Messina/Taormina
Overall- C Nice views, overcrowded touristy areas, mediocre sites and lack of creature comforts make this my lowest rated port. But some people swear by it. Let's explore why.
Ease of Travel- It is definitely possible to travel to Taormina on your own, but it does involve a few steps and each one feels slower than it should. The train clicks along at a snail's pace, but the bus stops at every little town. The bus from the station up to Taormina must wind its way up, and still stops about a quarter of a mile walk from the town. All that said, I would still never pay the cruise lines $89.95 just to take me there. Messina is walkable, but it isn't a pretty walk.
Quality of Sites- The Greek theatre is, of course, in ruins, and there really isn't anything else up there except amazing views. Even with a degree in theatre, and knowing the history of Greek theatre in Italy, I had seen enough within minutes. The museum in Messina has two large Caravaggios (my favorite artist), but not much else. Churches aren't particularly old, historic or pretty. If you consider shops geared toward tourists a quality site, they certainly have those. Since this is such an important category for us, this area really suffers in our esteem. We hope to get to a more interesting part of Sicily one day to see all the Greek temples etc.
Safety/Comfortable- In Messina, the feel is like a less populated Naples: somewhat grimy, must be on guard, but not near as many people or as much traffic to contend with. Toilets were particularly rough with, of course, no seats, but the one I saw had an inch of water/??? on the floor. Taormina is so touristy, you will mostly be surrounded (actually packed in like a sardine) with other tourists. But, be sure to watch your valuables in these situations as you would never know who took them in the crowd.
Food- The cannoli was special, and the bake shops are a treat for the senses with the variety of marzipan shaped candy and more. Restaurants in Taormina were overpriced and touristy with "Tourist Menus" , which we know means mediocre and pricey and not authentic. In Messina, I saw some decent local places with fair prices. I would wait and eat more authentically and cheaply there.
My 2 Cents- I have not been up to Castelmola, which is supposed to be an even quieter, more beautiful village than Taormina. The beach below Taormina looks amazing, but was also extremely crowded. I assume I will be back, and when I do return, I will be searching for something to enjoy nearby. If hiking is your thing, I have heard fair/good things about Etna. So, until I find something to love about Messina/Taormina, at least I got some good pictures...
Ease of Travel- It is definitely possible to travel to Taormina on your own, but it does involve a few steps and each one feels slower than it should. The train clicks along at a snail's pace, but the bus stops at every little town. The bus from the station up to Taormina must wind its way up, and still stops about a quarter of a mile walk from the town. All that said, I would still never pay the cruise lines $89.95 just to take me there. Messina is walkable, but it isn't a pretty walk.
Quality of Sites- The Greek theatre is, of course, in ruins, and there really isn't anything else up there except amazing views. Even with a degree in theatre, and knowing the history of Greek theatre in Italy, I had seen enough within minutes. The museum in Messina has two large Caravaggios (my favorite artist), but not much else. Churches aren't particularly old, historic or pretty. If you consider shops geared toward tourists a quality site, they certainly have those. Since this is such an important category for us, this area really suffers in our esteem. We hope to get to a more interesting part of Sicily one day to see all the Greek temples etc.
Safety/Comfortable- In Messina, the feel is like a less populated Naples: somewhat grimy, must be on guard, but not near as many people or as much traffic to contend with. Toilets were particularly rough with, of course, no seats, but the one I saw had an inch of water/??? on the floor. Taormina is so touristy, you will mostly be surrounded (actually packed in like a sardine) with other tourists. But, be sure to watch your valuables in these situations as you would never know who took them in the crowd.
Food- The cannoli was special, and the bake shops are a treat for the senses with the variety of marzipan shaped candy and more. Restaurants in Taormina were overpriced and touristy with "Tourist Menus" , which we know means mediocre and pricey and not authentic. In Messina, I saw some decent local places with fair prices. I would wait and eat more authentically and cheaply there.
My 2 Cents- I have not been up to Castelmola, which is supposed to be an even quieter, more beautiful village than Taormina. The beach below Taormina looks amazing, but was also extremely crowded. I assume I will be back, and when I do return, I will be searching for something to enjoy nearby. If hiking is your thing, I have heard fair/good things about Etna. So, until I find something to love about Messina/Taormina, at least I got some good pictures...
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