Today I am going to talk to you how we tried to see Val di Noto in a day.
This will apply equally if you are touring the Montalbano sites or the World Heritage sites
The listed sites are are Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa, and Scicli. I am going to talk you through what we did and what I would do differently if i did this again
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I mapped our route to stay close to the motorway E45 as much as possible. The major roads were
of good quality, which keeps your speed up and reduces the risk of damage to your hire car.
We started from Gela (about 9am) on the south coast of Sicily and with the general intention to travel
to Siracusa in a single day (2 hour drive if you do this direct.)
We planned our first stop, Punta Secca in under an hour (to visit the location of Montalbano’s
house.) In 2022 the owners were building an extra floor. If you arrive at the square between
Montalbano’s house and the lighthouse before 10am, parking is free.
We did not mess about with Enzo’s restaurant by the Sea (or the lighthouse) and moved
on to Donnalucata (on the way to Scicli.) Donnalucata is a fabulous little place, also
a Montalbano backdrop of a beautiful seafront with interesting shops. While we did hit traffic in Scicli, we drove
into the main square and parked on the street for free. In my experience, outside of the
big cities, you typically have a few elderly gents sitting in each square. I tend to have
a chat with them, as they often give me useful information which can save you time
Scicli is stunning whether you are there for Montalbano, the history or the
architecture. For me it is a must-see and I could easily spend 3 days there
Leaving Scicli there is a steep climb which cyclists brag about. Pick your route carefully.
We moved on to Marzameni for late lunch. I loved it, but it did polarise opinions. Only go
if it is your thing as it is an effort to get to and the surrounding roads are not great
(potholes) From Marzamemi, it was a short drive to Noto, where we parked
for free in the centre of the city in the late afternoon. As you approach the main gates,
there is a tree lined walk, with lots of interesting stalls. We were quickly overwhelmed by a series
of stunning buildings. I assumed there was only one or two, how wrong I was. I tend not to be easily impressed by architecture but I have to say I was really impressed
We arrived in Siracusa approx. 7pm
after battling the one-way system and then went for dinner in Ortigia.
For me Noto is pipped only by Scicli (my opinion is of course subjective.) In my opinion, we chose the
correct route and did the absolute most possible in one day. It was a really really hard drive and
not to be undertaken lightly. While I would not change the destinations we visited for a one day trip
but I would have avoided the climb out of Scicli which is demanding rather than dangerous
If you have more time, you could easily view Val di Noto over a week (and don’t forget
there are beaches also.)
So why didn't we see the other sites? Donnafugata, the house where Motalbano visits Balduccio Sinagra. It was on our route
was not worth it as we did not have time to see the Donnafugata (or Ragusa Ibla). If we had gone to Ragusa Ibla, we would have lost a lot of time and maybe missed two other visits (too far from motorway and winding roads)
The same thinking applies to Modica, Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Palazzolo Acreide
are all well worth the visit but not possible in a day. Do not even consider wonderful Catania unless
you have lots of time, the traffic is terrible and parking is horrendous.
One consideration is the time of year you visit, we travelled in May, Sicily was beautiful
and green, the heat was not quite overwhelming and the parking was relatively straight forward. In
most places, we could drive to where we wanted, park for free in the street and the accommodation
was cheaper. The price you pay is the sea is still quite cool to swim in.
Of course, visiting a number of sites does not give you a chance to spend a lot of time
in each or enter buildings. I had updated my satnav and I am pleased to tell you it worked 90% of the time.
I would be interested in your thoughts if you leave them in the comments