The pearl of the Ionian, joined to the beach by a thin strip of sand
Below Taormina, in the bay of Mazzarò, lies Isola Bella, a small rocky island covered with Mediterranean vegetation, joined to the coast by a thin strip of pebbles and sand that the tides sometimes cover. The water around it, of incredible transparency, takes on every shade of blue and green.
In 1890 the island was bought by an English lady, Florence Trevelyan, who planted rare exotic species and built a small house. Since 1998 it has been a nature reserve, and its garden and house-museum can be visited. The bay is ideal for swimming and snorkelling, and boats leave from the beach to visit the Grotta Azzurra of Capo Sant'Andrea and the nearby coves.
Tip: the cable car links Taormina to the beach of Mazzarò in a few minutes; come early in summer, as the small beach fills quickly.
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