Letojanni

Holidays to Letojanni offer a slow-paced slice of coastal Sicily. You get pretty winding streets, great local restaurants and a long, sandy beach to laze on.

Small and beautiful

Size-wise, Letojanni doesn’t come on a grand scale, but its narrow sweep of Sicilian coastline certainly maximises its exposure to the sandy shore. 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. And it’s also really close to upmarket Taormina, dubbed the Monte Carlo of Sicily.

Life on the beach

The beach is undoubtedly the star in Letojanni. It’s a long stretch of coarse sand with great views of the rugged hills. Parts of it are designated lido areas, where you pay to bask with the added comfort of showers, sunloungers and parasols. But there’s plenty of scope for free-range sunbathing with the locals on the public stretches, too.

Tranquil town square

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 hero 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.

Days out in Taormina

Apparently, D H Lawrence based his famous character, Lady Chatterley, on an Englishwoman he met while staying in Taormina in the Twenties. And today, with its winding streets, fountains and piazzas, the glamorous town is as inspiring as ever. It also has a massive Greco-Roman amphitheatre with a jaw-dropping backdrop of Mount Etna. A bus will get you there in under 20 minutes.