Day 103 - First Full Day in Sicily: Exploring Giardini Naxos, Castelmola and the Coast

Day 103 marked our first full day in Sicily, and we’re starting to settle into a rhythm that seems to work really well for everyone. Most mornings we’re all up around 7am, which feels like the perfect balance. It’s not too early, not too late, and it gives us a relaxed start to the day without rushing.

Because I’d ducked down to the shops the afternoon before, we had everything we needed for breakfast. It was nice to kick the morning off with what felt like a proper Australian breakfast and coffee in our new Sicilian base.

We were still having issues with the Wi-Fi in the apartment though, so I used my phone to hotspot while I checked work emails and caught up on a few things. Nothing urgent had come through overnight, but there were still a handful of emails to respond to and a few bits and pieces to review. By the time I worked through everything it had taken around two hours.

While I was doing that, the kids got stuck into their schoolwork. It went much smoother than it has some days in the past. I think setting clearer expectations around what needs to be done each morning is really starting to pay off. Maddie spent most of her time working on English and multiplication, while Emmett worked through a mix of activities. For him it’s all about repetition and consistency so the concepts really sink in.

Once everyone had finished their morning jobs, we grabbed a quick bite to eat for lunch in the apartment before heading out for our first proper explore of the area.

We started with a walk along the beach just outside Giardini Naxos. The beaches here are very different to the sandy ones we’re used to in Australia. Instead of sand, the shoreline is mostly made up of smooth stones and flat rocks. It actually makes for great stone skipping though, and the water was calm enough that the kids spent ages trying to beat each other’s best skims.

There’s also a playground right along the beachfront, so we stopped there for a while and the kids climbed around and burned off some energy.

The beach itself looked a little rough in places. From what we’ve learned since arriving, Sicily experienced a series of severe winter storms in January 2026 that caused quite a bit of coastal damage across parts of eastern Sicily. High waves and strong winds damaged sections of waterfront promenades, pushed debris onto beaches and knocked parts of sea walls loose in a few towns along the Ionian coast. Walking along the beach you could see where parts of the seawall had broken away and sections of the promenade were still a bit messy, though it didn’t stop people getting out and enjoying the area.

The water itself was beautiful though. Crystal clear and that deep Mediterranean blue that makes you immediately want to jump in.

Not far from the playground we found a small fenced area with ducks wandering around behind a restaurant, which the kids thought was pretty funny. From there we kept wandering along the beachfront for a couple of hundred metres before eventually turning back and heading for the car to explore a bit further afield.

We’d spotted a lookout on the map on the road toward Taormina, so we decided to head up there first.

The lookout was absolutely stunning. From up there you could see straight across the Ionian Sea and back down over Giardini Naxos where we’re staying. The town sits in a sweeping bay with mountains rising up behind it, and on a clear day you can apparently see Mount Etna towering in the distance. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy, so Etna was completely hidden in the clouds, but even without it the view was incredible.

From there we kept driving further up the mountain toward the small hilltop town above Taormina called Castelmola.

The drive up was pretty intense. The road twisted and wound its way up the mountain with plenty of narrow sections where you had to slow right down and wait for oncoming cars to pass. In a few spots it felt like there was barely enough room for one car, let alone two.

Eventually we reached the top and managed to find a small car park before wandering into the town itself.

Castelmola is a tiny medieval village that sits around 500 metres above sea level, perched on a ridge overlooking Taormina and the coastline. The town dates back centuries and is known for its narrow stone streets, old buildings and the ruins of a Norman castle that once guarded the hilltop.

Walking through it felt like stepping back in time. Many of the streets are so narrow that cars simply can’t access them, and everything is connected by little stone stairways and passageways. The views from the edges of the town were incredible, looking down over Taormina and the coastline below.

Despite the beautiful weather it was incredibly quiet. Being the off-season probably explains some of that, and it’s possible some places are still recovering from the winter storms as well. Very few shops were open and there weren’t many people around at all.

After wandering through the streets and taking in the views for a while, we jumped back in the car and headed down the mountain toward Taormina itself.

That’s where we ran into our next challenge.

Parking.

The parking signs around town are pretty confusing if you’re not familiar with them. Some clearly say no parking at all hours, others appear to be reserved for disabled parking or residents, and a few have tow-away warnings. We weren’t completely sure which zones were okay and which weren’t, and the last thing we wanted was a parking ticket on our first full day.

We drove a full loop through town, even passing through the tunnel that runs under the mountain and back out the other side, hoping to find something obvious. But nothing stood out as clearly safe.

After another lap with no luck, we decided to abandon the Taormina parking mission and head back down toward Giardini Naxos instead.

The kids had been talking about gelato most of the afternoon anyway, so that quickly became the new mission.

We eventually found a spot to park down the road from a gelato shop and walked back along the street. The gelato was absolutely worth it. Classic Italian gelato, creamy and full of flavour, and exactly what everyone needed after the afternoon adventure.

Afterwards the kids found another rocky section near the water and went straight back to skimming stones and climbing around the rocks.

Before heading back to the apartment we stopped at a local butcher and picked up some sausages and schnitzels for dinner. Then we ducked into a small supermarket nearby to grab a few extra things we needed.

Back at the apartment Kia emailed the property manager about the Wi-Fi issues. To their credit they were incredibly responsive and someone came out that afternoon to fix it. They also tightened up the shower head which had been a bit loose.

Having the Wi-Fi working properly again was a big help, especially for me staying on top of work while we travel.

After dinner we spent the evening just relaxing and chatting before heading to bed fairly early.

One thing we noticed straight away here is that the temperature balance is the opposite of Austria. In Austria it was freezing outside but beautifully warm inside everywhere you went. Here in Sicily the weather outside is warm and pleasant, but inside the apartment it’s quite cool, even with the heaters on.

It’s just something we’ll need to get used to.

All in all it was a really nice first full day in Sicily. A bit of exploring, a bit of adventure, some great views and plenty of gelato.

The kids are already asking when we can go swimming, so that might be on the agenda tomorrow.