Places to visit in Sicily
Sicily; Although it is not promoted much in our country, it is one of the places that should be visited in my opinion. It contains all the features that are of interest to everyone, such as history, architecture, sea and different dishes. On this island, you can visit the cities listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and see very good examples of Sicilian baroque architecture. Sicily; If you want to travel to the fullest, keep reading. However, I must say; Sicily; It takes about 15 days to tour properly.
Here I mentioned the cities on the UNESCO world heritage list and other places of interest. But that's not all. There's more. At least it takes a few days to even get to the islands. So the following places; Let's read it with a "prior place to visit" view, but let's know that this is not all. I went to Sicily 3 times and stayed for 21 days in total. I have seen many cities and there are many more places to see. I hope I can go again and see there too.
Ragusa Ibla
If you come to this city, which is built on a hill, by car, you will pass through places where you can see the historical texture of the whole city from afar. A very good time to stop and take a few pictures. After a while, after you enter the city and start walking upwards, you will come across an ancient arch-shaped door. This gate is called "Antico portale di San Giorgio", that is, the San Giorgio Gate. Built in the first half of the 12th century, this masterpiece is the only surviving structure in the great earthquake of 1693 and is also the symbol of Ragusa Ibla. One of the historical monuments that you should visit in Ragusa Ibla is the San Giorgio Cathedral, one of the city's most important baroque buildings and one of the most important religious monuments. Pay special attention to its door and stained glass. Another monument is the cathedral of San Giovanni Battista. The construction of this cathedral was started right after the great earthquake in history and very valuable architects, masters and workers worked. Unesco declared this cathedral as Ragusa's magnificent treasure chest in 2002. You will have already wandered around and discovered all the stairway streets and cobbled roads of Ragusa Ibla. There are many beautiful photographic spots, don't miss them. You will see the carvings and decorations under the balconies of the buildings. These are also very good examples of Sicilian baroque architecture. Do not leave the city without visiting the Giardino Ibleo (Garden of Ibleo) at the entrance of the city. There is a different beauty in every corner of this garden. In the park, which also includes a small church; After walking among the statues, various trees and pools, when you reach the last part, the view you will see from above will be wonderful.
Noto
This city, where you can see the most and most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture, is a point you should not miss. One of the largest and most beautiful structures here is the San Nicolo Cathedral. It's right in the centre. It's impossible to miss. At the same point, Palazzo Ducezio is also one of the must-see works. On the one hand, you can spend a colorful day or a few while wandering the beautiful streets of the city, on the other hand, if you are lucky or if you have arranged your date. Because from time to time there are very nice events. flower festival etc. like. You can see the Porta Reale gate at the entrance of the city. If you are looking for a place to stay to visit this region, Noto can be a good choice, but it would still be appropriate to compare the prices with those in Modica.
Noto
Modica
This city is on the UNESCO list and is one of the settlements that has completely preserved its historical structure. One of the most important structures of this city, which has Sicilian baroque architecture, is the Cathedral of Saint George, located at the highest point of the city. You can see the detailed baroque architectural features in this building. (You can reach this point by following the Modica Alta signs. It is also very pleasant to walk around the narrow streets, slopes and stairs of the city. I recommend you to see the city not only during the day but also at night. The city illuminated with yellow light takes on a wonderful view. There is a feeling and a lot of corners to explore around here, so I recommend staying at least one night in this city.
You can also visit the San Pietro Cathedral in the center of the city and see the statues of the 12 apostles in front of it. There is also a small and cozy cafe-bar on the side of the cathedral at the top of the stairs.
Modica's chocolate is famous and you will see the stands of this special chocolate in many markets or gift shops. I recommend you try one. The taste is a little different. Gifts can also be bought in small and colorful packages.
If you choose Luna Blu as your accommodation, the room rate per night varies between 27 euros for a single person and 50-60 euros for a double person. Rooms and furnishings are very clean. If you are close to the center and traveling by car, you can find free places to leave your car on the street.
To the right
Scicli
You can visit this city for a day. This city is also one of the cities on the UNESCO list with baroque architecture. See especially the San Giovanni church and Palazzo Beneventano here. Also, don't miss the quaint square where the Scicli Town Hall is located. Since this building is also the building where the Italian TV series Commissioner Montalbano was filmed (the police station in the series), it has become a center of interest by Italians and others watching the series. However, it is really enjoyable to relax with a drink in the cafes in this square. You can take beautiful landscape photos while entering the city from above.
