Messina recommendations

[steilkurve]

Hello. We'll be visiting Messina on an upcoming cruise, our first visit there. What are the recoed excursions? Reading a lot about Taormina. Are we better off just exploring Messina or the former better? Thanks in advance.

[KayAnnie]

We found Taormina pretty, but boring. Some people swear by it, but we weren't impressed. The views are nice, but other than that it is just really touristy and overpriced shopping. If you like cute villages overrun with tourists and really no art, history or culture, it might be for you. The Greek theatre is the one attraction, but is overpriced. You pretty much have to do it if you go, though and we did get the best pictures from up there.

In Messina, they have a pretty good art museum with some Caravaggios. There are also some decent old churches, but the town itself is not that old or pretty. Taormina is a bit of a haul to get to. (We did it on our own with no issues, directions on my website in my signature) And, if you like the beach, there is a very pretty beach just below Taormina that you can get to by cable car called Isola Bella.

[knot knormal]

Au contraire - we fould Taormina to be just lovely. We took the train and then the bus to town...would love to have spent more time there. In fact, a friend recently docked in Messina and I gave them detailed notes on how to get to Taormina, this was her first trip to Europe, she loved it (she did take a taxi not the bus). I think it is a don't miss!

[steilkurve]

Thanks both for the advice.

 

KayAnnie, what would you recommend other than Messina and Taormina in the area? Thought of Mount Etna but we will be with our young daughters and am told the summit can be cold and windy.

 

Savannahrose, do you recommend getting to Taormina on your own or through a ship tour?

[wantocruisemore]

The 12 minute long noon display at the Duomo in Messina is supposed to be noteworthy. I found it by googling you tube for Messina. There's several videos of it. But it only occurs at noon.

[KayAnnie]

If you do Taormina, I do suggest doing the train and bus like the above poster mentioned. You can find directions on my website in my signature. Remember, just like I said before, it was totally personal opinion that we weren't crazy about Taormina. We really like historic stuff and really hate crowds, so those were the drawbacks to us. Most people love it. We have some friends who took a private excursion up to Mt. Etna and really loved it. Also, there is another village further up the mountain that you can take a bus to from Taormina called Castelmola, which looks less crowded and even more beautiful.

[magiccruiser]

I just returned from a 9 day cruise on the Carnival Magic and our day out of the port of Messina was our absolute favorite! I know that sounds crazy after visiting Rome and Florence on the same trip, but the day in Sicily was the most fun, relaxing day we had. We used a local tour guide named Mario Astone (you can google him) and his brother for 2 eight passenger vans to go to Taomina and Castelmola. The price was only 45 Euro per person, much less than the average 87 Euro per person we spent with Rome in Limo for 3 other tours, and way less than Carnival was charging. I can't say enough praise for both the brothers! They were fun, knowledgeable, and professional and planned a great day for us. They met us at the terminal at 8:00 and drove us quickly to Taormina providing history and suggestions of what to do there along the way. Then my favorite part was they left us ALONE with a highlighted map to explore Taormina for 2 and a half hours before lunch. After being led all over Pisa, Florence, Rome, Pompeii, and the Amalfi coast the days before, it was just what we wanted! Mario showed us the best gelateria and recommended the pistachio gelato....nothing like I've ever tasted commercially... sweet and salty at the same time. We walked through the Greek Theatre and took in the beautiful views, and then spent the rest of our time wandering the quaint streets and shopping. Yes, it's touristy, but it has gorgeous views and beautiful balconies everywhere dripping with flowers! Mario met us around noon and then drove us even higher in the mountains, about 3 miles, to the village of Castelmola about 1800 feet above sea level. Talk about views! The large tour buses can't even get to Castelmola because of the small, winding roads. It is much quieter and less touristy than Taormina, so it's a perfect place to have lunch. Mario provided us with compmentary cold drinks and wonderful sweets from a local shop as we arrived. He took us for a short walk through the town and told us its history from 350 BC! Mario had arranged for our group to have a relaxing lunch at an outdoor hillside cafe under umbrellas with a view of the Mediterranean. I absolutely loved the Sicilian grandma who greeted us like family into her restaurant. We didn't even have a chance to order before she plopped down huge plates of bruchetta and caraffes of wine! I ordered a personal pizza and it was the size of my steering wheel! After lunch she brought complimentary glasses of their sweet almond wine which the area is known for (you can buy some in the shops there...very inexpensive). We ended up sitting and chatting with our Cruise Critic friends for a 2 hour lunch, and the Astone brothers never made us feel like we needed to rush to go anywhere. They had told us the tour would be about 6 hours, but they saw we were having such a good time that they added a couple of hours at no charge. On the way back to the ship, they stopped for several photo opportunities and then showed us the highlights of Messina including the astronomical clock and the Duomo. After discussing our day with our fellow travelors, we all agreed that if we could come back to only one place from our trip, this would be it! There are lots of other small villages to explore in the area as well. I hope you have a great time and consider the Astone brothers if you are looking for an easy relaxed day!

