# Val di Noto

Baroque south-east Sicily, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake: Noto, Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Scicli, with the Vendicari reserve beside the sea.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sicily/val-di-noto · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## What is the Val di Noto?

The south-east of Sicily, between Syracuse, Ragusa and Catania. In January 1693 two earthquakes flattened some sixty towns in the area, and almost all of them rose again at the same time, in the style of the day: late Baroque. That's why today you see whole towns with churches with curved façades, balconies on carved brackets and grand staircases, all in the same pale limestone, which takes on a honey colour in the sun. Eight of those towns have been World Heritage Sites since 2002: Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Palazzolo Acreide, Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania and Catania.

## Which towns should you see?

Noto is the most harmonious. It wasn't rebuilt on the ruins but on a new site, on a slope about 8 km from the old town, with a grid of streets designed from scratch. Walk the Corso from end to end, climb the steps of the cathedral of San Nicolò, which partly collapsed in 1996 and has been rebuilt, and turn onto Via Nicolaci, the street of the balconies of Palazzo Villadorata: that's the Baroque walk through Noto. In the afternoon the stone glows and the terraces fill.

Ragusa is two towns. After the earthquake, most of the residents moved up to Ragusa Superiore, and the old town was left below, as Ragusa Ibla. They were separate municipalities until 1926 and are divided by the Valle dei Ponti ravine. Walk down to Ibla by the steps of Santa Maria delle Scale, reach the Duomo di San Giorgio, which Rosario Gagliardi began in 1738, and end at the Giardino Ibleo: we cover it in the descent to Ragusa Ibla.

Modica also has an upper and a lower part. From the Duomo di San Giorgio, in Modica Alta, a flight of about 300 steps leads down to Modica Bassa, where San Pietro stands with its bell tower. Modica is also the city of chocolate.

Scicli is smaller and less visited, with Baroque churches at the foot of a hill. If you have one more day, add Palazzolo Acreide, inland, or Caltagirone, famous for its ceramics.

## What's special about Modica chocolate?

It's worked at a low temperature, with no added cocoa butter or other fats and without conching, the long hot beating that makes industrial chocolate smooth. That's why it's grainy, with a texture unlike other bars. In 2018 it became Europe's first chocolate with protected geographical indication, and only chocolate made in the municipality of Modica can carry the name. The Chocolate Museum, in the Palazzo della Cultura, shows its history, with documents of chocolate makers in Modica since 1746 and an 18th-century workshop where they give demonstrations. To see it being made, the visit to the Fattoria di Bonajuto, the city's oldest chocolate maker, ends with a tasting.

## And the coast?

Between Noto and Marzamemi is the Vendicari reserve, officially an Oasi faunistica, with undeveloped beaches, lagoons and an old tuna-fishing station. It has five entrances with parking, from north to south: Eloro, Marianelli, Calamosche, Vendicari and Cittadella. Entry is paid, and on beaches such as Marianelli there are no bars, showers or shade: bring water and a parasol. Everything is on the page for the Vendicari reserve.

And if you go near Syracuse, the boat trip round Ortigia and its caves shows the old town from the sea.

## Where to eat and sleep?

In Noto, have a granita with brioche for breakfast at the Caffè Sicilia, on the Corso since 1892, and sleep inside Palazzo Nicolaci at Seven Rooms Villadorata. In Modica, the home cooking of the Osteria dei Sapori Perduti and the little stone houses of Casa Talía, with a view of the old town. Near Ragusa, the Eremo della Giubiliana is a fortified baglio in the countryside, and for a special meal in Ibla there's Ciccio Sultano's Ristorante Duomo, with two Michelin stars.

