Taormina - Cultural and beautifull place - must be visited
Mount Etna - Live Volcanio - need I say anymore!
The food!!!
I agree with above, Taormina is simply beautiful. The beach resorts below the town itself, accessible by cable car or bare-knuckle drive/bus (its built high into the mountains/cliffs), think its called Giardini Naxos (low gardens) are very touristy, and feel it too.
The views of Etna from Taormina was excellent.
Palermo is far too cluttered, noisy and smoggy. We found
Siracuse too hot! you are almost in Africa down there. Its more of a fishing town. Messina is an old Italian Navy port, and now disused, so there are a lot of sunken Navy boats and destropers in the docks.
Recommend renting a car, but it is NOT for the faint hearted, and I mean that. The twists and turns of the climbs into the hill-top towns and Taormina are very alpine (incredibly steep, narrow, twisty and lots of traffic), and trying to stay ahead of a mad italian in his Fiat 128 doesn't make it easier! Best rollercoaster ride we've ever been on.
Traffic is banned in most of the village of Taormina.
As for night-life, its far from Ibiza, just what we were after.
EDIT: heres the google maps link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?sourcei...ly&fb=1&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=4&ct=image
note the motorway that looks like it goes through the town is actually a tunnel under the mountains, the white heap of spagetti is what you'll be driving on