{"id":68,"date":"2026-01-11T13:43:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T13:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/?page_id=68"},"modified":"2026-01-11T17:24:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T17:24:00","slug":"taormina","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/?page_id=68","title":{"rendered":"Taormina"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Welcome to Taormina, Sicily \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9<\/h2>\n<p>Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna as a backdrop, Taormina is one of Sicily\u2019s most stunning towns \u2014 perfect for exploring around the wedding festivities.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/taormina_overview.jpg\" alt=\"Taormina Overview\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Things to See in Taormina<\/h2>\n<h3>Teatro Antico (Ancient Greek Theatre)<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/teatro_antico.jpg\" alt=\"Teatro Antico Taormina\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>One of Taormina\u2019s most iconic landmarks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Built in the 3rd century BC, expanded by Romans<\/li>\n<li>Incredible views over the sea and Mount Etna<\/li>\n<li>Still hosts concerts and festivals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Corso Umberto<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/corso_umberto.jpg\" alt=\"Corso Umberto Taormina\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>The main pedestrian street, full of caf\u00e9s, gelato shops, and boutiques:<\/p>\n<h3>Piazza IX Aprile<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/piazza_ix_aprile.jpg\" alt=\"Piazza IX Aprile Taormina\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>A panoramic terrace with stunning coastal views, especially beautiful at sunset.<\/p>\n<h3>Villa Comunale Gardens<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/villa_comunale.jpg\" alt=\"Villa Comunale Gardens\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Peaceful gardens with exotic plants, fountains, and sea views.<\/p>\n<h3>Isola Bella<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/isola_bella.jpg\" alt=\"Isola Bella\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Charming little island and nature reserve \u2014 perfect for swimming and snorkeling.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Best Beaches Near Taormina<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/beach_taormina.jpg\" alt=\"Beach Near Taormina\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mazzar\u00f2 Beach<\/strong> \u2013 Below town, easy to reach<\/li>\n<li><strong>Giardini Naxos<\/strong> \u2013 Sandy beach with restaurants<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spisone Beach<\/strong> \u2013 Quieter alternative<\/li>\n<li><strong>Letojanni<\/strong> \u2013 Wide sandy stretch with local feel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Excursions &#038; Day Trips<\/h2>\n<h3>Mount Etna<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/mount_etna.jpg\" alt=\"Mount Etna\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Europe\u2019s highest active volcano<\/li>\n<li>Jeep tours, cable cars, and hiking<\/li>\n<li>Wine tours on its slopes are very popular<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Catania<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/catania.jpg\" alt=\"Catania Sicily\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Baroque streets, markets, and historic squares with amazing local food.<\/p>\n<h3>Giardini Naxos<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/giardini_naxos.jpg\" alt=\"Giardini Naxos\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Seaside town with beaches and ancient Greek history.<\/p>\n<h3>Castelmola<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/castelmola.jpg\" alt=\"Castelmola Sicily\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Medieval hilltop village with sweeping views and almond wine.<\/p>\n<h3>Syracuse &#038; Ortigia<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ortigia.jpg\" alt=\"Ortigia Syracuse Sicily\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Historic coastal city with Greek and Baroque architecture.<\/p>\n<h3>Alcantara Gorges<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/alcantara_gorges.jpg\" alt=\"Alcantara Gorges\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Natural volcanic canyon offering hiking, swimming, and nature walks.<\/p>\n<h3>Savoca &#038; Forza d\u2019Agr\u00f2<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/savoca.jpg\" alt=\"Savoca Sicily\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Medieval villages famous for *The Godfather* filming locations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to Taormina, Sicily \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna as a backdrop, Taormina &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/?page_id=68\" class=\"more-link\"><span class=\"more-button\">Continue Reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Taormina<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-68","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182,"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions\/182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannahmatthew2026.com\/Wedding\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}