Taormina Isola Bella beach: I visited a social media hyped up beach in Sicily, Italy - it was idyllic, apart from this downfall

I recently visited Taormina in Sicily, a stunning hilltop town that has many a lovely restaurant, coffee shop and shops. The town sits on the east coast of Sicily, near the active volcano Mount Etna.

It is known for the Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient Greco-­Roman theater still used today. It is also now becoming known for boasting a stunning beach called Isola Bella.

Before visiting Sicily I had seen many a video on TikTok and Instagram hyping up the beach - and it looked absolutely perfect with turquoise waters and sunny skies. Of course, Isola Bella sounding like my name too also gave me more of an incentive to visit...

Isola Bella is actually a small island near Taormina. All you have to do is get a cable car down, walk around five to 10 minutes, walk down steps and you are opposite the stunning island and on the beach.

Isola Bella beach has views of the island. So you can easily walk to the island from the beach. Tourists love to swim to Isola Bella or take a refreshing dip in the crystal clear sea after visiting the island.

The beach itself is perfect with the glistening water of the sea, sunbeds plenty, and restaurants on the seafront. I would recommend paying for a sunbed for the day because there is one downfall to the beach and that is the rocks.

The beach is a rocky and pebbly one, which meant getting in and out of the sea was not pain-free. It was a struggle, and it didn’t really make it enjoyable for myself. If you’re a bit of a wimp like me when it comes to things like this, wearing sea shoes is an option. I do prefer sandy beaches, however, the beach of Isola Bella was still stunning and I would return.

It is a beautiful hidden gem of a beach as you have to get to it by cable car and walking down steps. Once you are there you are just at peace with the sound of the ocean and the sun shining. It is one of the idyllic beaches I have visited, and if you are heading to Sicily, and in particular Taormina, I would recommend going!