What to Do in Noto, Sicily: Baroque, Beaches, and Day Trips

With 2,000+ years of history to discover and beautiful beaches just a stone’s throw from the historic centre, Noto in southeastern Sicily – and the surrounding area – offers visitors plenty to do. Let me share with you a breakdown of the best places to visit, experiences to enjoy, options for day trips nearby and much more based on my own direct experiences.

Noto and the nearby coastline might not be as famous as other parts of Sicily when it comes to beaches, but you’ll still find beautiful stretches of sand, peaceful coves and some of the clearest waters in eastern Sicily. Let’s take a look at the three best beaches close to Noto:

Heading north from Noto, along Sicily’s eastern coast you’ll find the town of Avola. This small town is connected to Noto via the same train line that goes to Syracuse, making getting here viable via public transport. Trains take less than 10 minutes, and from Avola’s train station you can either walk, take a taxi or jump on a local bus to travel the 2km to the beautiful sandy beach here. You’ll find traditional Italian beach clubs (stabilimenti) offering waterside dining, drinks and sunbed/deckchair rental.

Located in the protected Vendicari Nature Reserve roughly 10km from Noto, this small cove beach is a great place to enjoy snorkelling in the shallow bay. Calamosche is the place to be if you’re looking to be immersed in nature, as it’s a great base for hiking the paths of the nature reserve. Or, if you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can visit nearby coves such as Cala Loco and Cala Giusy, taking less accessible paths or kayaking from Spiaggia di Calamosche.

Also found within the boundaries of the Vendicari Nature Reserve, Eloro is larger and more sandy than Calamosche (above), but doesn’t offer the same experience if you’re looking to snorkel. However, something unique about this beach is that there is a small, ruined ancient Greek theatre just a few paces from the sand and water, close to the car park.

For both Calamosche and Eloro beaches, unfortunately there are no direct public transport links from Noto so you’ll need to drive or take a taxi, but the serenity of these excellent beaches is well worth the effort. Note that you won’t find sunbed rental or any permanent amenities here as disruption to the local environment is kept to a minimum, but you are permitted to bring towels and small chairs as long as nothing is left behind at the end of your visit.

If you enjoy Sicily’s cuisine (incidentally, my favourite in Italy’s pantheon of regional cuisines), you’re in luck in Noto. The town and nearby area is full of amazing places to eat and drink, where limited space means competition is fierce and quality high almost everywhere as a result.

One of my top things to do in Noto during the day is a self-guided food tour, as some of my all-time favourite foods come from this island. Here’s a loose route that I’ve enjoyed many times over the years:

Forget pastries – those are for breakfast on the Italian mainland. A traditional Sicilian breakfast is granita, served with a plump brioche bun. If you’re unfamiliar with granita, it’s a semi-frozen mix of water, natural ingredients (typically citrus fruits, or nuts) and sugar. It doesn’t contain milk, meaning it has an almost gritty texture, unlike gelato which is smoother. The combination of granita’s sweet coarseness and the smoothness of a freshly baked brioche is my all-time favourite way to start the day, at any time of the year (but it’s especially welcome in the heat of the Sicilian summer).

My go-to spot for granita is Caffè Costanzo, a few steps from Piazza del Duomo, which also offers other traditional Sicilian specialities such as martorana – almond sweets made to imitate the island’s iconic fruits.

Sicilian street food is all about convenience; intended to be eaten on the go, and kept relatively light to avoid slowing you down during hot days. I’d recommend embracing this ethos by stopping at any of the small bars you’ll see around Noto and getting yourself an arancino (fried rice ball), sfincione (a pizza-like flavoured bread), or whatever the bar has on offer that day. I can honestly say I’ve never been disappointed when I’ve grabbed something on a whim around town, so head inside wherever takes your fancy.

Aperitivo, the hours before dinner (usually 17:00-20:00) where you unwind from a day of work or sightseeing with a drink and some light snacks, is my favourite time of the day. In this part of Sicily, I enjoy it especially as my favourite red wine (period.) is made here; Nero d’Avola. It’s a rich, deep red wine produced extensively in the Val di Noto, and is typically the go-to wine for most restaurants in Noto.

However, I’d recommend making your way to Enoteca Val di Noto who have an extensive collection including the area’s best Nero d’Avola. This wine bar also offers organic wines, international wines and other specialities, all waiting for you to sample them in their picture-perfect courtyard, ideally situated away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets.

For dinner, Sara and I will almost always venture out of Noto to enjoy an authentic Sicilian meal in the surrounding countryside. This will mean either driving or taking a taxi (restaurants will happily organise this for you on request), but the effort is rewarded with some of the best quality food in all of Italy.

Our top spot is Masseria degli Ulivi, around 20 minutes (12km) from Noto where they use only local ingredients and traditional recipes to create truly authentic dishes, served in a tranquil and peaceful environment. Believe me when I say that this restaurant has been in my top five places to eat in Italy since our first visit in 2015. Since then I’ve explored the entirety of this country, and have only found a few other places that come close to the Masseria’s quality.

Beyond what Noto town and the immediate area has to offer, it’s also a great base from which to explore more of Sicily (and beyond) – here are some day trip suggestions:

Before Noto was rebuilt in its current location at the end of the 1600s and early 1700s, the original town was around 14km away. Now referred to as ‘Noto Antica‘ (Ancient Noto) evidence of human habitation goes back over 2000 years to when the area was home to the native Sican people.

While the archaeological area of Noto Antica is small compared to other Sicilian sites, you’ll find fairly impressive ruins here which are fascinating to explore and a nice way to appreciate the area’s wider history.

