Syracuse & Val di Noto

Ortigia island in the ancient Greek city of Syracuse and the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto; Noto, Ragusa and Modica are all World Heritage Sites.

Syracuse & Val di Noto lies in the southeast corner of Sicily, with the ancient Greek city of Syracuse as its base, covering the provinces of Syracuse and Ragusa. Syracuse was once a Greek city-state that rivaled Athens and the birthplace of Archimedes; its old town on Ortigia island, together with the Neapolis Archaeological Park and the Necropolis of Pantalica, is a World Heritage Site. Eight small towns rebuilt in the Baroque style after the great earthquake of 1693, including Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Palazzolo and Caltagirone, are collectively listed as the "Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto" World Heritage Site. Things to do fall into three areas: ① the city of Syracuse (the old town of Ortigia, the market, the archaeological park and the museum); ② the southeast coast (Vendicari Reserve, Marzamemi, Isola delle Correnti, Fontane Bianche beach); ③ the Baroque towns and canyons of the Iblei mountains (Noto, Modica, Ragusa Ibla, Scicli, Cava Grande and Cava d'Ispica). April–June and September–October have the best weather, and the Greek Theater hosts a classical drama festival in May–July; July–August is scorching and the coast is crowded. Getting there: the nearest airport is Catania (about 60 km, about 1–1.5 hours by bus); there are trains and buses between Noto, Modica and Ragusa but service is infrequent, so renting a car is strongly recommended, and watch for each old town's ZTL restricted zone. Suggested stay: 3–5 days, based in Ortigia or Noto.

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