Taormina has the view. Cefalù has the beach.
Plan your trip →Greek Theatre with Etna. Corso Umberto shopping. Expensive (€120–300/night, €3.50 coffee). Tourist-heavy. The view justifies the visit; the prices don’t justify staying long.
Norman cathedral with Byzantine Christ Pantocrator. Sandy beach IN the town (Taormina’s beach requires cable car descent). La Rocca hike (20 min, free, panoramic). €60–120/night. A real Sicilian town that happens to be beautiful.
Taormina: half-day/evening for the theatre. Cefalù: stay 2–3 nights as a north coast base. Cefalù is the better value and more authentic experience.