I hope you enjoyed reading “A trip to Sicily: Part 1”. Today, we will continue our virtual trip. A trip to Sicily: Part 2 covers the visit of 2 picturesque places, rich in art, ancient history, and excellent food.
First, we will descend down to Noto, Modica and Ragusa, 3 Baroque towns well known for their stunning architecture. I must confess that they are also rich in steep streets and a lot of steps…and that I skipped climbing some of the towers and churches. I would sometimes sit in a café watching la dolce vita passing by while letting Rob discover hidden places on his own…after a strenuous climb.
We will then drive west to the “Valle dei Templi” (Valley of the Temples) It is a famous ancient Greek archaeological site with well-preserved ruins.
Noto, Modica and Ragusa
Noto is a cute town where most of the sights are on the main street. One of the most notable places is the Church of Santa Chiara, with a tower that leads you to the rooftop terrace, where you can admire Noto from above. Another great sight is the Palazzo Nicolacci di Villadorata, an 18th century palace where you can get a sense of how Sicilian nobles used to live.
After a full day of walking around Noto, you deserve to enjoy a classic refreshing granita at the famous Caffe’ Sicilia. You might wonder “what is a granita?” It is a delicious cold treat that consists of sugar, fruit juice, and crushed ice that you both drink with a straw and eat with a spoon. It is one of my favorite things! We selected our own tasting of 4 different flavors – mandarin, almond, cappuccino and lemon.
If you are having dinner in Noto, I highly recommend the restaurant Il Crocifisso. You have to walk up a steep street, but the effort is totally worth it, as the dinner was one of my favorites from the entire trip. The restaurant is cozy and intimate. We started with a “Sicilian Spritz”, an amazing concoction that included Amara amaro and rosemary. The food was simply amazing. I recommend the arancini with eggplant and Ragusano cheese and the homemade pasta with fennel and sardines (pasta con le sarde), a typical Sicilian dish.
The next stop is Modica, where you will have to see the Cathedral of San Giorgio (beware of the steps!) and the Church of San Pietro. After climbing so many steps, it’s time to visit Antica Dolceria Bonajuto. It is an old-school chocolate shop where we had a yummy and decadent chocolate tasting. Modica chocolate is very different from the usual chocolate as it is grainy, crumbly and rough, and absolutely delicious!
The color is brown, but often not consistent, with a smell of roasted cocoa beans. The most traditional flavors are cinnamon and vanilla, but you will find a wide range of flavors including chili, pistachios, coffee and many others.
The 3rd of the Baroque trio is Ragusa, which is the largest of the three. It is divided into 2 parts – the old town, Ragusa Ibla, and the new town, Ragusa Superiore. I recommend staying in the old town as it will give you more chances to discover all the historical places. A nice place where to take a relaxing stroll is the Gardens (Giardini Iblei). The main square is dominated by the imposing Church of San Giorgio, another Baroque masterpiece. The walk up to Ragusa Superior is quite steep, and is lined with many beautiful churches – well worth it!
For dinner in Ragusa, an amazing experience is Locanda Don Serafino, a 2-star Michelin restaurant set in a beautiful cave-like venue. There you can enjoy an indulgent and luscious 9-course tasting menu with Sicilian wine pairing. The signature dish is tagliolini al nero sepia (black squid ink) with raw red shrimp and ricotta – simply heavenly.
We spent 1 day in Noto and ½ day each in Modica and Ragusa – if we had to do it all over we would have spent 1 full day and night in each. Each town has its own charms, and you can only discover them fully by having the time to wander around.
Valle dei Templi
After visiting the Baroque trio, we head northwest along the Mediterranean coast to Valle Dei Templi, an ancient Greek archaeological site near Agrigento. A full day of walking around the site will take you through some amazingly well-preserved ruins that are 2500 years old. This is a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site, and the main Temple of Concordia is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. A fun fact – the UNESCO symbol was modeled after the façade of the Temple of Concordia.
If you visit Valle dei Tempi, consider staying at the Hotel Villa Athena which is located in the archeologic park. While the hotel is pricey, it is well worth it, not only for its proximity to the park but also for the fantastic views of the temples from the restaurant, pool and rooms. Having dinner overlooking the lit-up temples is a magical experience.