[KayAnnie]

Great review magiccruiser! Made me wish we had done that in Messina.

[steilkurve]

Thanks Magiccruiser. We will definitely look up the Astone brothers. Sounds like the perfect tour!

[Phantomshockey31]

Thanks Magiccruiser. We will definitely look up the Astone brothers. Sounds like the perfect tour!

 

Thanks for the great review, magiccruiser!

Question: Can anyone recommend a nice beach within a short bus or taxi ride of the pier in Messina? Thanks!

[vacation fool]

We also spent a day in Sicily and highly recommend Mario and his brother Giovanni. We did the tour to Castemola, passed by Mt Etna, Taoramina and the wonderful Greek theater, then a little tour of Messina and the grand finale to their favorite local bakery where we bought a few delicious treats to take back on the ship. And yes another nice little touch was that after Castemola which was our first stop, Giovanni had a nice little package wrapped up which he took out. They were the most awesome little tarts from a bakery with wild berries on them. These guys are the sweetest and have a grand passion and love of their country. I highly recommend them as well. :D

[knot knormal]

I recommend doing it on your own. Kay's attachment gives directions and it is easy to do. Join your roll call and find others who are doing the same DIY tour.

[cruzmania97]

I just returned from a 12 day cruise on the Carnival Magic. Our stop in Messina (Taormina)turned out to be one of our FAVORITES> We booked a tour through City Discovery which included a boat ride along the coast of Taormina. The boat was really nice, captain spoke great english, and we were able to see alot including Edna, Castlemola, Taormina from the water. We also went into two little caves, saw many of the beaches and resorts from below. After touring the kids (age 9 - 19) all swam in the sea while the adults sampled some Almond Wine (yuck). Then we were taken up the mountain to the town of Taormina where we wandered and had lunch. We found the town charming and wish we had more time to explore. I would highly recommend that you skip Messina and go to Taormina or Castlemola, you will not regret it!

[dolfansam]

Au contraire - we fould Taormina to be just lovely. We took the train and then the bus to town...would love to have spent more time there. In fact, a friend recently docked in Messina and I gave them detailed notes on how to get to Taormina, this was her first trip to Europe, she loved it (she did take a taxi not the bus). I think it is a don't miss!

 

I agree with you. We LOVED Taormina. We did a B2B on the Navigator last month. We went to Taormina on the first leg and loved it so much we asked our guide to take us back on the second.

