Just two kilometres from the villa there is the lovely Baroque town of
Noto with its famous cathedral and fascinating palaces, a triumph of Sicilian Baroque. It's a short drive to the other Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily too:
Ispica,
Ragusa Ibla,
Palazzolo Acreide,
Modica, Scicli and many others are within easy reach. A short distance away there is also the beautiful fishing village of
Marzamemi where history seems to ooze from the stones of the buildings as well as
Siracusa and Ortigia. The area abounds in beautiful, long, sandy
beaches and incredible nature reserves such as
Vendicari which is an 8km long expanse of wild fields, lagoons and marshland stretching to the sea, dotted all the way with wild flower
s. The beaches of “
Cala Mosche” and
Eloro (both in the
Vendicari Nature Reserve)
are particularly suitable for those seeking peace and tranquility as well as being landscapes of exceptional beauty, are not to be missed and the lakes of
Cassibile are also well worth a visit (the hike down to the gorges takes about an hour). The local cuisine and wines are excellent and fit for a king, especially in Modica and Palazzolo Acreide.