The entire region of the Vale di Noto is a Unesco World Heritage site because of its monuments. The southeast is also an area known for its natural beauty: You can walk through the stunning coastal marshes of the Vendicari nature reserve, and laze on long sandy beaches at the Marina di Ragusa.
Inland, few visitors cut into the trails of central Sicily to discover the treasures this area holds, but even a short visit to the two cities of Ragusa Superiore and Ragusa Ibla and to Noto will treat you to some of the most alluring baroque gems in all of Sicily, with Noto being arguably the most beautiful.
Southeastern Sicily is also a sightseeing mecca filled with glorious, evocative ruins. The baroque city of Noto is surrounded by Bronze Age sites, while the area's chief town is Syracuse (Siracusa) -- one of the most important cities of the ancient world of Magna Graecia (Greater Greece). You'll find the best ruins at the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, and the ruins of the Tempio di Apollo on Ortygia Island (Isola Ortigia) in the center of Syracuse, which should be one of the highlights of your trip to Sicily.
