What to see in Castelmola

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Last Updated on 30 May 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction

Before we find out what to see Castelmola, let’s start with a little introduction. The town has only about 1,000 inhabitants, and is perched on a mountain overlooking beautiful Taormina. This small village manages to truly offer wonderful views. In the past, however, rather than observing the view, it was thought to check that no enemy ships arrived from the coasts. In fact, Castelmola was born as a stronghold , with the aim of protecting Taormina from possible external attacks. The first inhabitants date back to the Iron Age in the 8th century B.C. and it was inhabited by many peoples such as Greeks, Romans Arabs and Normans.

Tip from Topsecretsicily: Here you will find several guided excursions to Castelmola and the wonderful surroundings.

Saracen Trail

Church of San Biagio, Path of the Saracens, Castelmola / Taormina — Panorama from the church of San Biagio
Andy Bryant – The view from Castelmola

You can decide whether to reach Castelmola by car or on foot, along an ancient path, the same that the Arabs traveled over 1000 years ago to conquer it. In the summer it is quite tiring, given the high temperatures, so if you decide to do it, bring water with you and protect yourself from the scorching sun. The route is uphill and it takes about 3 quarters of an hour before reaching the goal, but the effort will surely be rewarded.

On the way you will pass between prickly pears, almond trees and olive trees and you will enjoy a wonderful view of Etna, Taormina and the sea. At a certain point you will pass under an ancient gate, the entrance to the fortress of Castelmola. Today it is called Porta dei Saraceni, as as previously written, the Arabs crossed it to arrive and conquer the city. Continuing the route you will reach at a certain point the small church of San Biagio which dates back to the 1st century AD and is the oldest in Castelmola. Its interior is practically empty, but it overlooks a beautiful panoramic square. Now you will only have to continue for another 5 minutes and you will arrive at your destination.

St. Anthony Square

Piazza S.Antonio is very characteristic and offers a breathtaking panorama . From here, in fact, you can admire Taormina from above, the hills and the sea on the horizon. On the square there is an ancient church dedicated to the saint (today an auditorium) and the historic Caffè San Giorgio which was opened even in the 18th century and famous for its almond wine, a typical product of Castelmola.

Piazza S. Antonio / Belvedere, Castelmola — © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0

The castle and churches

The castle it was built around the 11th century with the aim of protecting Taormina. Today only a few ruins remain, but the real beauty of this place is the view over Etna, Taormina and the sea. It can be reached by going up a path that starts from the square of S. Antonio.

Also worth visiting is the church of San Nicolò di Bari, built around 1930 is nothing special, but is located in a very characteristic square and has a beautiful panoramic square. Also worth a visit is the church of San Giorgio (17th century) which is located in a small suggestive corner.

Panorama from the castle of Castelmola — View from the Castle – Effems CC BY SA 4.0

Castelmola Castle — Effems , CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Interactive map of Castelmola – Points of interest in purple

To locate yourself once in the area, click on the enlarge symbol at the top right of the map.

Typical products of Castelmola

The typical product par excellence is the almond wine that you can try in the San Giorgio bar, invented by the monks around 1700. The homemade bread is also very good. More tips on what to eat in the province there find here . Here you find the typical Sicilian dishes .