Cave Ox

Top choice in Mount Etna


Modest Cave Ox is a fabulous spot to sample local produce, including salumi (charcuterie) made from local black pigs. Whether it's a bowl of carbonara tweaked with speck and asparagus, or spectacular pork and wild-fennel sausages, dishes burst with flavour. Pizzas are available in the evenings and owner Sandro Dibella's impressive wine cellar includes his own collaboration with maverick local winemaker Frank Cornelissen.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mount Etna attractions

1. Beach

11.21 MILES

Giardini's long beach (mainly sand and coarse grey pebbles) curves around the crescent-shaped bay between Capo Taormina and Capo Schisò, a lick of…

2. Castelmola

11.24 MILES

For eye-popping views of the coastline and Mt Etna, head for this cute hilltop village above Taormina, crowned by a ruined castle. If you're reasonably…

3. Palazzo Duca di Santo Stefano

11.52 MILES

Just behind Corso Umberto and near Porta Catania, this 13th-century palace was once home to the De Spuches, a noble family of Spanish origin. Now used as…

4. Palazzo Ciampoli

11.6 MILES

The 14th-century Palazzo Ciampoli stands adjacent to the Hotel El Jebel.

5. Santuario Madonna della Rocca

11.62 MILES

Built inside a grotto on Monte Tauro, this small church was founded by the abbot Francesco Raineri in around 1640. According to legend, the Virgin Mary…

6. Monte Tauro

11.65 MILES

The short climb to the top of Monte Tauro (378m) is not exactly Himalayan, but it is steep and the final steps are quite hard work. Your reward is a…

7. Saracen Castle

11.66 MILES

Perched atop Monte Tauro are the (inaccessible) ruins of this castle, built between the 11th and 12th centuries. The castle sits on the former site of…

8. Torre dell’Orologio

11.72 MILES

Located just west of the main square, Piazza IX Aprile, this 12th-century clock tower marks the entrance to Borgo Medievale, Taormina's oldest quarter.