Holiday homes and hotel near Noto and its Baroque splendor

Noto in the southeast of Sicily is quite rightly called "Sicily's most beautiful Baroque town". An amazing splendor of Baroque buildings fascinates visitors to this place in the southern foothills of Monte Iblei and southwest of Syracuse.

After the original town of Noto (Noto Antica) had been destroyed by the devastating 1693 earthquake, the town was rebuilt in the style prevailing at that time - Sicilian Baroque. The ruins of Noto Antica are found about 10 km northwest of present-day Noto.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

With its overwhelming splendor and given the interplay of elaborate details and sophisticated perspectives, Noto might be compared with an opulent stage setting.

The UNESCO too became aware of the beauty of Noto and in 2002 declared it a World Heritage Site, along with other late Baroque towns in Val di Noto.

The completely restored cathedral of SS. Nicolò di Mira e Corrado is one of the town’s main sights. It is worth a closer look not only from the outside. One of the highlights inside is the gorgeous cupola. The latter had collapsed in 1996 due to heavy rains, which led to the cathedral being closed, restored and finally reopened in 2007. Should you be interested in culture, you have got quite a number of churches and palaces to visit at Noto.

What is probably most fascinating is the townscape as a whole, the harmony of the various buildings, alleys and squares.

Bathing pleasure at Lido di Noto & Calabernardo and untouched nature

At Lido di Noto (ca. 6.5 km off) and Calabernardo (ca. 8 km off) you can take a sunbath, go for a swim or simply take it easy at wide sandy beaches. 

Also nearby lies idyllic nature reserve Oasi Vendicari. It is a paradise for birds, amongst others migratory birds such as flamingos, storks and cormorants, but you also get to see terrapins. The unspoilt nature of the reserve with its gorgeous sandy beaches can be explored along various hiking trails.

Mention for best quality

Every year there is a new edition of the "Guida Blu", which is sponsored and edited by the Italian environmental organization Legambiente and the Touring Club Italiano. Mention in this travel guide of environmentally responsible holiday resorts is accorded to those places which combine excellent service for their guests with respect for their environment in an active way.

Preconditions for being mentioned include not only clean beaches and water quality, but also waste management, air quality, esteem for historic town centers, promotion of regional produce as well as local gastronomy and, finally, responsible land-use planning.

Noto is proud to have been among the towns with best results on the island of Sicily. A list of all the places commended is found on the website of Legambiente where you can also order the "Guida Blu" online.