Holiday Locations

Marina di Ragusa

The seaside resort of Marina di Ragusa is 23 km from Ragusa and has some of the best beaches along the south-eastern coast of the island. It is inhabited throughout the year and has supermarkets, a post office, a chemist, a bank, several bars, ice-cream parlours, restaurants and pizzerias, clothes shops and perfume shops. Transfers from Marina di Ragusa to Ragusa and to other towns along the coastline are also available, even in winter. This town can be easily reached from Catania (about km 115) by car, along the S.S. 514, or by coach from the airport or the railway station. From the port of Pozzallo, which is about 30 km from Marina di Ragusa, the fast catamaran for the isle of Malta takes about one hour. The weather is mild in the winter, hot but breezy in the summer. The average season temperatures are between 16° C in January and 33° C in August.

Country districts near Ragusa

The countryside in the province of Ragusa is characterised by large limestone hills, covered with olive trees and old carob trees, and criss-crossed by a number of dry stone walls, which create a very impressive landscape. All houses proposed by Reùsia are selected according to their easy access, their quiet - but not isolated - location, their solid building structures, and their nice furniture.

A Simple Holiday Week

SATURDAY

Arrival at Catania airport. Transfer by minibus to Ragusa. Accommodation at a holiday-house or B&B. A member of our staff will give you the key of the seaside house, and will tell you all necessary information for a comfortable stay. For a close contact with local cuisine, you will have dinner with hot ricotta cheese and home made products at a typical farmhouse in the area.

SUNDAY

You will spend this day for the discovery of the area: the archaeological site of Kamarina, with the visit of the excavations, the Museum and the Nature Reserve. Lunch at a typical farmhouse. Leaving the seaside, go inland and stop at Donnafugata Castle, recently reopened to the public after a long period of restoration work. Return to accommodation. In the evening, folk dances lesson.

MONDAY

Morning lesson of typical local cuisine. A local cook will explain how to prepare a typical local dish, which will be made, and then eaten, by the guests. In the afternoon, guided tour to Ibla (the old town of Ragusa) to admire the sumptuous palaces and late-baroque richness of its churches. Dinner at a restaurant and evening walking tour through the alleys of the old town.

TUESDAY

In the morning, departure for Modica, where you visit the interesting Ethnographic museum of Art and Popular Traditions. Stop at an ancient sweet shop to see traditional sweets being made and to taste them. Lunch at a typical inn. Proceed along the coastline and stop at a small seaside village to see the fish market, where fresh fish unloaded from boats is sold. In the afternoon, visit to Scicli to admire the magnificent palaces and baroque churches of a town with sumptuous religious architecture. Return.

WEDNESDAY

In the early morning, visit to the flower market, one of the biggest in the South of Italy. Then follow a nature excursion, with a specialised guide along one of the most impressive limestone gorges of the Iblean plateau, or (season permitting) bird-watching in one of the nature reserves of our territory. Packed lunch or lunch at a farmhouse. In the evening guided tour to Noto, called the "stone garden" and defined heritage of Unesco for its rich architecture. Return to accommodation. Evening at a disco (optional).

THURSDAY

In the morning, departure for Palazzolo Acreide, a hillside town with its rich baroque architecture; you will visit the Greek theatre, which is witness to the archaeological past of the ancient town of Akrai. Lunch at an inn. Return to Ragusa, where you will visit the artisan workshops of Sicilian embroidery, restoration of furniture and stone items, and also ceramics shops, where ceramics are produced using ancient techniques learnt from the Arabs. Return.

FRIDAY

Visit to Chiaramonte Gulfi, a hillside town famous for its DOP oil (protected origin product). Visit to the Oil Museum and to the Embroidery Museum. Then, you will go down the Acate Valley, known for its excellent wine production; stop at a wine cellar producing Cerasuolo DOC (controlled origin wine). Lunch at a restored 18th-century mill, housing a restaurant which prepares traditional local dishes. In the afternoon, visit to Comiso, birth town of Bufalino and Fiume. Visit to the Castle, the cvhurches and the unique Nature Museum. Return to accommodation. Evening at a piano-bar (optional).

SATURDAY

In the morning, tasting of hot ricotta cheese, for the last time. Participants will be taken to Catania airport. N.B. All meals not mentioned in this package are not included.

It is possible to prolonge one's stay, if required.

Weekend - On Request

Many religious feasts are a good opportunity to know interesting and unusual folklore. We suggest St. Joseph's Feast, the Holy Week, Madonna di Gulfi, St. Sebastian and St. John's Feasts. Please contact us for further information about the dates of those celebrations.

(EXCURSION TO MALTA, ON REQUEST)*

SATURDAY Arrival and accommodation at the booked houses.

On request, you can have a two-day excursion to Malta; departure from Pozzallo on Thursday, return on Saturday morning.

* For information about prices of itineraries please contact Reusia