Isola Bella in Taormina: Beach, Cable Car and the Best Way Down
Updated October 8, 2026 · 4 min read
Isola Bella is the small island in the bay below Taormina that everyone photographs from above first. You can look at it from the beach or from the water, and that decides what your half day looks like.
The short answer. The Isola Bella boat trip with a swim stop leaves from the port of Giardini Naxos: two hours, from €31.50, 4.7 stars from 443 reviews. According to the booking page, the programme covers the Grotta dell’Amore, the Blue Grotto and Isola Bella (about 20 minutes), plus a swim stop with snorkelling masks and a Sicilian aperitif of prosecco, soft drinks and almond pastries on board.
On foot or by boat
A cable car runs from Taormina down to Mazzarò, and from there you walk along the water to the island. The operator sets the cable car’s hours and prices, so check them on the day. In return you decide how long to stay on the beach and can combine lunch with a swim.
From the boat you see the island from the sea side, plus the caves along the coast and, according to the booking page, filming locations of “The White Lotus”. The stop at the island lasts only about 20 minutes, and each grotto about five. If you want to lie on the beach for hours, a boat is the wrong booking.
What the booking page restricts
The page lists wheelchair users and people prone to seasickness as “not suitable”. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The route and schedule depend on weather and sea conditions; in bad weather the trip may be rescheduled or refunded. Be at the meeting point at least ten minutes before departure and bring swimwear, a towel and sunscreen. Hotel pickup is not part of the price. The guide speaks English and Italian.
A second boat trip from the same port, with fruit, prosecco and snorkelling gear, is compared in the boat trip from Giardini Naxos. More trips are listed under Taormina boat tours.