The best way to reach Noto Antica is via road, with a journey time of around 25 minutes. Alternatively, consider booking a guided tour where your transport and entrance to the site will all be covered and organised. Being so close to the modern town, an average visit to Noto Antica including travel normally takes two to three hours maximum.

Like Noto, much of Ragusa was rebuilt following the devastating earthquake of 1693, and the town features more examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture. The most famous site in Ragusa is the Duomo di San Giorgio (Cathedral of Saint George), located in the heart of the historic centre. Owing to its position in the hilly countryside, Ragusa’s layout is less organised than Noto’s, but this elevation creates a unique sense of drama when visiting – we love stopping for a coffee in Piazza Duomo, looking up the cathedral towering above.

Ragusa is reachable via train from Noto with an average journey time of 1.5 hours. The train station in Ragusa is a short distance from the old centre (Ibla district, sometimes called Ragusa Ibla), which means taking a local bus or taxi to reach the Baroque city centre. With this in mind, consider allocating a full day to get to, from, and around Ragusa during your Sicilian itinerary.

Modica is yet another example of a town reborn after the famous earthquake of 1693, with large parts benefiting from the same reconstruction program as Noto and Ragusa in the late 1600s and early 1700s. The town’s principal sites such as the Duomo di San Pietro Apostolo and Duomo di San Giorgio are a little more spaced out, but the effort taken in reaching them is rewarded with breathtaking views of the town and local countryside.

Modica is famous also for its legacy as a centre of chocolate production. During the period of Spanish control of Sicily (1400s-1700s), cacao from the New World was introduced to the island, and a thriving chocolate industry developed. One of the best places to indulge in this edible history is Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, where chocolate is made following recipes and techniques now hundreds of years old. I personally love their super rich, almost jet black, 100% cocoa chocolate and will go out of my way when in this part of Sicily to pick some up.

Modica is on the same train line as Ragusa, but a little closer to Noto, meaning a typical rail journey to and from here takes an hour. The train station is located in the town centre, and by following the main streets of Via Vittorio Veneto and Corso Umberto you can walk to the main points of interest in around 20 minutes. This means it is viable to visit Modica comfortably on a half day excursion from Noto.

Deep in the Sicilian countryside are the remains of one of the best-preserved ancient Roman villas anywhere in the world. This sprawling complex was likely home to a member of the imperial family, an extremely wealthy merchant, or the island’s governor. Experts can’t decide based on current evidence, but what is obvious to anyone who visits is that the opulence of the villa can’t be disputed.

The most striking feature of this site is the incredibly well-preserved mosaics which are still in situ, and still as detailed as they were some two thousand years ago when they were laid.

Due to its remote location (between 140-190km from Noto, depending on the route taken), the most direct option for getting to the Villa Romana is by car. The drive takes around two hours on average each way, meaning you should allow a full day to visit the site. An alternative to driving yourself would be to book a tour which includes pick-up and drop-off in Noto – take a look at your options here:

On Sicily’s east coast you’ll find the provincial capital of this part of the island, Syracuse, and within it, the island district of Ortigia. Syracuse has long been at the centre of events in this corner of Sicily where it was once a powerful independent Greek city-state, who for a time were able to hold at bay the great powers of the ancient age, Rome and Carthage. This history can be explored at the fascinating Neapolis Archaeological Park just outside of the modern city, at the city’s archaeological museum, and at various locations within the neighbourhood of Ortigia.

Ortigia is like a city within a city, where once you cross over the small bridges from Syracuse to the island district, you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. Ortigia’s street layout still follows the ancient Greek grid pattern (much like Naples), and there are various ruins dotted around the island.

The best way to see Ortigia is by wandering without a goal; exploring the narrow streets that open out onto grand piazzas, before continuing to the impressive sea defences that protected Ortigia from invaders across the centuries, stopping for granita, coffee and/or spritzes when the mood strikes.

There is a direct train from Noto to Syracuse, with an average journey time of 40 minutes. On arrival in Syracuse, from the train station it’s possible to take a range of local buses to the major points of interest, and you’ll find a taxi rank.

If you’re feeling adventurous it’s also viable to get to and from the following famous locations from Noto in a single day, if planned correctly:

The icon of Sicily, Europe’s largest volcano is just a couple of hours away from Noto. Based on volcanic activity levels, it’s possible to hike to the crater of Etna, enjoy wines on her slopes, and much more.

On a recent trip to Sicily with friends I hiked a large loop of the volcano exploring underground lava tunnels, martian-like landscapes and wild forests as we ascended. I did this with an expert local guide organised via Casa Mia Tours, who rounded the day off with a much-needed traditional aperitivo high on the side of the mountain.

Another one of my favourite places in Sicily, the ancient town of Taormina perched high above the Ionian Sea epitomises Sicily’s version of La Dolce Vita – the Sweet Life – with grand hotels, high-end dining and unrivalled beaches. We’re routinely in Taormina and know the town and area well – if you’re interested in visiting, take a look at my dedicated guide here:

By travelling 2.5 hours by road heading west across Sicily you’ll arrive at Agrigento, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of The Valley of the Temples. During ancient times, Agrigento was a major centre of religion, and considered for a time as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The remains of several of the Greek temples are still visible today, and stand evocatively in a now semi-arid archaeological park.

I would put this site up there with places like Pompeii or the Colosseum in terms of significance when it comes to Italian history, so making the time to visit the Valley of the Temples is absolutely worth it for history seekers and culture lovers.

This is somewhat of a bonus suggestion in the fact that I only recently discovered how easy it is to get from this part of Sicily to Malta. There are regular ferries running between Pozzallo (30 minutes’ drive from Noto) and Valetta, Malta’s capital. These high-speed ferries take roughly two hours each way, making a day trip to Malta very viable. To find out more about using Sicily’s ferry network, take a look at my guide here: