• Isola Bella - Donated in 1806 by Ferdinand I of Bourbon to Pancrazio Ciprioti, the mayor of Taormina, it was purchased in 1890 by Florence Trevelyan, who enhanced it by building a small house and planting rare and valuable plants. The island was later inherited by lawyer Cesare Acrosso, the godson adopted by Salvatore Cacciola, Florence Trevelyan’s husband.

In 1954, it was bought for 38,000 ₤ by brothers Leone and Emilio Bosurgi, who constructed a village with 12 independent residences and a small swimming pool hidden among the rocks and plants to entertain their friends, entrepreneurs, and bankers.

The Bosurgi family owned Sanderson, a historic citrus processing company in Messina. The company’s bankruptcy in 1982 led to the sale of the family’s assets to cover the company’s debts. Among these assets was Isola Bella with its villa. The first auction was set for 17 October 1984 with a starting bid of five and a half billion lire and a minimum raise of one hundred million, but it attracted no bidders.

Meanwhile, efforts were made to protect the islet. On 8 October 1984, the Sicilian Region, at the request of the Municipality of Taormina, declared Isola Bella a monument of particular historical and artistic interest, describing it as a unique example of naturalistic, historical, and cultural value, and subjected it to protection constraints. The decree considered the island a “natural monument.”

A new auction on 6 March 1985, despite a 20% reduction in the starting bid, also saw no buyers.

In 1990, the island was finally purchased by the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Sicilian Region. In 1998, a nature reserve was established, managed first by the WWF, then by the Province of Messina, and recently by CUTGANA, the environmental protection center of the University of Catania.

With the establishment of the Archaeological Parks in 2010, the management, use, protection, and enhancement of Isola Bella are now the responsibility of the Archaeological Park of Naxos.

Tentative List UNESCO

In 2006, Isola Bella, along with Taormina, was entered into the UNESCO Tentative List to be recognized as a World Heritage Site.

• Grotta Azzurra - This cave is located in the bay of the Marine Park of Isola Bella in Taormina and is named for the bright blue color it takes on during the morning hours, caused by the sun’s rays entering the cave through a crack in the rock.
• Taormina - Taormina is a hill town on the east coast of Sicily, near Mount Etna, an active volcano with trails leading to the summit. The city is renowned for the Ancient Theater of Taormina, a Greco-Roman theater still in use today. Near the theater, cliffs descend to the sea, forming coves with sandy beaches. A narrow strip of sand connects to the tiny Isola Bella, a nature reserve. The tour offers the opportunity to admire the beauty of Taormina and the coastline from the sea.
• Mazzaro - Mazzarò beach has long been one of the most sought-after and elegant beaches in Taormina. Additionally, right in front of the beach is the cable car station that conveniently connects the center of Taormina to the marine area.

• Aperitif featuring almond paste and prosecco