Syracuse Ortigia
Ortigia, built by the Greeks in ancient times; it is one of the ancient cities that must be seen and at the same time it is an island that you can pass by walking from Siracusa. As soon as you enter the island with ancient Greek ruins, the first place you will arrive will be the Temple of Apollo and the Church of the Apostle San Paolo. If you then turn right and start to tour the island, you will come to Archimede Square and the Diana Fountain, built in 1906. (Piazza Archimede and Fontana di Diana) When you leave the square and proceed, you will come to the Duomo square. Here you will also see the 7th century Syracuse Cathedral. Also in this square are the Temple of Artemis, the temple of Athena and the Syracuse Cathedral. From here, when you go straight and reach the sea, you will see the fountain where Papyrus plants grow. This fountain is named after the fairy who was assigned to the Goddess Diana, so it is known as the Aretus Fountain. When you continue walking from the seaside again, you will see Maniace Castle in the future. You can walk around here and take beautiful photos. While wandering the narrow streets of the city, you will come across very cute little cafes. You can relax and enjoy one of these for a while. If you are going in the summer and you are one of those who jump into the sea when you have a chance, take your swimsuit with you. Because there are also places where you can swim in the sea. Since the city is very hot in summer, it will be very good to cool off a little in the sea.
Palermo
Palermo; Since it was under the rule of Arabs and Normans for a long time in history, you will see the Arab-Norman influence in many buildings while walking here.
When you get off the bus or train (both side by side), walk a few hundred meters to the left and enter the wide street in front of you. That will be Maqueda street. (Via Maqueda) After 10 minutes on this street, you will realize that the historical city center begins. From here on, there are very important structures on its way.
While walking on the road, you will see the Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio church and St.Catald Church on your right, you will immediately notice the Arab influence. Climb the stairs to the garden of these two churches. A small and cute garden. Go a little further and you will see the Fontana Pretoria (Fountain of Shame) on your right. And just ahead, you will come to a crossroads, which is Quattro Canti. You will see four similar structures in the four corners. These structures, which were completed in 1621, divide the city into four parts. Each one; It takes its name from the most important building of the region in which it is located. The square is completely round and the position of the buildings exhibits a complete octagon. It is called "Teatro del Sole" because at least one of these buildings definitely gets the sun during all four seasons. Examine these structures in detail and see that each one is different from the other. At the bottom you can see the statues of the seasons, above the statues of the four Spanish kings, and above the statue of each district's own patron saint. Keep walking and on the left is the Teatro Massimo. You can either go back from here or go a little further and see the Teatro Politeama and come back. However, on the way back, when you reach Quatro Canti, turn right and visit Cattedrale di Palermo, San Giovanni Degli Eremiti church, Cappella Palatina and Norman Palace (or Palazzo Reale) a little further on. If you enter the Palermo Cathedral, you can go up to the terrace and the roof and look at the city from above. These are the historical artifacts that must be seen in the city. However, make sure to take your time and enter the narrow and charming streets of the city. You can encounter surprises in every street, in every square. In some squares, you will see small statues in the middle, and in some places you will see cute cafes. Best of all, you will see wonderful balconies that reflect southern Italy, or rather Sicily. From most of these balconies, the vines, perhaps only seen in Sicily, will be hanging down. And not to mention the decorations of the balconies. You can capture beautiful photos. I loved the diversity in Palermo. If you are not going to stay in Palermo, if you are going for a day visit, there should be at least 6 hours between the bus departure and return times. If you are going to Palermo from Catania, you can go to the Catania Centrale bus terminal and buy your ticket. You can easily find the terminal. Located close to the centre. The bus ticket is 24 euro round trip. The time between the two cities is 2 hours and 15 minutes. It takes a little longer by train. I saw Flixbus on the Internet for 20 euros and bought it. I regret. They changed my return time and postponed it to 4 hours later and only informed by sending an e-mail. When I canceled the tickets, I did not get their money back. They say, "We have your money, use it on any line within a year". In any case, buses do not depart from the Catania Centrale terminal. It departs from another place. I saw tourists coming to the terminal by mistake. They were there looking for flixbus at the last minute.
