Funivia

While Taormina is best known as a famous beach resort, the town itself sits high above the water and the beaches. So it may not be surprising to learn that one of the main attractions in town turns out to be the cable car connecting the town with the beach - the “Funivia.”

“Funivia” sounds a bit like it’s the name of an Italian amusement park ride, but it’s simply the Italian word for “cable car.” The Taormina Funivia connects the town center with the beach at Mazzaro. It makes getting down to the beach or back to your hotel easy and quick, even if you get all the way to the beach and realize you’ve forgotten sunscreen or your book.

There are eight cable cars in the Taormina-Mazzaro Funivia system that are in near-constant rotation, depending on the season. During the busiest months, cable cars run every 15 minutes, and the trip from one end to the other takes less than five minutes. Operating hours are roughly 8am-8pm - again, this depends on the season, so check the timetable when you arrive. Each car can carry up to 12 people.

A one-way ticket costs €3, but if you’ll be staying in Taormina for a a little while and riding the Funivia back and forth on a regular basis, you can buy passes that are good for an entire day, week, or month. There are also tickets that are good for 10 rides at a discount.