Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo

Originally laid out for Lady Florence Trevelyan, an Englishwoman exiled from Queen Victoria's court following a royal scandal, the six terraced acres of garden are magnificent. Bougainvillea, jasmine and orange blossom spill over every wall, there are plenty of alfresco terraces on every 'level' and the heated outdoor pool is the centrepiece. Inside, the corridors are lined with tapestries, oil paintings and glossy herringbone parquet, every hallway as elegant as the one before. There's also a Dior spa, Le Jardin des Rêves, that offers treatments in a toile-dressed treehouse shaded by cypress trees.

Split between the main villa and the adjacent Villa Flora, the rooms and suites are as sophisticated as you might imagine. Furnished with centuries-old antiques and period paintings, you'll also find crisp white linen and floor-length curtains fluttering in the breeze. Almost every one has its own balcony too, perfectly positioned to frame the Ionian Sea, the terracotta rooftops of Taormina, and Etna's slopes. Bathrooms are adorned in marble and all have Acqua di Parma toiletries, rain showers and large, dual sinks.

The ancient Greek theatre is quite literally next door — stroll in at dawn before the crowds arrive, or return on a summer evening for open-air opera with Etna lit up behind the stage. It's also a short walk to Corso Umberto's ceramic shops and there's a cable car to take you down to the coast. Otherwise, rent one of the hotel's vintage Fiat 500s and whizz between fishing villages and baroque churches, or let the concierge arrange a visit to one of the vineyards on Etna's lava-streaked slopes.