If The White Lotus season 2 put Taormina Sicily on your travel wish list, you are not alone. Since the series landed on screens, searches for White Lotus Italy, White Lotus Sicily and the White Lotus hotel in Sicily have soared — and it’s easy to see why. That impossibly beautiful Sicilian town, the turquoise sea below it, the glamorous hotel perched on the cliff and, of course, where exactly they could recreate Tanya’s spritz.
We had been coming to this corner of Sicily long before The White Lotus turned Taormina into a global set-jetting destination – the spectacular backdrop of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea, ancient ruins, beautiful beaches, glamorous hotels, extraordinary food and wine, and our lovely Sicilian friends and families introduced us to their gems 15 years ago. But on this occasion, we couldn’t help ourselves to put at the centre of the trip the hotel at the centre of The White Lotus season two – the gorgeous San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel.
And while the series capture plenty of the magic, coming back again to Taormina with kids we also had to explore the wider and more adventurous version — one involving climbing volcanoes up to 3,000m, on and inside lava structures, sailing and snorkelling.
The White Lotus Taormina: San Domenico Palace
The star of the second season is San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel, the former Dominican convent dramatically perched above the Ionian Sea. It is every bit as beautiful in real life as it appears on screen, dare I say even more magical in the glorious sunshine and citrus-jasmine-garden fragrances. The historic cloisters, terraces and the infinity pool overlook the sea, with Mount Etna providing the ultimate Sicilian backdrop. The hotel was restored and reopened under Four Seasons in 2021, shortly before filming of The White Lotus season two in 2022.
We didn’t stay there on this trip, but we did go several times for lunches and drinks – please book in advance as no walk-ins are allowed – unless, of course, you are a guest of the hotel, or you happen to be a crazy, fit British young man with an uncle with a yacht, or a brilliantly resourceful Italian girl quietly plotting three steps ahead. San Domenico’s atmosphere is unmistakably glamorous and dramatic — exactly what you’d expect after watching the series. At Anciovi by the pool, lunch comes with that unmistakable holiday feeling — poolside, glamorous and gloriously lazy, with the Ionian Sea stretching out below. Rosso on the terrace has a setting was even more spectacular, with sweeping views across the sea and towards Etna. Both are the kind of lunches that start with “let’s just have some salad and crudo” and several hours later, after a couple of Etna spumante bottles, Palermitan-style swordfish rolls, prawns carnaroli rice, you realise nobody has any clue what time it is. Exactly as lunch in Sicily should be.
San Domenico Palace sits right in the historic centre, just moments from Corso Umberto, so you can combine with fab lunches overlooking the Ionian Sea with afternoon passeggiata in town: boutique shops and ancient stone buildings, flower-filled balconies, beautiful people and gelato stops that are, obviously, essential. And then there is the White Lotus effect. You will recognise locations. You will recognise views. And once you’ve seen the series, it is almost impossible not to mentally place its characters around the town and nearby. But Taormina is much older, stranger and more layered than its television incarnation. The town existed for centuries before HBO arrived, and thankfully it has plenty going on beyond its newfound celebrity status.
We wandered towards the spectacular Teatro Antico di Taormina, the ancient Greek-Roman amphitheatre, where the views are almost as impressive as the ruins themselves. We went with the 6pm tickets, which turned out to be a rather perfect time to visit: the worst of the August heat had softened, the light was beginning to turn golden and the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna provided the sort of backdrop that makes you wonder whether the ancient Greeks had secretly employed a very talented set designer. And then there was the concert. We could have stayed on for an evening performance, and judging by the queues, half of Sicily had decided to do exactly the same. The lines stretched on for what seemed like the length of Taormina itself, snaking down the streets and around the ancient walls. It was one of those wonderfully Italian scenes where nobody seemed particularly bothered — there was chatting, laughing, dressing up, impossibly beautiful high heels on the cobbled stones and generally looking as though queuing for hours super dressed up beneath an ancient Greek theatre was the most natural thing in the world. We settled instead of another classic concert for more cocktails and icecreams, a cheeky swim in the moonlight for kids and adults, by the beach and the pool by our pied a terre, 20min drive at Castello San Marco.
And this was exactly why we loved staying at Castello San Marco by Taormina with the children: after a glamorous afternoon of White Lotus, ancient theatres and Taormina crowds, we could retreat to our own chateau world by the sea. The difference beatween Four Seasons Taormina and Castello San Marco is the geography: rather than being perched dramatically above Taormina, Castello San Marco is down by the sea, near Calatabiano in a historic estate surrounded by a huge Mediterranean park.
4-hectare estate, with citrus trees, gardens and a large swimming pool just metres from the sea, vast, flat grounds where children can disappear into gardens, pool, the sea rather than having to negotiate Taormina’s steep lanes – the distinction can be the difference between relaxing days and afternoons spent saying don’t touch that or where about are you heading.
For two very special evenings, the first and the last in Taormina, including a certain 13 years old birthday, we treated ourselves with lovely gastro dinners at Castello San Marco. There is something rather magical about dressing up a little while the children are still fizzing with birthday excitement, then sitting down to beautifully prepared Sicilian food as the gardens slowly disappear into the evening.
The setting does much of the work: the old castle, candlelight, citrus and jasmine in the air; felt wonderfully grown-up without being remotely stuffy: the lobster gnocchi were superb, the children loved their Milanese, whilst a delightful light and creamy pistachio birthday took centre stage at the end/ by our suite by the moonlight.
For the evenings when we couldn’t face another gastronomic production, there were some wonderfully easy options close to Castello San Marco. Blue Ice by the beach was perfect for a completely casual dinner of cozze, with sandy feet, the sea beside us and the children happy to run around late at night by the sea. Or W Beach Club in Giardini Naxos, a mere 10min drive for lobster paccheri, live DJ and dancing under the stars, with the sea just beyond us — essentially our own version of The White Lotus after dark.
But of course, you shouldn’t come to Taormina and spend the entire holiday beside a swimming pool, the sea or the town.
Mount Etna hikes: the adventure everyone remembers
If there is one thing I would put high on the list of Sicily experiences around Taormina, it is Mount Etna. We loved our Etna trips, including hiking up to 3,000 metres and exploring the forests and where the lava flow stopped at 1,800 metres. Etna gave children and us something that Taormina itself can’t: a proper sense of mountain and volcano adventures.
This isn’t a museum volcano viewed from behind glass. It is an enormous, living landscape of lava, ash, craters and extraordinary black volcanic rock. The landscape changes dramatically as you climb, and the views back towards Sicily and the sea are spectacular. For families, I would plan the Etna experience according to the children’s ages, weather and conditions rather than assuming that getting to the highest possible point is automatically the goal.
We had a fantastic Sunday on the Northest Rift Craters – departure from Piano Provenzana with Andrea @Etna Nord, a wonderful volcanologue guide (boots, helmets and jackets provided). Given August 2026 eruptions, 3,400m summit areas were not advisable, but the trek at 3,000m, the wildest side of Etna volcano and 7km along lava flows were out of this world.
The beauty is in the journey as much as the altitude – the very next day we also tested with Salvatore the 1,800m scenery, including the striking contrasts of the forests and where the lava flow stopped. And naturally, after a morning climbing around volcanic terrain, the prospect of an excellent lunch and wine-tasting becomes even more appealing. Giuseppe at Sicileisure was brilliant and socialised plenty of options, designing a very bespoke tour at 1,800m paired with food and Etna wine tasting – Sicily beyond the ordinary for sure, enjoying fully and without the stress of driving a rental car after the Etna wine tours.
Etna wine tasting and lunch at Gambino
Gambino sits high on the slopes of Etna, and the setting alone makes the journey worthwhile. The winery grows classic Etna varieties including Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante and Catarratto, with the volcanic soils and altitude playing a major role in the character of the wines. There is something particularly enjoyable about tasting Etna wine while actually looking at Etna. It makes the whole concept of volcanic terroir rather less theoretical. The children get the scenery and the novelty of being on the volcano; the adults get the wine. Everybody wins.