## How do you get there and get around?

Fly to Catania, with direct flights from several Spanish cities. From there, Noto and Syracuse are the first towns on the route; Ragusa and Modica lie further west. To tour the area the practical option is a car: the towns are close to one another, but buses and trains have few departures. A good base is Noto, for the coast and Syracuse, or Modica or Ragusa, for the interior. Park outside the historic centres: their streets are narrow and in some of them traffic is restricted.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Etna (a 96.5 km), Gozo (a 118.7 km · Malta)

## Qué hacer
- **A Baroque walk through Noto: cathedral, Corso and Palazzo Nicolaci** (3 h · All): What it is
Noto is the most harmonious city of the Sicilian Baroque because it was built all at once. After the 1693 earthquake it was not rebuilt over its ruins but on a new slope, about 8 km from the old one, with a grid layout planned from scratch and all the limestone of the same tone. That is why it works like a stage set: straight streets, flights of steps, churches that close the vistas and palaces with balconies on carved corbels. It is one of the eight cities of the Val di Noto declared World Heritage Sites in 2002.
This walk brings together the essentials in about three hours on foot, with a paid visit at the Palazzo Nicolaci.
The route
The Corso. The axis of the city is Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which crosses the centre from east to west. Walk it from end to end without hurrying: on either side squares with churches and flights of steps open up, and the streets that rise and fall let you see the city in terraces.
The cathedral of San Nicolò. It is the great stage of the Corso, at the top of a broad staircase facing the town hall. In 1996 the dome and part of the nave collapsed, and the cathedral has been rebuilt. Climb the steps: from the top you have the best view of the Corso. It is a church in use, so respect the hours of worship.
Via Nicolaci and its palace. Turn into Via Corrado Nicolaci, which climbs from the Corso. It is the street of the balconies of the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, with corbels of fantastic figures, grotesques and animals: masks, cherubs, beasts. The palace was designed by Rosario Gagliardi and built between 1720 and 1765 as the residence of the Nicolaci family; it has 90 rooms. You visit the neoclassical stucco staircase that climbs to the piano nobile, the tea room with oriental motifs and the ballroom, with trompe l'oeil and a ceiling showing Apollo's chariot chasing Aurora. In the same building is the municipal library, founded in 1817, with thousands of books, Latin and Spanish manuscripts and a gallery of portraits of illustrious people of Noto.
In May, Via Nicolaci is covered with the Infiorata, pictures made of flower petals.
Hours and price
Palazzo Nicolaci is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00, and on Sunday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:00, according to Italy's official tourism portal. Admission is paid, but we have not found an official published fee: ask at the ticket office. The streets and the cathedral staircase can be walked whenever you like.
Getting there and parking
From Catania, by car, take the motorway towards Syracuse and then the one continuing towards Gela, exiting at Noto. Park outside the old town, in the surrounding streets, and go in on foot: the centre has limited-traffic streets. By train, Noto is on the Syracuse to Ragusa line.
With children
It is a flat walk along the Corso, with steps if you climb to the cathedral. Children usually like the monsters on the balconies of Via Nicolaci: give them the task of counting how many different animals they find. For a break, a granita at the Caffè Sicilia, on the same Corso.
- **Walking Down to Ragusa Ibla and the Duomo di San Giorgio** (3 h · Everyone who can manage steps): What it is
Ragusa is two towns. After the earthquake of 1693, many residents moved to the plateau above and built a new town, Ragusa Superiore, while the old one was rebuilt on its own hill as Ragusa Ibla. They were separate municipalities until 1926. This walk goes down from one to the other on foot, so you see Ibla from above before you enter it, and it ends at its cathedral and its garden.
The route
The descent. Park in Ragusa Superiore and look for the church of Santa Maria delle Scale, at the edge of the plateau. From there the steps lead down towards Ibla, with the old town opposite: rooftops, domes and bell towers crowded on the hill. This is the moment for photos. Bear in mind that what you go down you will have to climb back up.
The streets of Ibla. At the bottom, follow the narrow streets towards the centre of Ibla, with Baroque palaces with carved balconies and a church on every square. There is no need for a set route: almost every street ends up leading to piazza Duomo.
