Among the wonders of Taormina is Isola Bella. A popular destination for tourists from all over the world, this small island located in the Ionian Sea can be easily reached on foot from the beach of Taormina.

In fact, during low tide periods, a strip of sand emerges from the water on which bathers usually walk to reach it and which makes it, in effect, a peninsula.

The fascinating history of Isola Bella

Isula bedda - so called by the locals - owes its worldwide popularity to the German baron Wilhelm von Gloeden. Also known as Baron Guglielmo, he was a very active photographer in Italy who, falling in love with Taormina, celebrated its beauty by documenting its wonders and making it known all over the world. The name “Isola Bella” is also due to von Gloeden.

The first evidence of the islet emerges from the historical sources in 1806 when Ferdinand I of Bourbon, king of the Two Sicilies, donated the island to the then mayor of Taormina, Pancrazio Ciprioti.

A few years later, it was the British philanthropist and naturalist Florence Trevelyan who acquired the property, paying 14 thousand lire. Exiled to the hot sun of Sicily by Queen Victoria of England as the lover of her cousin and future King Edward VII, Trevelyan had an intuition that will prove to be a winner for the fame of the place: moved by her love for nature, she planted in fact in Isola Bella precious essences and rare shrubs, unobtainable throughout Sicily and still admirable today.

After Trevelyan's death, it was the lawyer Cesare Acrosso, nephew of the English naturalist's husband, who inherited the island and its heritage.

In 1954 it was bought by the Bosurgi brothers. The latter built 12 independent residences and a small swimming pool. Finished at auction to pay off the debts of the family company, it was taken over in 1990 by the current owner, the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Sicily Region.

Since 2010, the management, protection and enhancement of Isola Bella have been the responsibility of the Archaeological Park of Naxos, which regulates access to this wonder with a 4 euro ticket.

Isola Bella, symbol of Taormina (and Sicily)

Isola Bella is today one of the main reasons why tourists choose to visit Sicily.

The "pearl of the Mediterranean" offers an evocative scenery, thanks to the peculiarity of the vegetation and the buildings now abandoned. The latter, which can also be visited inside, exert a strong appeal to all those travelers who love abandoned places.

To embellish this landscape there is also the splendid sea of ​​Taormina. Tourists love to swim to Isola Bella or take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear sea after visiting the island.

Thanks to the thick vegetation, the town also offers an excellent shelter from the sun during the hottest hours of the day.

 

After admiring it from the panoramic veranda, guests of the Hotel Bel Soggiorno can easily reach it by public transport or on foot, leaving their car in the hotel's free parking. Otherwise, in the nearby center of Taormina, there is a cable car that takes you near the small island.

Visit Isola Bella, one of the Sicilian wonders known all over the world: book your room now at the Hotel Bel Soggiorno, just a few minutes away from the pearl of the Mediterranean.