Catania
Established at the foot of Mount Etna, Catania is one of the largest cities in Sicily. The sidewalks, streets and most of the buildings in this city are made of volcanic stones, thus giving the city a color such as anthracite gray.
One of the structures worth seeing in Catania are the Elephant Fountain in Piazza del Duomo, in the Duomo square, and the Sant'Agata Cathedral in the same square. This square is one of the busiest places in the city. Some evenings during the summer, there are free concerts organized by the municipality in front of the cathedral. In the square; You will see the university building with the inscription Siculorum Gymnasium on its arched gate. Walk through this arch and take a look at its courtyard.
Again, you can visit the Fish Market, which is close to this square, and eat fish in the open area at a relatively affordable price.
Ursino Castle and the square it is in are also worth a visit. It is also very pleasant to spend time in cafes or restaurants in the square.
Etna street, or Via Etnea, is a beautiful, stylish and lively street with baroque buildings and a place where you can see Etna volcano on the horizon at the very end of the street while walking around the street. That makes this street quite special.
You can also visit the University of Catania and the botanical garden on Etna street.
When you enter the Ancient Roman Theater in the center of the city, you can also visit the tunnels and corridors inside. While walking through these tunnels, you will see the underground river there. The sound of the flow of this river could be heard from the houses located just above the theater.
Theater Massimo Bellini is a 5-minute walk from the Duomo square and the inside of this building is as beautiful as the outside. If possible, take a look inside.
If you want to spend a morning or an evening in a pleasant place, Villa Bellini is for you. This is a beautiful and big park that you can reach in 15 minutes on foot from the city center (assuming it is the Duomo Square).
While touring the city, I recommend you to see Sant'Euoplio church (Tempio Sant'Euoplio) by making your way to Via Sant'Euplio street. Built in the 16th century, the church was named after Saint Euoplio, who was martyred in the 4th century. Although it is not always open, you can see some of it through the iron door in front of it. It is fully open as it is commemorated on August 12. It may also be open on the 18 May European Night of Museums.
Duomo Square, Elephant Fountain, Etna street ve Villa Bellini
Attention!
Where not to stay in Catania : Accommodation in the square where the Massimo Bellini theater is located and in the streets around it. Especially as of September, the bars where all university students have fun until 7 in the morning are here, so if you are not in the habit of sleeping with a very loud noise, don't try!
Mount Etna - Zafferana Etnea - Taormina
These three can be visited on the same day. You can get to Etna or Taormina by buses departing from Catania. They are both close to Catania and their visit does not take long. If you have not rented a car, it is possible to find many daily tours from Catania. You can see an extinct crater of Etna volcano and a cave, and then visit Etna's town, Zafferana. You should definitely have a tour that includes Taormina. There is no need to go on separate tours on separate days. You can find many brochures about these tours in the hotel you stay in, in the cafes you go to, etc. you will see. I had chosen one after consulting the hotel staff.
Etna dağı and Zafferana
Taormina
Castelmola and Isola Bella
Castelmola or Castello Mola is a cute mountain town very close to Taormina. There is even a walking path from Taormina to Castelmola, but I think it still takes about 1 hour. You can take wonderful scenery photos from the square in Castelmola, and you can encounter interesting spots while walking towards the church in the center. It is very enjoyable to wander its streets and make discoveries. If you come across an iron staircase that turns down the slope while you are wandering, go down one level from that staircase and walk to the right. You will be greeted with a different view. Isola Bella is a beach on the way you will pass on your way here. (its name is isola, but it is not an island.) You can go down some stairs and swim here. It has a wonderful color and a wonderful water. You can see his photo below in the beaches section.
Castelmola
Aci Castello and Acireale
Aci castello is a small and cozy town that you can reach from Catania by train or bus. You can see the best example of lava flowing into the sea here. You can see a small square, a high castle at the intersection of the square and the sea, and the shapes formed by black volcanic rocks below. The best part is that you can go down the stairs (you have to jump over the small iron door at the top of the stairs, it's a simple task) and you can lay your towel on the volcanic terrain and jump into the sea. There are natural steps on the way out of the sea. I recommend you to eat granita at the cafe in the square.
Acireale can be reached in 40 minutes by train from Catania. However, it is best to visit Aci Castello and continue from there to arrive here. When you get there, walk a little towards the center, come to the Duomo square and see the Acireale Cathedral, St. Peter and St. Paul's Basilica. A little further on, St.Sabastian Basilica is also worth seeing. Go inside too. Apart from these, wander the streets in the same area again. Explore narrow streets with very cute balconies.