The Duomo di San Giorgio. It closes the square at the top of a flight of steps. It was designed by Rosario Gagliardi, the same architect as the Palazzo Nicolaci in Noto, in 1738, and finished in 1775. The façade rises in three orders of columns, scrolls and statues, like a theatre curtain against the sky, and behind it peeks the neoclassical dome, 43 metres high. Inside there are paintings by Sicilian artists of the 18th and 19th centuries and an organ by the Serassi of Bergamo from 1881. Next door, the Museo del Duomo keeps statues and stones from the earlier church, destroyed by the earthquake. At night, with the square lit up, it is worth a second look.
The Giardino Ibleo. At the other end of Ibla, the public garden is the natural end of the walk: a shady park with benches to rest before the climb.
Opening times and price
The Duomo opens in the morning and the afternoon. Italy's official tourism portal gives 10:00 to 12:30 (Tuesdays until 13:00) and 16:00 to 18:30; the Ragusa council website gives 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:30 to 19:30. Go in the hours where they overlap, 10:00 to 12:30 or 16:00 to 18:30. It is a working church; the official sources do not publish an entrance price. The streets can be walked whenever you like.
Getting there
By car, from Catania, along the Ragusa road. Ibla has a limited-traffic centre, so leave the car in Ragusa Superiore and walk down. If you cannot manage the steps, drive to Ibla and walk from there.
With children
The steps are more tiring on the way up than on the way down: with a pushchair it is awkward, so a baby carrier is better. The Giardino Ibleo is the place for them to run around for a while. For teenagers, the challenge of counting the steps on the way up.
- **Visit to the Fattojo workshop at Bonajuto and a Modica chocolate tasting** (30 min · All): What it is
Modica is the city of chocolate, and the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto is its oldest house: it has made chocolate since 1880, with six generations of the same family, and presents itself as Sicily's oldest working chocolate factory. Its headquarters are in the centre of the city. The visit we suggest is to its Fattojo, the small workshop where they make “bean to bar” chocolate, from the cocoa bean to the bar.
Why Modica's is different
Modica chocolate is worked at a low temperature, without adding cocoa butter or other fats and without conching, the long hot beating that gives industrial chocolate its smooth texture. That is why it comes out grainy, with a texture unlike other bars. In 2018 it became the first chocolate in Europe with protected geographical indication, and only that made in the municipality of Modica may carry the name. The classic flavours are cinnamon, vanilla and citrus, and at Bonajuto also dark ones from 70 to 100% cocoa.
The visit to the Fattojo
It lasts about 30 minutes. They tell you what Modica chocolate is, the history of the house and the Mesoamerican origin of the way it is worked, and you finish with a tasting of its products. It is given in Italian or English; if you prefer another language, you can bring an interpreter. There are visits from Monday to Sunday, except public holidays, with a maximum of 25 people per group. Children up to 5 do not pay.
How to book and how much it costs
You book on Bonajuto's visits website, choosing the day on the calendar. Its public page does not give the price or the exact address of the Fattojo: you will see them when you book. Groups, schools, guides and agencies book by email at booking@bonajuto.it. In summer, book a few days ahead.
Getting there
Bonajuto is in the centre of Modica, at Vicolo Franco Ruta, 1. Park outside the centre and walk down: Modica has an upper and a lower town joined by stairs. From Catania, by car, take the Ragusa road to the Modica turn-off.
Complete the morning
After the tasting, climb the steps of the Duomo di San Giorgio, in Modica Alta, about 300 steps, or go down the Corso to San Pietro. For lunch, the Osteria dei Sapori Perduti is on the same Corso. And if you want to continue with chocolate, the Chocolate Museum, in the Palazzo della Cultura, tells its history with documents on chocolate makers in Modica since 1746.
- **Vendicari Reserve: Unspoilt Beaches, Lagoons and the Old Tuna Fishery** (4 h · Everyone · 3.5): What it is
Vendicari is the stretch of coast between Noto and Marzamemi that was saved from building. Its official name is Riserva naturale orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari, and it protects 1,512 hectares of beaches, lagoons, marshes and old salt pans that attract many birds. Inside there is an abandoned tuna fishery (tonnara), with its chimney by the sea, a tower from the Swabian era and, to the south, Byzantine remains. It is the beach complement to the Val di Noto: a morning of Baroque in Noto and an afternoon here.
The entrances and the trails
It has five entrances with car parks, from north to south: Eloro, Marianelli, Calamosche, Vendicari and Cittadella. The ticket is valid all day, so choose according to what you want to do.

