The short 20-minute climb to the top of Monte Tauro (378m) is not exactly Himalayan but it is steep and the final steps are quite hard work. Your reward is a massive panoramic view over Taormina's rooftops, the Teatro Greco and, beyond, to the coast.
From Via Circonvallazione, a signposted path leads up past the Santuario Madonna della Rocca , and beyond towards the windswept ruins of a Saracen castello (castle). You can't actually get to the castle – a locked gate blocks the path – but it's the views rather than the sights that are the real appeal.
