SICILY DMC INCENTIVES – TAORMINA sits across the Strait of Messina, that divides the Region of Calabria from the Island of Sicily. Mother Nature has created a masterpiece here, painting the gorgeous sea into its background. Nature also one of this area’s biggest highlights, extraordinary under a limpid sky and sitting above marine depths where another world waits to be explored. So much like a kaleidoscope of hues, the sea changes from nocturnal blue to crystalline defined by slight blue veins. One of the marvels of this sea? The Aeolian Islands: Lipari, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli, Vulcano, Filicudi and Alicudi are the seven pearls scattered over the waters facing Messina. All of volcanic origin, each contains its individual beauty and historical identity; together, they have been proclaimed a World Heritage Site.
As in the past, Taormina is the main portal to Sicily. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Swabians landed on its coasts and had a heavy influence on culture here and throughout the Island. By exploring the small provincial town, one can discover precious works of art in its churches and palaces, and important traces of great and faraway civilizations. Above all, Taormina, dramatically perched on a precipice (and with a great view of Etna in one direction), is a sheer drop to the sea. Very steep and rocky, its coast is full of small bays colored by a lush maquis and all the blues of the sea. Taormina is considered the “Lady” of the Ionic Coast, port of destination for celebrities and illustrious personages.
The Ancient Theatre, one of the greatest of the Greek-Roman epoch, is immersed in an expanse of olives, oranges and almond groves that fill the air with their exotic perfumes. Behind the theatrical stage, the scene opens up to the moon and stars that capture one’s gaze as reflect their light over the dark sea. Tiny art gems can be found in the alleys of its ancient quarter.