Letojanni Holidays

Size-wise, Letojanni doesn’t come on a grand scale, but it snags a modest sweep of Sicily's sandy shoreline. It’s a haven for holidaying Italians as well as international tourists, and part of the appeal is the pace – it’s more siestas and sunsets than clubbing here. Upmarket Taormina – dubbed the Monte Carlo of Sicily – is right on your doorstep, too.

The beach is undoubtedly the star in Letojanni. It’s a long stretch of coarse sand with panoramas of the rugged hills. Parts of it are set up as lido areas, where you pay for the added comfort of showers, sunloungers and parasols. If you'd rather stick to the basics, there’s plenty of scope for free-range sunbathing on the public stretches.

The town’s main square, Piazza Durante, is the place where everyone comes for al fresco cappuccino among the shady palms. At one end, you’ll find a bronzed statue of local legend and doctor Francesco Durante, and across the way there’s the impressive façade of the neo-Gothic church of San Giuseppe, done out in Travertin marble.

It's said that D H Lawrence based his famous character, Lady Chatterley, on an Englishwoman he met while staying in Taormina in the 1920s. Today, with its winding streets, fountains and piazzas, the glamorous town's just as inspiring. It's a short jaunt from Letojanni, and lines up a massive Greco-Roman amphitheatre with mighty Mount Etna in the background.