# Noto and Vendicari in a day from Catania: the Baroque Corso, Palazzo Nicolaci, Caffè Sicilia and an afternoon in the reserve An hour and a quarter by car from Catania to walk through Baroque Noto, have a light lunch at the Caffè Sicilia and spend the afternoon on the unbuilt beaches of Vendicari. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sicily/val-di-noto/itineraries/noto-vendicari-day-from-catania-baroque-corso-reserve · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## El día - 08:30 · Salida: 1 h 15 by car (Motorway from Catania to Syracuse and the one that continues towards Gela, Noto exit) - 09:45 · A Baroque walk through Noto: cathedral, Corso and Palazzo Nicolaci (Corso, cathedral and Palazzo Nicolaci · entry to the palace is charged) - 4 min on foot - 13:00 · Caffè Sicilia (Granita, bread with oil or a cannolo · table service with a surcharge) · Caffè Sicilia, € - 15 min by car, 13,6 km - 15:00 · Vendicari Reserve: Unspoilt Beaches, Lagoons and the Old Tuna Fishery (Entry €3.50 · bring water and a parasol) - 19:00 · Vuelta (The reserve closes at 19:30) A day to see the two faces of south-eastern Sicily. In the morning, Noto, the city that rebuilt itself entirely after the 1693 earthquake in the same limestone and the same style, and so looks all of a piece. In the afternoon, a few minutes to the south, the Vendicari reserve, the coast that was saved from building, with beaches, lagoons and an abandoned tuna trap. Between the two, a light lunch at Noto's best-known café. ## Getting there from Spain By plane to Catania, with direct flights from several Spanish cities, and a hire car at the airport. From Catania it is about 75 minutes to Noto along the Syracuse motorway. Without a car, the train on the Syracuse–Ragusa line stops at Noto, but reaching Vendicari is complicated: this plan is designed for a car. ## The day, hour by hour 8:30 · Leave Catania. Motorway towards Syracuse and then the one that continues towards Gela, exiting at Noto. Park outside the old town. 9:45 · Baroque walk through Noto. Walk along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, climb the steps of the cathedral of San Nicolò and turn along Via Nicolaci to see the balconies of Palazzo Nicolaci, with their corbels of grotesque figures. Go into the palace: the stucco staircase, the tea room and the ballroom with the ceiling of Apollo's chariot. 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. Admission is paid; confirm the fee at the ticket office. 13:00 · Light lunch at the Caffè Sicilia. On the same Corso, since 1892. Order "pane, olio e tutto il resto", their bread with oil, tomato, vegetables and cheese to share, and then an almond granita or a cannolo. Half a granita costs €4 and the brioche, €2.50. If you eat at a table, the menu adds 19% for service. Beware: it closes from 9 November to 18 December. 15:00 · Afternoon at Vendicari. About twenty minutes to the south. Enter by the Vendicari gate to see the tuna trap and the Swabian tower and to swim, or by Eloro for the Marianelli and Calamosche trail. The ticket, €3.50, is valid all day. There are no bars or shade: bring water and an umbrella. 19:00 · Return to Catania. The reserve closes at 19:30. In a good hour and a half you are in the city. ## With children The Corso is flat and the monsters on the balconies keep them entertained. At Vendicari, a rucksack is better than a pushchair on the sand, and water shoes if there are stones. The family ticket costs €7. ## Cómo llegar ### By car It is the way for this plan: Catania, Noto and Vendicari, and back. ### By plane Fly to Catania and hire a car at the airport. ### Without a car Only for Noto: train on the Syracuse–Ragusa line. Vendicari, without a car, is complicated. ## Consejos ### Start early In summer, the centre of Noto at midday is an oven. ### Bring everything for the beach At Vendicari there are no facilities. ### Check the Caffè Sicilia dates It closes from 9 November to 18 December. ## Un consejo más ### If it rains Stay in Noto: Palazzo Nicolaci and the municipal library, in the same building, are indoors. ## Cuándo no ir Going in August at midday: the heat on the stone and on the shadeless beaches becomes hard going. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Catania to Noto? About 75 minutes by car along the Syracuse motorway. ### How much does it cost to enter Vendicari? €3.50 per person; €7 for the family ticket. ### Is Palazzo Nicolaci open on Sunday? Yes, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:00. ### Where do you eat in Noto? At the Caffè Sicilia, on the Corso, something light; it closes from 9 November to 18 December.