From Eloro to Marianelli and Calamosche. It starts next to the site of the Greek city of Eloro and follows the coast southwards. Calamosche is the best-known beach in the reserve.
The tuna fishery and the Swabian tower. From the Vendicari entrance you reach Vendicari beach, the old tuna fishery and the tower. This is the stretch most recommended for snorkelling, and from the trails you can see the lagoons.
The Cittadella. To the south, the Cittadella dei Maccari trail passes the Trigona and Byzantine catacombs and necropolises.

Opening times and price
It is open every day from 7:30 to 19:30, according to Italy's official tourism portal. Entry costs €3.50, reduced €1.50 and family €7, according to the Sicilian Region's decrees on what is collected at the reserve; you pay at the entrance. The beaches have no bars, showers or shade: bring water, food, sun protection and a parasol.
Getting there
By car from Noto, south towards Marzamemi; each entrance is signposted and has its own car park. Without a car, from Noto station, on the Siracusa to Ragusa line, you can get there by mountain bike along tracks and asphalt. If you are coming from Catania, allow a little over an hour by car.
With children and with a dog
It works well with children if you bring shade and water; for the youngest, a carrier is better than a pushchair on the sand. As for dogs, the official sources we have seen do not publish the rule: ask at the entrance before bringing one, because it is a nature reserve.
- **Boat trip round Ortigia and Syracuse's sea caves** (1 h 15 · All · Desde 10 € per person): What it is
Ortigia is the island where Syracuse was born, the old town of the city. From the sea you understand it at a glance: a city of pale stone enclosed on its island, with houses leaning over the water. This excursion goes round it by boat and enters the natural caves of the Syracuse coast, with stops for swimming. If you spend one or two days in Syracuse from the Val di Noto, as the destination page suggests, it is the easiest way to see Ortigia from another angle and to have a swim without looking for a beach.
Who runs it and how much it costs
It is run by Siracusa in barca, the company of Captain Mirko, the third generation of a Syracuse fishing family. It publishes three routes:

Round Ortigia: about 40 minutes, €10 per person.
Ortigia and sea caves: around 1 h 15 min, €15 per person. This is the one we recommend.
Ortigia, caves and the Syracuse tuna trap: about 3 hours, €30 per person, with a minimum of six.

On the first two, on board there are water, soft drinks, beer, prosecco, wine and limoncello, a little something to nibble, swimming stops and snorkelling equipment. Towels are requested separately. They also hire boats by the hour or by the day and run private trips.
How to book
By phone or WhatsApp on +39 327 468 0749, or with the form on its website, which has a Spanish version. The website does not publish a season calendar: in bad weather or swell, ask before you go. Boarding is at the Riva delle Poste in Ortigia, in front of the fountain.
Getting there
From Catania you arrive by car on the Syracuse motorway, and from Noto on the same motorway heading north. In the centre of Ortigia traffic is limited: park before entering the island and continue on foot to the Riva delle Poste.
With children
The short 40-minute trip is best for little ones. On the caves trip there is swimming in open water: bring water shoes and watch them in the water. Teenagers usually enjoy entering the caves and the snorkelling.
What to bring
Swimsuit on, a towel if you don't ask for one, sun protection, a cap and something warm out of summer: there is a breeze at sea. A waterproof phone pouch avoids scares when entering the caves.

