Go down Via Pirandello until the Isola Bella viewpoint. From there, continue through a
Reaching Isola Bella by car
From Catania – Take the A18 Expressway (Catania-Messina) until the Taormina exit and later “Mare-Isola Bella”. It is possible to park in the Mazzarò parking lot, other than other private lots located on the street.
From Messina – Less than an hour on the A18/E45 Expressway, go towards the Taormina exit and then the “Mare-Isola Bella” one.
From Taormina – Go on the SS114 Orientale Sicula that passes in front of the beach of Isola Bella.
Reaching Isola Bella by train
From Catania – depart from the Catania Centrale train station and take the RV Messina Centrale train. In an hour, after 12 stops, exit at the “Taormina-Giardini Naxos” station. Then take the bus (one every 15 minutes) to easily reach the Taormina Centro, and from there, you can then take the cable car until Isola Bella.
The fare is 6.30€ one way.
From Messina – depart from the Messina Centrale train station and take the Regionale towards Catania Centro. Get off at “Taormina-Giardini Naxos” and take the bus to Taormina Centro. For the athletic types, by foot (the distance to Isola Bella is 2.5 km).
The fare is 6.30€ one way.
To confirm the timetable and to verify eventual changes, I suggest to always visit the Trenitalia official web site.
Reaching Isola Bella by bus
From Messina, it is possible to reach Taormina by bus. The routes are almost every hour and the fare is 4.40€. The stop is Via Pirandello, in Taormina, and from there you can choose to continue by cable car or by foot.
From Catania, it is possible to reach Taormina by bus, and like the Messina directions, the stop is Via Pirandello. There is a bus every half hour and the fare is 5.10€-
To confirm the timetable and to verify eventual changes in times and fares, I suggest to always visit the Interbus official web site.
