The rooms of Villa Gaia, an enchanting 16th century aristocratic villa situated in the historic centre of Taormina, are just 30 metres from the Cathedral, a notable example of Sicilian Gothic art, and the always lively Corso Umberto, "showpiece" of the town with its numerous little shops, bars, antique shops and exclusive boutiques. Situated in a particularly quiet and evocative area, Villa Gaia is an 'oasis of peace and tranquility' that has breathtaking panoramic views of the splendid Ionian Coast with its crystal-clear azure sea, the 16th century cathedral and the majestic contour of Etna, the highest volcano in Europe with its lower slopes covered in green citrus groves and vineyards.

Let yourselves be tempted by this little corner of paradise, an ideal place for an unforgettable relaxing holiday. Very close to the Villa rooms there is a succession of important historical-cultural attractions, such as Palazzo Corvaja, the San Pancrazio Church, the Sicilian Museum of art and folk traditions, the wonderful Public Gardens with their luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation and the very famous Greek-Roman Theatre.

Examples of destinations not to be missed near Taormina are the very panoramic cliff-top town of Castelmola (5kms from Taormina), an 'eagle's nest' set on top of a hill, suspended between rock and sky and with incomparable views, also the Alcántara Gorge with Fluvial (River) Park of the same name (25kms away), a narrow deep canyon in which the Alcántara river flows, bordered by spectacular walls of column lava up to 50 metres high.

BY CAR: A18 Messina-Catania Motorway, exit Taormina and follow the city centre ‘Porta Messina’ (Messina Gateway) road in front of the motorway tollbooth for about 4kms until you reach the town entrance and the multi-storey Lumbi Car Park. Take the tunnel next to the car park and, at the exit of the tunnel, follow the road climbing up which takes you to the other side of Taormina, arriving at ‘Porta Catania’ (Catania Gateway). When you reach the little square opposite the archway of ‘Porta Catania’, turn left onto a little road which brings you to Via Fazzello No.34 and Villa Gaia after a few metres.

BY TRAIN: Taormina-Giardini Naxos railway station. From any direction, you need to take the Messina-Catania-Syracuse railway line and get off at the Taormina station. From here, you can take a taxi-cab directly to Villa Gaia, or catch a bus which goes to the Bus Terminal at Taormina and from there, take a taxi. The distance from the station to the Villa is about 2kms.

BY PLANE: “Vincenzo Bellini” International Airport of Catania (Fontanarossa). There are three ways to reach Villa Gaia from the airport:

  1. Rent a car and take the A18 Catania-Messina motorway from the airport, exit at Taormina and follow the directions above. The airport has all the major car-rental companies.
  2. Take a taxi directly to Villa Gaia.
  3. Catch the bus which goes directly to Taormina, taking about 1 hour.