Visitors arriving by sea drop anchor in a wide bay framed by Cape Taormina and Cape Schisò. This coastal stretch holds the archaeological remains of an 8th-century BC Greek colony, sprawling near the Schisò promontory. The town was originally known simply as Giardini, but regional lawmakers appended Naxos in 1978 to formally mark its Hellenic origins.
Home to 9,268 permanent residents, the municipality shifted gear in the 1970s to become a major seaside resort. Regular cruise ship stops now bring steady traffic to the Ionian coast, replacing older maritime routines with beachfront hospitality right below the hills of the Messina province.
Near Giardini-Naxos
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
