Cycling the Val di Noto: Sicily's Baroque Towns by Bike
South-eastern Sicily holds one of the strangest and most coherent pieces of urban heritage in Europe: eight towns, all rebuilt at once after a single catastrophe, all in the same style, within a few dozen kilometres of one another. UNESCO listed them together in 2002. Riding between them is one of the best cycling weeks in Italy, and one of the least crowded.
This guide explains what the Val di Noto actually is, what the riding is really like — it is not flat, and no honest guide should suggest otherwise — and how to plan a trip around it. We are a Sicilian tour operator and these are our own roads.
What the Val di Noto is
On 11 January 1693 an earthquake destroyed the south-east of Sicily. What happened next was unusual. Rather than patch the ruins, the towns were rebuilt, and rebuilt deliberately in a single architectural language: the late Baroque of the day, applied at a scale and consistency that has no real parallel. Some towns were rebuilt on the same site, some beside it, a few moved altogether.
The result is so distinctive that art historians gave it its own name — Val di Noto Baroque — and in 2002 UNESCO inscribed the group as a World Heritage Site under the title Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily). Eight towns are listed:
| Town | What it is known for |
|---|---|
| Noto | The set piece: a honey-coloured main street of palaces and churches, best in low evening light |
| Ragusa | Two towns in one — modern Ragusa above, Ragusa Ibla below, joined by long stairways |
| Modica | Built up the sides of a gorge; famous for its cold-worked chocolate |
| Scicli | The most film-shot of them all, and the least museum-like |
| Caltagirone | Ceramics town; the majolica staircase of Santa Maria del Monte runs 142 steps up the hill |
| Palazzolo Acreide | Small, dignified, with a Greek theatre from the ancient colony of Akrai above it |
| Militello in Val di Catania | The quiet one, rarely visited |
| Catania | Rebuilt in black lava stone — the outlier of the group, and a city rather than a town |
What the riding is actually like
This is the part most descriptions skip. The Val di Noto sits in and around the Monti Iblei, a limestone upland cut by deep gorges. The towns are on hills because they were built on hills. Getting between them means climbing, and often descending into a gorge and climbing straight back out.
It is not mountainous and there are no long alpine passes, but it is consistently undulating, with short steep pitches into and out of the historic centres. Daily distances are moderate — this is a route where 50 kilometres feels like more than 50 kilometres.
Two consequences worth planning around. First, an e-bike transforms this itinerary and we recommend one for most riders; it is the difference between arriving in Modica ready to look at it and arriving ready to lie down. Second, the roads themselves are excellent for cycling: away from the coast this is empty country, with quiet secondary roads running between drystone walls and carob trees, and very little traffic.
Short version: superb roads, almost no traffic, genuinely beautiful towns — and more climbing than the flat photographs of Noto's main street suggest.
A natural route between the towns
The eight UNESCO towns do not sit in a straight line, and Catania — a port city at the foot of Etna — is best treated as an arrival point rather than a stage. A week's riding through the heart of the group usually runs something like this:
Start inland at Piazza Armerina, worth a day of its own for the Roman mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale, then ride to Caltagirone and its ceramics. From there the route drops south-east through the Iblei villages — Vizzini, Buccheri — to Palazzolo Acreide, and finishes over the last hills into Ragusa Ibla, with Modica, Scicli and Noto within easy reach at the southern end.
That is the line our self-guided Baroque Towns cycling tour follows over eight days, with hotels, daily luggage transfer, a rental bike and GPS navigation arranged. The roads are public and you are welcome to ride them independently.
If you only have two or three days
Base yourself in Ragusa Ibla or Modica and ride a loop taking in Modica, Scicli and Noto. Those three are close together, they are the most rewarding to arrive at by bike, and you avoid the long inland transfer from Piazza Armerina. It is the best short version of this trip.
Things that make the difference on the ground
- Modica chocolate. Worked cold, so the sugar never dissolves and the texture stays grainy — a method that arrived with the Spanish and stayed here after it disappeared everywhere else. Buy it in Modica, not at the airport.
- Ragusa Ibla is below. The old town lies at the bottom of a long descent from modern Ragusa, connected by staircases. Plan to end a day there rather than pass through, and be aware that the climb back up is real.
- Scicli and the Montalbano effect. Scicli, Ragusa, Modica and the nearby coast are where the Inspector Montalbano television series was filmed. For a large number of visitors this is the actual reason they are here, and it has made the area far better served for food and accommodation than its size would suggest.
- Timing your arrivals. Baroque architecture was designed for raking light. Noto in the middle of the day is beige; Noto at seven in the evening is gold. Plan the last hour of each ride accordingly.
When to go
April to early June, and mid-September to late October. This is inland Sicily: July and August routinely pass 35 degrees, there is almost no shade on the Iblei roads, and the climbing makes it harder still. If you must ride in high summer, start at first light and be finished by midday.
Spring is the better half of the two — the uplands are green, the wildflowers are out, and the towns are quiet. October brings the grape and carob harvest and very good light. Winter riding is possible on the coast but the inland towns sit high enough to be genuinely cold and wet. See our page on how to get to Sicily for connections.
Practical notes
- Bike. A road bike or hybrid is fine — surfaces are sealed. Given the gradients, an e-bike is what we recommend to most people on this itinerary.
- Gearing. If you bring your own bike, bring low gears. The pitches out of the gorges are short but steep.
- Water. Villages are reasonably spaced but the Iblei sections are empty. Two bottles, filled in every town.
- Sundays and afternoons. Small towns close firmly in the early afternoon and many shops shut on Sunday. Buy lunch before one o'clock.
- Airports. Catania is the natural arrival, Comiso is closer to the Ragusa end and often quieter.
- Combining. The Baroque towns pair well with the Syracuse coast to the east; Etna is close but is a different kind of holiday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Val di Noto?
A group of eight towns in south-eastern Sicily — Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Caltagirone, Palazzolo Acreide, Militello in Val di Catania and Catania — rebuilt in a single late Baroque style after the earthquake of 11 January 1693. UNESCO inscribed them together as a World Heritage Site in 2002.
Is cycling the Val di Noto hard?
It is moderate rather than easy. The towns sit on hills in the Monti Iblei and the route between them is constantly undulating, with short steep climbs into and out of the historic centres. There are no long mountain passes. Most riders find an e-bike makes the difference.
How many days do I need?
Eight days covers the group properly, riding from Piazza Armerina through Caltagirone and the Iblei villages to Ragusa Ibla. With two or three days, base yourself in Ragusa or Modica and ride the Modica–Scicli–Noto triangle instead.
What bike should I use?
Road bikes and hybrids both work — the roads are sealed and generally in good condition. Bring low gearing if you bring your own bike; otherwise hire an e-bike.
When is the best time to cycle in the Val di Noto?
April to early June and mid-September to late October. Inland Sicily is very hot in July and August, with little shade on the upland roads.
Is it busy with tourists?
Noto and Ragusa Ibla get busy in season, particularly in the evenings. The roads between the towns are almost empty all year, which is the main reason to see the area by bike rather than by car.
Do I need to speak Italian?
It helps more here than in the coastal resorts. English is spoken in hotels and in the main tourist towns, less so in the Iblei villages. People are patient and welcoming; a few words go a long way.
Can I combine it with Etna or the coast?
Yes. Catania and the Syracuse coast are both close and easy to add. Etna is nearby but climbing it is a different proposition and belongs in its own itinerary.
If this guide does not answer your question, ask us — we live and ride here. Contact us and we will reply within one working day.