Isola Bella - Taormina, Sicily - Coastal View Through the Trees

A high viewpoint above Taormina's coast reveals Isola Bella, sheltered bays and the deep blue waters of the Ionian Sea through a natural frame of trees.

This photograph looks down from the hillside above Taormina towards the brilliant blue waters of the Ionian Sea, with the rocky, vegetation-covered Isola Bella visible along the coast below. Boats scattered across the sheltered water and the buildings descending towards the shoreline emphasize the dramatic difference in elevation between Taormina and its seaside districts. Dark tree trunks in the foreground create a natural frame around the expansive coastal view. Isola Bella is one of the best-known natural landmarks of Taormina and has been protected as a nature reserve since 1998. The small islet is covered by rich Mediterranean and exotic vegetation and is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of beach that can be partly submerged at high tide. In 1890 it was acquired by Florence Trevelyan, whose passion for plants contributed significantly to the vegetation found there today. Viewed from the heights of Taormina, the islet, rocky coves and intensely blue Ionian Sea create one of eastern Sicily's most distinctive coastal landscapes.