Nicolosi
If you want to spend an evening in a nice restaurant or bar, you can visit Nicolosi. It's easier to go if you have a car. In this small city covered with large pine trees, there are several intersecting or parallel streets where restaurants and bars are concentrated. It also has beautiful lighting at night. I really liked the place called 7+. Sicilian pizzas with unlimited choice are delicious.
Beaches:
There are many beaches in the Noto region where you can go from Modica, Ragusa or Scicli. However, you have to go by car. After arriving at the beach, long beaches await you. Those parts are really beautiful.
San Lorenzo: You can go to this blue flag beach by car and park for free. When you see the clean sea, you will look forward to swimming as soon as possible.
Maganuco: When you go to this wonderful beach close to the city of Pozzallo, you can park your car for free and swim for free from wherever you want. There are also free showers at the exit. This is a long beach. There are also beaches where you can find sunbeds and umbrellas.
Santa Maria Del Focallo: Here, you can park for free on the roadside behind the beach and enter the beach from the wooden road between the dunes. I loved these dunes. It reminded me a bit of Tellioğulları and Seferoğulları from the movie Tosun Paşa. There are also free showers at the exit here. If you want, there are also beaches where you can find sunbeds and umbrellas for a fee, from time to time.
Santa Maria del Focallo
The beaches you can visit close to Catania are:
Lido Azzurro and all other beaches next to it. There are activities day and night. Beach, pool, dance etc.
Aci Castello Volcanic shore where Sicilians usually go for swimming - free and calm
Isola Bella; An emerald sea below Taormina and Castelmola.
Isola Bella
Şu sözcükler sana yardımcı olacak:
Piazza: Square
Fontana: Fountain
Spiaggia: Beach
Lido: Sandy beach
Isola: Island
Porta: Gate
Castello: Castle
Via: street
Fermata: bus stop
Chiuso: close
Aperto: Open
Mercato: Bazaar
Pesce: Fish
Gelato: Ice Cream
Mandorla: Almond
What to eat? What to drink?
For breakfast:
Granita or Cremolata Similar to ice cream, but a softer dessert made from fruit pulp. There are varieties with blackberry, almond, Indian fig, coffee and lemon. While there is only Granita in Catania, you can also find Cremolata in cities in the Ragusa region. This is the creamy version of Granita.
Brioche or Cornetto, while eating Granita or Creamolata, you should definitely order brioche or cornetto. They eat together. Brioche is a donut that tastes like our Easter. Cornetto, on the other hand, is a cream-filled croissant. These duos go great for breakfast. Hot country. They are used to having breakfast with cold food. They've done very well.
If you say you can't get enough while eating these, you can add Cannolo to it.
Granita - Brioche and Cremolata- Cornetto
Cannolo Dessert with ricotta cheese in it. We can say that it is the most famous dessert of Sicily. You don't see much in other parts of Italy.
Cassata is a kind of pastry
From the kiosks on the road when you get tired of the heat in Catania:
Sale e limone is the Churchill we know, but it flows from the fountain. Drink, refresh and cool.
When hungry during the day:
Fried rice balls with ingredients such as cheese and peas in arancini
Tavola calda To describe this in the closest way, I can say brioche bun.
Tavola Calda
For Lunch or Dinner:
Pesce spada – Swordfish
Pizza fritta – Deep-fried closed pizza (Sicilian style)
Spaghetti frutti di mare – Spaghetti with seafood
Pizza Frittata ve Spaghetti frutti di mare
Where can I get what?
If you're thinking of going to Ragusa ibla, the market just before the San Giorgio cathedral on the hill has great cheeses. You can get great cheeses for the price of feta cheese from us. There are many delicious cheeses with pistachio and black pepper at prices around 2.5-4 euros.
Of course, if we import, we will pay much more in a market here.
If you want me to recommend you a few restaurants:
Osteria dei Sapori Perduti in Modica: warm and cute and stylish at the same time. It's a nice restaurant with tables on the pavement and checkered tablecloths. Its name means 'tavern of lost tastes'. Actually, it's not much of a tavern. But it's a place where you can eat purely Sicilian and even Ragusa region food.
Your delicious pizza options are endless at 7+ in Nicolosi. The environment is also nice.