[Born4Travlin]

We were in Messina last year on the Navigator and this by far was my favorite port. Taormina was a must in my opinion. It is a very quaint, Italian town of which looks exactly like what you think Italy should be. Small street, with the floral Balconies. I am 100% Italian and I had the best Cannoli and Pizza I have ever eaten at a little cafe on the hill. We thouht it was beautiful and very worth seeing. The views are breathtaking. We took a taxi from the port to Taormina which is about 45 minute drive and was about $45 Euros per person roundtrip. Our driver dropped us off and picked us up later in the afternoon. It was absolutely fantastic and a must see in my opinion.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Pictures from a recent Messina walk

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalMagic/May_01_2011/index.htm#MES

 

Pictures from a recent Taormina on Your Own tour:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalMagic/May_10_2011/index.htm#MESS

 

Pictures from a prior private tour to Castelmola and Taormina:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/CarnivalDream/GrandMed/index.htm#mes

[cknic]

We were in Messina last year on the Navigator and this by far was my favorite port. Taormina was a must in my opinion. It is a very quaint, Italian town of which looks exactly like what you think Italy should be. Small street, with the floral Balconies. I am 100% Italian and I had the best Cannoli and Pizza I have ever eaten at a little cafe on the hill. We thouht it was beautiful and very worth seeing. The views are breathtaking. We took a taxi from the port to Taormina which is about 45 minute drive and was about $45 Euros per person roundtrip. Our driver dropped us off and picked us up later in the afternoon. It was absolutely fantastic and a must see in my opinion.

We will be in Messina Sept 4 on the Noordam but only from 7am to 1pm. Would rather not do a ships excursion so was very happy when I read your post about Taormina. Sounds like how you spent your time there is exactly what we want. Just wish we had more time so we could see Castlemola also. No trouble finding a taxi for the round trip? Could you negotiate the price or is it set? thanks.

[Sargent_Schultz]

I think a taxi price of 150 euros with 2 hours in Taormina is what I heard.

[Born4Travlin]

We paid 45 Euros per person for the roundtrip ride to and from Taormina. We loved this and I tell everyone about it. It is quite a ride up the mountain to Taormina, but once there you will really enjoy it. Just ensure your driver comes back for you in plenty of time to reach the ship. Also, the stores close for lunch each day, so get right off the ship and grab a taxi outside the port and go. I don't know about any private tour guides, but I am sure they are out there. Enjoy!!!

[BklynBorn47]

Thought of Mount Etna but we will be with our young daughters and am told the summit can be cold and windy.

 

 

Our family of 7 (3 children 9,12,15) did an all day tour on June 20th also with Mario Astone (actually his brother Ig****o). Mario was driving the another group.

 

Our first stop was Mt Etna and we all thoroughly enjoyed walking around the crater. The weather was fine but you could take along a sweatshirt or light jacket as a precaution. Our guide provided all the prerequisite knowledge of the volcano on the drive up, including the fact that lava was actually flowing on the north slope which is why we visited the south slope.

 

Then at the restaurant at Castelmola we had a wonderful view of the volcano we had just walked along.

 

A great day!

[BklynBorn47]

OK, in my above post I was just writing Mario's brother's name. I'll misspell it this time - Ignacio! although the c should really be a z. He spelled it for me.

[Sargent_Schultz]

We paid 45 Euros per person for the roundtrip ride to and from Taormina.

 

How many people?

[hubofhockey]

Our family of 7 (3 children 9,12,15) did an all day tour on June 20th also with Mario Astone (actually his brother Ig****o). Mario was driving the another group.

 

Our first stop was Mt Etna and we all thoroughly enjoyed walking around the crater. The weather was fine but you could take along a sweatshirt or light jacket as a precaution. Our guide provided all the prerequisite knowledge of the volcano on the drive up, including the fact that lava was actually flowing on the north slope which is why we visited the south slope.

 

Then at the restaurant at Castelmola we had a wonderful view of the volcano we had just walked along.

 

A great day!

 

Thanks for the review. We have a tour of Mt Etna and Taormina booked with Mario in August. I think Cruise Critic blots out Mario's brother's name because it has the 4-letter term for atrocious WWII era germans in it. We'll bring sweatshirts.

[teacherman]

Eight of us did the "Godfather" tour with a company named SicilyLife. We did several small villages where scenes from the Godfather movies were filmed, Taormina, and Castlemona. Nice restaurant for lunch. A GREAT day and reasonable price. This was 2 years ago.

[NJ Cruisers]

Does anyone have an e-mail for Mario Astone? Sounds like he does great tours. Thanks!