## Dónde comer
- **Caffè Sicilia** (Café, Noto, €). Qué pedir: an almond granita with brioche in the morning, or a ricotta cannolo; in winter, the ricotta crostata
- **Osteria dei Sapori Perduti** (Restaurant, Modica, €€). Qué pedir: the house mixed antipasto to share, then ricotta ravioli with pork sugo or the broad bean macco with wild fennel
- **Ciccio Sultano's Ristorante Duomo** (Restaurant, Ragusa Ibla, €€€€). Qué pedir: at lunchtime, the three-course Valle Santa Domenica menu (€70); in the evening, Siquilia, four surprise courses (€150), or the long Stupor Mundi (€198)

## By car: By Car Through the Baroque Val di Noto
A car is the practical way to get around the Val di Noto: Noto, Modica, Ragusa Ibla and the Vendicari coast are close to one another, but buses and trains have few departures. Pick up the car at Catania airport and, to get around the historic centres, leave it outside: they have narrow streets and limited traffic.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–250 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Seven Rooms Villadorata** (Small hotel, desde 500 € / night): Sleeping inside the Palazzo Nicolaci
Seven Rooms Villadorata occupies a wing of the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, the palace with balconies on brackets carved with grotesque figures on via Nicolaci, the street that is covered in flowers in May for the Infiorata. The hotel entrance is at via Cavour 53, the parallel street above. The palace was built between 1720 and 1765 to a design by Rosario Gagliardi, and since 2009 part of it has been devoted to accommodation. The idea of the house, designed by Cristina Summa, is that you sleep as a guest of the prince: salons with 18th-century frescoes, period furniture and balconies over the historic centre.
The hotel has held the Michelin Key, the distinction the guide gives to accommodation, since 2024. It is open all year.
The rooms
There are ten, rooms and suites, on the upper floors of the palace. The suites are spacious and keep the frescoes; several have a balcony over the heart of Noto and one lets you see the coast on the horizon. The website does not publish the full list of amenities for each room, so if you need something specific, such as an extra bed, ask when you book. The house itself gives prices from €500 a night.
The terrace and the osteria
On the roof is the Terrazza Villadorata, the palace's private terrace, meant for the sunset aperitivo with views over Noto's Baroque. In the old cellars, with pointed arches and barrel vaults, the Osteria Villadorata operates, with its entrance on via Rocco Pirri 19. Its menu, of Sicilian and southern cooking with nods to the eastern Mediterranean, relies on Slow Food presidia. The menu published in 2025 had a four-step tasting menu at €65. It is booked separately, on +39 334 7933384.
Getting there and parking
By car, from Catania you take the motorway towards Siracusa and then the one that continues towards Gela. The hotel has private parking, which in the centre of Noto saves a lot of driving around: ask when you book how to get to it, because the old town has limited-traffic streets. On foot you are a few steps from the cathedral, the town hall and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
What is nearby
The Baroque walk through Noto starts at the door: the cathedral of San Nicolò, the Corso and the visit to the Palazzo Nicolaci itself, with its ballroom. For breakfast or a granita, Caffè Sicilia is on the same Corso. The Vendicari reserve is a short drive south.
- **Casa Talía** (Small hotel): Stone cottages facing the Baroque
Casa Talía is an albergo diffuso, a hotel spread over several cottages, in Modica Alta, the upper part of the town. They are old homes restored with natural materials typical of Sicily, set at different levels of the land around a Mediterranean garden. The name comes from the Sicilian "talìa", which means "look": from the garden you have the old town opposite, with its domes and bell towers. The house defines itself by "slow living", life without hurry, and puts it into practice with few rooms and a lot of garden.
The rooms and the houses
