Sicily's secret south - Italy - Summer 2011


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August 20th 2012
Published: August 20th 2012
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The island's untamed southern coast may not be as pretty as its more famous beaches, but it has plenty to recommend it, not least a secluded uber-chic villa overlooking the Med.

It would be ridiculous to claim that southern Sicily is "undiscovered" when we are following in the footsteps of literally centuries of visitors. But if "getting off the beaten track" means not hearing a single British or American voice in a whole week then this small patch of Europe is as uncharted as other more remote regions of the world.

A special place is Portopalo, an old maze of nets used to catch tuna fish, with a small cove with clean waters.

The dinky fishing village of Marzamemi on the coast of eastern Sicily's Siracusa region is one of the island’s best-kept secrets. Home to a miniscule population of 263 people, this is the ideal spot to while away an evening in its lively Piazza Regina Margherita bordered by old fishermen’s’ houses, two churches dedicated to San Francesco di Paola, bars, restaurants and the Palazzo del Principe di Villadorata that houses a mêlée of chic crafts boutiques...

Ragusa is devided into the newer Ragusa Superior and the older Ragusa Ibla. Ibla is a spectacular mix of nar row streets, steep winding steps, old churches, and fantastic views.

Ragusa is the capital of its province and today is an active city with over 72.000 inhabitants. Since 2002 it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage with 18 buildings in Ragusa on the list.


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20th August 2012

Beautiful! We didn't make it beyond Siracusa this past June on our Sicily tour, so I am grateful for your writing and photos. My wife's family is from Santa Maria and Montalbano above the north coast of Sicily. My wife loves Taormina (what's not to like), and I fell in love with Lipari Island off the north coast. I hope we get to go back next year. A new cousin was just born in Pati. Mike
21st August 2012

Hi Mike, thx for the comments !! Much appreciated ! Maya is from Catania, so she invited me last year to see for myself and it's absolute fab ! Each little village/town has something else to offer and discover that it will definitely take a while to see all of it, not to mention the food and beverage variety !! Greetz From Madrid !!

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