Cloud-capped M. Etna, visible from Taormina’s gardens

      The Walk

      The route starts from the beautifully restored Art Deco-style railway station, enveloped in heady orange blossoms that are nothing short of overwhelming in spring. Take the road northeast in the direction of Taormina and after some 300m, where it squeezes through a row of houses, turn off left, following the signpost for the ‘centro’. Right past a grotto-cum-shrine, a ramp leads to a pathway for the winding ascent through scrubby vegetation. Views over the sea are impressive from the word go. After the modest church of Madonna delle Grazie is a stiff but short climb to the verge of a sprawling hotel complex – go left up the stairs to Via Roma. Here it’s well worth detouring briefly right (east) to the delightful shady public gardens Parco Duchi di Cesarò for brilliant views of Etna.

      Resume the uphill stretch on a broader flight of steps alongside Hotel Villa Schuler, then it’s left at the subsequent fork and up in a matter of minutes to the town’s main street, Corso Umberto 1°, close to Piazza IX Aprile (45min from the railway station). In terms of height, you’re halfway now, as Taormina stands 200m above sea level.

      Directly across the road, squeezed between an antique shop and a gelateria, is the narrow arched alleyway Vicolo Stretto, all of 60cm wide. It emerges at a lane in the residential area, where you go right for a brief stretch, then take the next flight of steps uphill. Busy Via Circonvallazione is crossed, and close by (left) is the start of the old mule track for the Castello Saraceno and Via Crucis.

      Climbing gradually above town, a series of steps and ramps passes through a lovely profusion of wild flowers, majestic agave spikes and wild fennel, not to mention the prickly pear outlined on the rocky mountainside. Needless to say there are good views down onto the town’s famous Greek theatre.

      Twenty minutes from the square will see you at the well-placed scenic sanctuary of Madonna della Rocca, a 16th-century church partially built into the limestone bastion, as its curious uneven rocky ceiling reveals. Outside, a vast expanse of the Ionian coast stretches into the distance, with a curve of Calabria on mainland Italy to the northeast. Below, set in the gentle sweep of the bay at modern day Capo Schisò, are the scanty remains of the first Greek colony in Sicily, namely Naxos.

      Just around the corner from the church is drinking water, a modest souvenir stand and the start of the final but brief leg to the castle. At the commanding height of 398m on the very top of Monte Tauro, the 12th-century Castello Saraceno (1hr 15min) occupies the site of the acropolis built in classical times. Several extant lengths of defensive walling, a tower and remains of a cistern can be seen, but the best thing is the panorama: the solemn spread of Monte Etna lays southwest, while the bird’s-eye views over the coast, Taormina and environs are breathtaking. If the castle is closed, enquire at the souvenir stand, as the custodian may be on hand to let you in. Tourist Office Taormina Tel 0942-23243

      Return the same way to Taormina’s centre and the Corso to join the locals on their traditional evening promenade, and from there continue to the railway station (grand total 2hr). Accommodation Affittacamere Il Leone Tel 0942-23878 Casa Grazia Tel 0942-24776

WALK 2

      Castelmola

      This rewarding walk departs from picturesque Taormina to gain the dizzy perch of Castelmola, erstwhile fortress constructed to defend the prominent settlement through the ages. Paved lanes climb to a height of 531m above sea level to reach the peaceful village overlooking the Ionian Sea, Monte Etna and a tract of northeastern Sicily. The return, on the other hand, is on a path that drops through old orchards and wilder hillside colonised by masses of prickly pear, whereas the final stretch is a delightful stroll along Taormina’s main pedestrian-only street. Several steep parts make it unsuitable for the middle of a hot day.

      The Walk

      At the northernmost entrance to Taormina (200m), a short distance uphill from the bus terminal and cable-car is Porta Messina, where the walk starts. Take Via Costantino Patricio in gradual ascent, and turn right at the fountain under the arch onto Via Cappuccini. Curving left the road passes extant arches of a Roman aqueduct, and you bear left again at the next junction onto Via Dietro Cappuccini. A little after a hotel and masses of brilliant bougainvillea take the way signed Salita Branco. The old stepped track, now mostly concrete-ridden, climbs a dry side valley cutting the northern flank of Monte Tauro below the Castello Saraceno, while offering sweeping views back to the Calabrian coast. After the tarmac road for Castelmola is crossed (Via Leonardo da Vinci), a steeper surfaced ramp opposite leads quickly upwards – keep right at the arrow. The original track, for foot traffic only these days seeing as a wider vehicle road has been constructed on a lower level, has been pleasantly paved. It passes beneath buildings constructed in somewhat precarious positions on the cliff edge. A final stretch along the bridge-cum-road, quite a feat of engineering, terminates in the charming shady main piazza of Castelmola (531m). A rest at one of the inviting outdoor cafés to drink in the breathtaking panorama along with an apt refreshment is a suitable reward after the effort of the climb.

      Subsequently it is recommended you follow the side alley on the uphill side of the square. Marked ‘Salita Castello’ it leads through restaurant premises to an even higher lookout point with stunning all-round views (1hr total). The gently sloping flanks of Monte Etna provide a particularly interesting landscape even at this distance: the succession of lava flows can easily be made out, some of the most ancient clearly reaching right down to the coast around Catania.

      Once