Its website presents eight rooms, each with its own name: Talía, Meridiana, Scirocco, Ginestre, Zenzero, Sciara, Mediterraneo and Sirah. The first four are superior suites, some on two levels; all are doubles. The ceilings are of cane or wood, the stone is left exposed and every floor is different: old pitch stone, terracotta with Arabic designs, desert-coloured cement or antique tiles. All have air conditioning, a safe, television, internet access, a minibar and a separate entrance with key card, and each has its own terrace or balcony. Several look onto the cathedral.
As well as the rooms there are "case", whole houses with a terrace or balcony and the same view, useful if you are travelling as a family or a group.
Pool, breakfast and services
The pool is small and surrounded by garden, with a view over the town and the Duomo di San Giorgio. There is free wifi throughout, a breakfast room with a book exchange, laundry and ironing service, babysitting on request and restaurant booking. They organise guided visits around the area, from Ragusa Ibla and Noto to Vendicari or Etna, rent cars, e-bikes and 50 cc scooters, and run transfers to Catania and Comiso airports. On request they prepare a picnic basket or a dinner with a cook.
Check-in is from 14:00 to 19:00 and check-out from 9:00 to 11:00. They answer the phone from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 20:00.
Getting there and parking
By car from Catania, take the road towards Ragusa on the SS 115 as far as the first turning for Modica Centro. The house asks you to put "Via San Benedetto da Norcia" into the satnav: at the small roundabout take the street on the left down to the "Talia park here" sign, park and follow the signs on foot. Without a car, AST buses link Catania airport with Modica.
What is nearby
From the house you can walk down to Modica Bassa and Corso Umberto, where the Osteria dei Sapori Perduti is, and to the Bonajuto chocolate workshop. Ragusa Ibla is a short drive away.
- **Eremo della Giubiliana** (Hotel): A fortified baglio on the plateau
Eremo della Giubiliana is in the countryside of the Hyblaean plateau, among carob trees and dry-stone walls, halfway between Ragusa and the coast at Marina di Ragusa. From its terraces you can see the Mediterranean and, on clear days, the house says you can make out Malta. It began in the Middle Ages as a hermitage and fortified baglio, the walled farmhouse of the Renna fief, and for centuries it protected the district from raids from the sea. The north tower, recently restored, keeps the stone shield of the Teutonic Order; later the Knights of St John passed through before settling in Malta. In the 18th century it was bought by the Nifosì family, landowners from Ragusa, who turned it into a residence. Today it is a five-star resort.
In the northern part of the grounds a necropolis from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC comes to the surface, with rock-cut tombs and the little channels that diverted rainwater.
Rooms, cottages and villa
No two rooms are alike. The superior rooms keep their stone floors and original furniture, and look onto the garden; there are superior triples for families. The deluxe rooms have stone alcoves and a private terrace over the grounds. The junior suites and suites have rib vaults, wooden beams and period furniture, and some have terraces with views of the coast. Outside the main building there are white stone cottages with their own garden, a porch with barbecue and fireplace, and a villa with its own pool. The website does not publish the total number of rooms or the check-in time: ask when you book.
Food, pool and spa
Breakfast is a buffet with warm bread, home-made cakes, honey, preserves, eggs from their hens and cured meats. The restaurant cooks with what comes from the estate: plateau ricotta made with milk from their pastures, Sicilian black pork raised free-range in the Iblei woods and Sicilian hen, with wines from their cellar. There is a pool and a wellness area, Asphadelus, with massages and treatments. They run cooking classes, ricotta-making and tastings.
Getting there and parking
You need a car. From Ragusa take the SP 25 towards Marina di Ragusa; the Eremo is at kilometre 7.5. Parking is free, in front of the cottages. The house offers private transfers and has, nearby, a private airstrip for guests, with prior authorisation.
What is nearby
Ragusa Ibla is the nearest visit, and for a special dinner you have the Ristorante Duomo there. Modica and its chocolate are a short drive away.

