Let curiosity guide you and Noto will mesmerize you. When exploring Noto, there are several parts of the area you can explore. The heart of Noto is the town and the baroque buildings in the city center.
The other part is the coast of Noto, which has excellent beaches and natural caves. Including “Calamosche,” which was proclaimed the most beautiful beach in Italy in 2005. Also, the natural reserve of Vendicari which is one of Europe’s most representative humid park.
The City of Noto was rebuilt after the big earthquake in 1693. Noto has become a UNESCO World Heritage site with its decadent Baroque still expressed in all its glory.
The Eloro District is the extreme south of Sicily, and the last corner of Europe and Noto is the heart of the Eloro district.
Sister and I explored Noto as part of our 7 days itinerary in Sicily. We traveled from Siracusa to Noto by bus, which was around an hour. Noto can be done as a day trip from Siracusa, I recommend an overnight stay to fully explore Noto. And from Noto, we traveled by bus to Catania.
1. Explore the Noto the City of Baroque Architecture
After hanging around in Syracuse we decided to go exploring Noto the great city of decadent Baroque architecture and one of the Italian UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2002. The other cities are Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Palazzolo, Ragusa, and Scicli. Why this decadent architecture? It’s due to the catastrophic earthquake of 1693. The best way to explore Noto is to walk
2. Panorama View at Campanile di San Carlo in Noto Town
Who loves a viewpoint? Well, I do, for sure. If you say we need to walk a tiny steep step up the church’s tower, I will do it if my sister walks first. The entrance fee is 2 EURO. Then you have a panorama view of Cathedral di San Nicoló.
3. Caffe Sicilia for World Famous Granita in Noto
I became a huge fan of Chefs Table when I got introduced to Caffe Sicilia and Corrado’s genuine passion for Sicilia’s local wonders like orchards of lush lemon, almonds, and apricot, to mention some. I was amused, and I knew I had to go and see this little wonderland of flavors, creativity,
Cafe Sicilia was my small moment of massive excitement. I was enamored of the silky smooth granita that melted softly on my tongue, and it was paired with a fluffy brioche. The brioche gave the perfect comfort of being at grandma’s kitchen, even in Norway. I truly appreciated the experience at Cafe Sicilia.
Some people mean Cafe Sicilia is overrated. Then also, I don’t think they understand the work and passion that is put into the handcraft of Conrrado. Yes, there are most likely similar places, but I liked knowing Corrado’s work history, which made me more grateful for the tasting experience at Cafe Sicilia.
4. Visit Anche Gli Angeli in Noto
A cafe and restaurant hid under the walls of a church. Anche Gli Angeli is a must discover. They combine the old architecture with a super cool concept: Anche Gli Angeli is a cafe, restaurant, and bookstore. Then a pub at night. If staying in Noto, this is a place to check out!
5. AirBnB Experience with Local Farm & Sicilian Dinner
In Noto, we decided to do an Airbnb Experience, which was maybe one of our best decisions during our travels in Sicily, Italy. We loved our farm experience with a taste of Sicily. Fabio was the greatest host, genuine, and with all his passion for the farm, he inherited from his grandpa.
Fabio is very much like Conrrado; he is all about taking care of Sicily’s local produce. Therefore Fabio has decided to accelerate and maintain the orchards of lush lemon, which are low on maintenance when it comes to water. This supports agriculture, which is sustainable with low water supplies.
After a walk around the organic farm, we had a lovely Sicilian dinner with lush food from the garden of the Zisol House.
AirBnB: Tastes of Sicily at Our Farm
6. The Natural Reserve of Cava Grande del Cassibile
The hike of Cava Grande del Cassibile is highly recommended for natural beauty.
The big canyon was created by the river Cassibile, “Kakyparis it was called in the ancient Greek Time. Over the years it has been creating some small lakes, that you must visit in the valley. The area has incredible scenery and unspoiled nature and one of the highest percentages in terms of biodiversity.
I did not have time to check it out, however several people recommended this hike when being in Sicily.
Blogpost: Cava Grande del Cassibile: Hike and swim in East Sicily
7. Vendicari Natural Reserve
Vendicari Natural Reserve is an oasis on the coast of the Eloro district. 1 512 hectares of nature where many birds find their habitat in the sea marshes inside the Natural Reserve. If you like bird watching, snorkeling, Excursions, and you can swim in the beautiful beach, maybe even spot flamingos!
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2 Comments
Hei Marianne, ja Noto var en veldig fin liten by med mye italiensk sjarm, og jeg selv likte veldig godt historien med Cafe Sicilia 🙂
Jeg har aldri hørt om Noto, men det ser jo ut som et skikkelig fint reisemål! 😀