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!