Taormina is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily , Italy , in the Province of Messina , about midway between Messina and Catania . Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century. It has popular beaches (accessible via an aerial tramway) on the Ionian sea, which is remarkably warm and has a high salt content. Taormina can be reached via highways (autostrade) from Messina from the north and Catania from the south.
The present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site, on a lofty hill which forms the last projecting point of the mountain ridge that extends along the coast from Cape Pelorus to this point. The site of the old town is about 300 m above the sea, while a very steep and almost isolated rock, crowned by a Saracen castle, rises about 150 m higher: this is undoubtedly the site of the ancient Arx or citadel, the inaccessible position of which is repeatedly alluded to by ancient writers.
Just south of Taormina is the Isola Bella, a nature reserve. Tours of the Capo Sant' Andrea grottos are also available. Taormina is built on an extremely hilly coast, and is approximately a forty-five minute drive away from Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.
Many manifestations and events are organized during the summer in Taormina . The exceptional frame for pop and classical concerts, opera and important performances often recorded by television (for example, the ceremony of the Silver Ribbon Award, the Festivalbar, the Kore) is the Ancient Theatre. Since 1983, the most important performances, are realized by Taormina Arte, the cultural institution which organizes one of the most famous music, theatre and dance festivals. Inside the program of Taormina Arte there is the Taormina Film Fest, the well-known cinema festival, the heir of the Cinema Festival of Messina and Taormina , born in 1960, which for about twenty years has guessed the David of Donatello Awards with the participations of the most famous Italian film stars. During the Taormina Film Fest now are awarded the Silver Ribbons, prize created by the Italian Film Journalists.
Since 2005, in October, Taormina Arte has been organizing the Giuseppe Sinopoli Festival, a festival dedicates completely to the great conductor, died in 2001, for many years the artistic director of Taormina Arte