Chiaramonte Gulfi – Ragusa

Chiaramonte Gulfi is a charming small town with its churches, ancient buildings and small museums.

At only 18 kms, Ragusa and its ancient centre, Ibla offer an excellent mix of good shopping, excellent restaurants and its streets are the backdrops for many scenes of Commandante Montalbano’s films.

Modica, 39 km away, is a  steeply stacked medieval town with a spectacular Baroque cathedral. It is divided into Modica Alta and Modica Bassa. The former is a remarkable ghost town. The latter forms the hub of the bustling streets in the town centre. Marina di Modica’s beach is popular with wind and kite-surfers due to its favourable winds. It is a popular tourist haunt for the locals in July and August but for the rest of the year most of the shops and restaurants close down  leaving the place entirely to you.

Palazzolo Acreide  and the Necropolis of Pantalica are 34 km away.
Caltagirone, 46 km, is the home of the typical Sicilian colourful hand-painted ceramics and its amazing stairway covered in ceramic tiles.

Scicli, 51 km away, is a condensed beautiful baroque town centre.

The remains of the Villa del Casale near Piazza Armerina with its stunning polychrome mosaics is 75 kms away.

It is 79 kms to Noto, the capital of Baroque architecture in Sicily and one of the most beautiful sites protected by UNESCO. When the Cathedral collapsed in 1996, Noto gained its popularity. Now, the Cathedral has been restored, the streets are filling up with excellent little restaurants and cafés and it is rapidly becoming one of the favourite destinations in Sicily. In the summer, the small town is also a hub of arts events. During the spectacular feast of the “Infiorata” in May the streets and stairways are filled with intricate designs made with flower petals.

Just over 80 kms away is the ancient fishing village of Marzamemi with plenty of restaurants to choose from.

The beaches of Vendicari’s Nature Reserveare 87 kms away.

Siracusa is 108 kms away. The outskirts of modern Siracusa boast ancient Siracusa in the form of an Archealogical Park, also referred to as Neapolis. The heart of ancient Siracusa is a small island called Ortigia linked to modern Siracusa by a few bridges. The city is notable for its Greek heritage and was the home to many artists and philosophers.  Historically, it is multi-layered with numerous must-see sites. It has that wonderful blend of history, seafront promenades, alleys brimming with baroque buildings interlacing crumbling decadence with tasteful re-birth. The many outdoor cafés and restaurants are a sheer delight.