Taormina is stunning, but its Greek theatre and the alleyways overlooking the Ionian Sea are now taken by storm, with high prices and queues from spring to autumn. If you are after the same experience — stone villages by the sea, Mediterranean light and Greek roots — these alternatives are just as beautiful and still silent.
Taormina in high season: → the alternatives below are far quieter.
An alternative to Taormina: fishing villages and little-visited stops in eastern Sicily, from the Ionian coast to the Val di Noto.
Very quiet Jun 29, 2026
Perched at 800 metres between the Aspromonte and the Ionian, Bova is the capital of the Greek-speaking area and guards one of Italy's most ancient linguistic minorities.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
A Byzantine fortress on an islet off the Peloponnese: Monemvasia stays invisible until you round the final bend, into a maze of stone alleys.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
On the Gulf of Corinth, Nafpaktos is a fortified Venetian harbour with walls that run down to the sea: quiet Greece with no queues.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026| Destination | Crowding | Recommended months | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not just Taormina: seaside villages of eastern Sicily off the beaten track | Very quiet | May, June, September and October | Italy |
| Bova, where ancient Greek is still a living language | Very quiet | April, May, June, September and October | Reggio Calabria |
| Monemvasia, the Stone Town That Hides in the Sea | Very quiet | April, May, June, September and October | Monemvasia (Laconia |
| Nafpaktos, the Venetian Harbour Greece Doesn't Tell You About | Very quiet | April, May, June, September and October | Nafpaktos (Aetolia-Acarnania) |
Crowding goes from "almost empty" to "very crowded" on our index. Overtourism index