Via Teatro Greco & Grand Hotel Quarter

This is the quiet, upscale end of Taormina, with grand hotels and a lot of literary and artistic history. It works well for anyone who wants to stay near the best hotels and restaurants, or see the Greek Theatre at a calmer pace than the corso allows. It isn't cheap.

Climbing from the corso toward the ancient Greek Theatre at the northeast end of town, the Via Teatro Greco quarter is the most upscale part of Taormina. It's quieter than the main street and mostly residential, with villa-style grand hotels such as the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo (open since 1873) and some smaller boutique guesthouses. Via Teatro Greco itself is a narrow lane between old stone walls, flowering hedges, and terrace gardens. At the top, the Greek Theatre has one of the best views on the island, with the columns framing Mount Etna and the sea beyond. D.H. Lawrence wrote in this neighborhood, Tennessee Williams drank at the Bar Timeo, and Truman Capote spent several seasons here. The Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, a converted 15th-century Dominican monastery with a well-known cloister bar, sits at the northern end. Hotel security and the lack of nightlife make this one of the safest parts of an already safe town, and it's a good base for a quiet stay near the theatre. Prices are high. After midnight there's little foot traffic on Via Teatro Greco, so walk back along the main corso at night.