Sailing and snorkelling
After all that volcanic terrain, we loved switching landscapes completely and taking to the water. Sailing and snorkelling around Taormina is one of those activities that makes you realise just how extraordinary the geography here is. From the water, the coastline looks completely different, with Taormina rising dramatically above you. Isola Bella is the obvious destination, and the waters around it are ideal for swimming and snorkelling. The Four Seasons itself currently highlights sailing along the coast, including stops around Isola Bella and the Grotta Azzurra for snorkelling. No sightseeing checklist, no climbing ancient steps, no attempt to keep everyone interested in another church. Just swimming, snorkelling, sunshine and the coastline sliding past.
Head down to Letojanni, the little seaside town just along the coast from Taormina, and pick up a boat from the beach for a trip along the Taormina coastline and if you are in luck, seeing dolphins. One little money-saving tip: buy your boat tickets directly in Letojanni rather than booking through your hotel – €55 per adult directly, considerably more sensible than the hotel-arranged option. Aperitivo and snacks on the boat, stay in Letojanni if you are down for a relaxed dinner — tables spilling out towards the water, the sound of the sea, adults and children sandy and slightly feral after all that swimming. We had sea urchin pasta, which felt like exactly the right way to end a day spent sailing the coast: intensely fresh, salty, creamy and gloriously Sicilian and of course more Sicilian wine.
Etna vineyards Relais & Chateaux: Monaci delle Terre Nere
We actually discovered this part of Sicily when the children were younger, when we stayed at Monaci delle Terre Nere. This is a completely different experience from Castello San Marco — and one we still remember vividly. Set on the slopes of Etna, Monaci is an extraordinary wine resort surrounded by vineyards, orchards, gardens and lava-stone landscapes.
Today the estate covers around 25 hectares, with organic farming, its own wines and produce, and a collection of suites and villas scattered through the property. It was one of those places where the children could simply be outside — walking through the gardens and vineyards, discovering the landscape, picking cherries, indulging into lavender lava chocolate cakes and of course their fabulous organic Etna spumante. Elegant, mineral and fresh, with the distinctive character of Etna rather than champagne or prosecco. Traditional champagne method and aged for at least 18 months, alongside the organic wines produced at the estate – Monaci’s commitment to organic farming remains central to the estate today, with wine, olive oil, fruit, vegetables and eggs produced within the property.
Taormina with kids: our formula
Planning and looking back, what worked for us was not trying to make Taormina into one long luxury-hotel holiday. It was the combination. By the sea with vast gorgeous grounds and fantastic cocktails at night; go into Taormina for the beauty, atmosphere, shopping, lunch and White Lotus moments. Climb Etna and lava structures. Drink Etna wine. Take a boat out to Isola Bella and snorkel around. And leave enough time to do absolutely nothing. That last part is important – Dolce far niente. Taormina can easily become an itinerary of ancient theatres, churches, viewpoints, restaurants and excursions. To us, the magic is often in leaving an afternoon or a morning deliberately empty — letting them spend hours in a pool, jumping into the sea, eating granita, or exploring a garden while the adults sit down with a glass of Etna wine.
The White Lotus version vs our Taormina guide
The genius of The White Lotus season two was that it made Taormina feel like the ultimate glamorous escape. We borrowed the Four Seasons for lunch and drinks, we chose Castello San Marco for its sea, pool and enormous grounds. We flew into Catania airport for this trip, went up Etna to 3,000 metres, explored around 2,000 metres, tasted wine at Gambino, sailed and snorkelled around Isola Bella, and remembered why we’d fallen for this corner of Sicily in the first place when the children were younger at Monaci delle Terre Nere. It turned out that the best thing about The White Lotus – re-discovering a beautiful part of Sicily and finding our own way of doing it. And, thankfully, ours involved considerably fewer murders.
