Taormina Sunset Dolphin Boat Tour & Prosecco Tasting

4.78

(126 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Someone hands me a glass of prosecco before I even realize we’ve left Giardini Naxos behind. The captain—Antonio, who seems to know every inch of this coast—points out the old Greek ruins as we slip past, his voice half-lost in the hum of the boat and the splash of water against the hull. There’s music playing low, but mostly it’s just laughter and the sound of seagulls overhead. I didn’t expect the water to look so clear this close to shore; you can see right down to little flashes of silver darting below us.

We stop near Isola Bella, which I’d only seen in photos before—up close, it’s smaller than I imagined but somehow feels more alive. The air smells salty and sharp, mixed with something floral I can’t quite place. Our guide passes around arancini (still warm) and someone jokes about how many you’re allowed to eat before it’s considered rude. I try swimming for a bit—cold at first, then perfect once you get moving—and when I climb back up, my skin feels tight from the salt and sun.

Later, Antonio cuts the engine out past the Cave of Love and everyone goes quiet for a second, scanning for dolphins. It takes a while—long enough that I almost give up—but then there they are: two or three shapes breaking through the surface just off our bow. Someone cheers; another person fumbles their camera and misses it entirely (I think that was me). The dolphins don’t stay long but it’s enough. On the way back toward shore, Etna is just visible in the haze, pinkish-orange from the sunset. I still think about that view sometimes when things get noisy at home.