Giarre holidays

Giarre holidays get top marks on the location front – this place sits between two cities featured in The White Lotus.

On the beaten track

Sicily’s bustling capital city might be on the north side of the island, but it’s the area near the toe of Italy’s boot that lures the most tourists. And that’s exactly where you’ll find Giarre. It’s halfway between Catania, the ancient port city that sits at the foot of Mount Etna, and Taormina – a hilltop town that’s home to a famous ancient Greek theatre and lots of filming locations from The White Lotus. That means daytrips are a doddle. Plus, it’s worth packing your swimming cozzie – a 15-minute drive gets you to the pebble-peppered east coast, also known as the Ionian Riviera.

Churches and crispelle

There’s plenty to fill your camera roll – and your tummy – if you fancy staying put. The neoclassical-style town centre’s awash with the same shades of biscuit beige you’d find in the desert, but instead of sand dunes, you’ve got a big duomo. Step inside this cathedral to see the 2,000 pipes that make up one of the biggest organs in Sicily, then stroll to the Santa Maria della Strada. It was built under Norman rule, making it one of the oldest churches in town. Sit-down lunch breaks come courtesy of osterias serving seafood spaghetti and sfincione, Neopolitan pizza’s doughier cousin, and you’re spoilt for choice on the street food front. The region’s famous for cheesy arancini balls, best followed by sugar-dusted crispelle di riso – fried fritters flavoured with orange and honey.

Souvenir central

Opportunities to take a little slice of Sicily home with you are around every corner. Look out for local specialities like pistachios, olive oil and artisan chocolates, which you’ll find in shops along Corso Italia and Via Callipoli. They’re Giarre’s main shopping streets, which intersect at the site of the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune, and they’re also home to a scattering of boujie boutiques where fashion fiends can splash some cash. Can’t go home without something ceramic? Patterned plates and authentic Moorish heads are in no short supply.