## By plane: Flying to Catania and Driving the Val di Noto
Catania airport is the gateway to the Val di Noto for anyone leaving Spain, with direct flights from several Spanish cities. Noto and Siracusa are the first towns on the route from there; Modica and Ragusa lie further west. The practical thing is to hire the car on landing. You can manage without one, but more slowly: there are AST buses from Catania airport to Modica.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Seven Rooms Villadorata** (Small hotel, desde 500 € / night): Sleeping inside the Palazzo Nicolaci
Seven Rooms Villadorata occupies a wing of the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, the palace with balconies on brackets carved with grotesque figures on via Nicolaci, the street that is covered in flowers in May for the Infiorata. The hotel entrance is at via Cavour 53, the parallel street above. The palace was built between 1720 and 1765 to a design by Rosario Gagliardi, and since 2009 part of it has been devoted to accommodation. The idea of the house, designed by Cristina Summa, is that you sleep as a guest of the prince: salons with 18th-century frescoes, period furniture and balconies over the historic centre.
The hotel has held the Michelin Key, the distinction the guide gives to accommodation, since 2024. It is open all year.
The rooms
There are ten, rooms and suites, on the upper floors of the palace. The suites are spacious and keep the frescoes; several have a balcony over the heart of Noto and one lets you see the coast on the horizon. The website does not publish the full list of amenities for each room, so if you need something specific, such as an extra bed, ask when you book. The house itself gives prices from €500 a night.
The terrace and the osteria
On the roof is the Terrazza Villadorata, the palace's private terrace, meant for the sunset aperitivo with views over Noto's Baroque. In the old cellars, with pointed arches and barrel vaults, the Osteria Villadorata operates, with its entrance on via Rocco Pirri 19. Its menu, of Sicilian and southern cooking with nods to the eastern Mediterranean, relies on Slow Food presidia. The menu published in 2025 had a four-step tasting menu at €65. It is booked separately, on +39 334 7933384.
Getting there and parking
By car, from Catania you take the motorway towards Siracusa and then the one that continues towards Gela. The hotel has private parking, which in the centre of Noto saves a lot of driving around: ask when you book how to get to it, because the old town has limited-traffic streets. On foot you are a few steps from the cathedral, the town hall and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
What is nearby
The Baroque walk through Noto starts at the door: the cathedral of San Nicolò, the Corso and the visit to the Palazzo Nicolaci itself, with its ballroom. For breakfast or a granita, Caffè Sicilia is on the same Corso. The Vendicari reserve is a short drive south.
- **Casa Talía** (Small hotel): Stone cottages facing the Baroque
Casa Talía is an albergo diffuso, a hotel spread over several cottages, in Modica Alta, the upper part of the town. They are old homes restored with natural materials typical of Sicily, set at different levels of the land around a Mediterranean garden. The name comes from the Sicilian "talìa", which means "look": from the garden you have the old town opposite, with its domes and bell towers. The house defines itself by "slow living", life without hurry, and puts it into practice with few rooms and a lot of garden.
The rooms and the houses
Its website presents eight rooms, each with its own name: Talía, Meridiana, Scirocco, Ginestre, Zenzero, Sciara, Mediterraneo and Sirah. The first four are superior suites, some on two levels; all are doubles. The ceilings are of cane or wood, the stone is left exposed and every floor is different: old pitch stone, terracotta with Arabic designs, desert-coloured cement or antique tiles. All have air conditioning, a safe, television, internet access, a minibar and a separate entrance with key card, and each has its own terrace or balcony. Several look onto the cathedral.
As well as the rooms there are "case", whole houses with a terrace or balcony and the same view, useful if you are travelling as a family or a group.
Pool, breakfast and services
The pool is small and surrounded by garden, with a view over the town and the Duomo di San Giorgio. There is free wifi throughout, a breakfast room with a book exchange, laundry and ironing service, babysitting on request and restaurant booking. They organise guided visits around the area, from Ragusa Ibla and Noto to Vendicari or Etna, rent cars, e-bikes and 50 cc scooters, and run transfers to Catania and Comiso airports. On request they prepare a picnic basket or a dinner with a cook.
Check-in is from 14:00 to 19:00 and check-out from 9:00 to 11:00. They answer the phone from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 20:00.
Getting there and parking
By car from Catania, take the road towards Ragusa on the SS 115 as far as the first turning for Modica Centro. The house asks you to put "Via San Benedetto da Norcia" into the satnav: at the small roundabout take the street on the left down to the "Talia park here" sign, park and follow the signs on foot. Without a car, AST buses link Catania airport with Modica.
What is nearby
From the house you can walk down to Modica Bassa and Corso Umberto, where the Osteria dei Sapori Perduti is, and to the Bonajuto chocolate workshop. Ragusa Ibla is a short drive away.
- **Eremo della Giubiliana** (Hotel): A fortified baglio on the plateau
Eremo della Giubiliana is in the countryside of the Hyblaean plateau, among carob trees and dry-stone walls, halfway between Ragusa and the coast at Marina di Ragusa. From its terraces you can see the Mediterranean and, on clear days, the house says you can make out Malta. It began in the Middle Ages as a hermitage and fortified baglio, the walled farmhouse of the Renna fief, and for centuries it protected the district from raids from the sea. The north tower, recently restored, keeps the stone shield of the Teutonic Order; later the Knights of St John passed through before settling in Malta. In the 18th century it was bought by the Nifosì family, landowners from Ragusa, who turned it into a residence. Today it is a five-star resort.
In the northern part of the grounds a necropolis from the 5th to 3rd centuries BC comes to the surface, with rock-cut tombs and the little channels that diverted rainwater.
Rooms, cottages and villa
No two rooms are alike. The superior rooms keep their stone floors and original furniture, and look onto the garden; there are superior triples for families. The deluxe rooms have stone alcoves and a private terrace over the grounds. The junior suites and suites have rib vaults, wooden beams and period furniture, and some have terraces with views of the coast. Outside the main building there are white stone cottages with their own garden, a porch with barbecue and fireplace, and a villa with its own pool. The website does not publish the total number of rooms or the check-in time: ask when you book.
Food, pool and spa
Breakfast is a buffet with warm bread, home-made cakes, honey, preserves, eggs from their hens and cured meats. The restaurant cooks with what comes from the estate: plateau ricotta made with milk from their pastures, Sicilian black pork raised free-range in the Iblei woods and Sicilian hen, with wines from their cellar. There is a pool and a wellness area, Asphadelus, with massages and treatments. They run cooking classes, ricotta-making and tastings.
Getting there and parking
You need a car. From Ragusa take the SP 25 towards Marina di Ragusa; the Eremo is at kilometre 7.5. Parking is free, in front of the cottages. The house offers private transfers and has, nearby, a private airstrip for guests, with prior authorisation.
What is nearby
Ragusa Ibla is the nearest visit, and for a special dinner you have the Ristorante Duomo there. Modica and its chocolate are a short drive away.

