Taormina's chief delight is wandering this pedestrian-friendly, boutique-lined thoroughfare. Start at the tourist office in Palazzo Corvaja, which dates back to the 10th century, before heading southwest for spectacular panoramic views from Piazza IX Aprile. Facing the square is the early-18th-century Chiesa di San Giuseppe. Continue west through the Torre dell'Orologio, the 12th-century clock tower, into Piazza del Duomo, home to an ornate baroque fountain (1635) that sports Taormina's symbol, a two-legged centaur with the bust of an angel.

　　You're now in the Borgo Medievale, the oldest quarter of town. On the eastern side of Piazza del Duomo is the 13th-century cathedral. It survived much of the Renaissance-style remodelling undertaken throughout the town by the Spanish aristocracy in the 15th century. Just north of the Corso is the 14th-century Palazzo Ciampoli, adjacent to the Hotel El Jebel. Just to the south (and near Porta Catania) stands the Palazzo Duca di Santo Stefano, a 13th-century palace once home to the De Spuches, a noble family of Spanish origin. It's now used as a functions space, but its Norman Gothic windows and Arab accents make it one of Taormina's architectural pin-ups.