## Consejos

### Stroll in the late afternoon
At midday in summer the stone reflects the heat. The best light and atmosphere come at sunset, when everyone comes out.

### Walk down to Ibla
Park in Ragusa Superiore and go down the steps: you see the old town from above before entering it.

### Try chocolate from several workshops
Each Modica chocolate maker has its own flavours, with cinnamon, vanilla, chilli or orange. Tastings are common in the shops.

### Wear comfortable shoes
All these towns are climbed and descended by steps.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need?
Three to five. One day for Noto and Vendicari, one for Ragusa Ibla, one for Modica and Scicli, and one or two for Syracuse and Ortigia, which are next door.

### Can you do it without a car?
It's possible but slow. There are buses between the towns, with few departures, and you'll have to fit the day around their timetables.

### Where should I stay?
In Noto, if you want to combine town and beach. In Modica or Ragusa Ibla, if you prefer the interior and being in the middle of the Baroque.

### When is the Infiorata in Noto?
In May, every year since the 1980s, on Via Nicolaci. Check the dates before booking.

### Are there beaches nearby?
Yes. The Vendicari reserve, between Noto and Marzamemi, has undeveloped beaches. Access is paid and there are no services.

### Why is there so much Baroque?
Because the 1693 earthquake destroyed almost everything at once, and the reconstruction was done within a few decades, in the same style and with the same stone. That's why the towns look all of a piece.