Surrounding - Villa del Papiro - Bed and Breakfast Casa per Vacanze Siracusa, Avola

Surrounding

“You know what our life is. Yours and mine? A dream made in Sicily, maybe we are still there and we are dreaming”

– Leonardo Sciascia –

Avola

Avola, known and appreciated especially for the wine “Nero d’Avola” and for the almonds called “Pizzuta”, is a town that boasts wonderful coasts. Famous is the Lido di Avola, the beach with the remains of ancient Tonnara,  Gallina beach,  “gelsomineto pinewood” with crystalline sea and golden sands, and  Pantanello beach with its particular horseshoe shape . Its historic center has an interesting hexagonal shape. Do not miss the Dolmen, the Roman Villas, the Tonnara and the fishrman Village with the remains of Tonnara running up to the 1930s.

Noto

At 9 Km from Avola is Noto, beautiful fruit of the Sicilian Baroque, among the most renowned communes in the Syracuse province with just over 24000 inhabitants and UNESCO World Heritage.

Do not miss:

  • The church of St. Chiara
  • the Church of St. Francis
  • the Church of S. Domenico
  • the Mother Cathedral Church since 1884.

The event that attracts millions of tourists each year is certainly the “Infiorata” that usually takes place in May, an extraordinary flower carpet set in the sumptuous Via Nicolaci.

Cava Grande sul Cassibile

At 9 km from Avola Cava Grande Nature Reserve on Cassibile is one of the most spectacular natural landscapes you can admire in Sicily. The Reserve is dominated by a white rock canyon of more than 10 kilometers in which flows the river Cassibile, artist of this wonderful natural work. The base of the gorge is reached after a descent with an altitude of over 300 meters through rough and slippery paths. The vegetation within the Cava Grande Reserve is typical of the ible landscape with carob and olive trees to characterize the landscape in the summit. Inside the gorges instead of spontaneous shrubs and herbs there are several orchid species and fluvial vegetation. The fauna is not particularly rich within the Reserve, although there are also burials, frogs, fish, turtles and some crab that goes immediately to your sight. But the first animals you will see will surely be the great birds of prey who welcome visitors with their continents swirling over the gorge of the Reserve.

Siracusa

Siracusa is the city of thousands wonders, the guardian of imposing Roman Greek vestiges, with buildings of refined Baroque harmony. Each year, since 1984, it has attracted thousands of spectators thanks to the event of the Greek Tragedies held in the true Greek Theater. You can not miss a walk between the labyrinths of Ortigia, looking for new shades of sea, new architectural designs on the facades of its many noble palaces, and new magnificent portals in the dozens of churches hidden in this limb of land, all stretched across the Ionian Sea.

Do not miss:

  • The Temple of Apollo;
  • Piazza Archimede and Fountain of the Artemis in Ortigia;
  • The cathedral in Piazza Duomo, a combination of paid temple and Christian basilica;
  • The Temple of Artemis;
  • The burial of Santa Lucia;
  • The Aretusa fontain;
  • The Annunciation of Antonello da Messina
  • Castle Maniace
  • Archaeological Park of Neapolis
  • The Latomies of the Cappuccini

Etna

From Avola you can take a day trip to the Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, a natural attraction that inevitably invites the largest number of tourists from all over the world. High above 3200 meters, visible from much of eastern Sicily, imposing and shrill, often gives spectacular fire games, with dozens of lava fountains that illuminate the cool Sicilian nights. Winter candy and black in the summer, she brings along the signs of the drama of her power along her slopes. Spotted by small hills, once active craters, today covered with thick vegetation, the entire territory of Etna (about 60,000 hectares) has always been the subject of attention by the Sicilian Region, which has established the Parco dell’Etna In 1987. Its majesty and vigor that for millennia distinguishes every aspect of eastern Sicily has recognized Etna as the sixth Sicilian site to join the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Vendicari's Natural Reserve

For lovers of the Sea and nature less than 20 km from Avola you will enjoy the beauties of the Vendicari Nature Reserve. All the coastline has a unique beauty, with the beaches of Calamosca, Eloro, Marianelli and the central beach. They are beautiful and unspoilt places, where fine sand digs into a fabulous sea. The natural habitat, preserved by any invasive human intervention, and the presence of large freshwater mirrors make it a landmark for the large birds during the period of emigration: from numerous sighting points it is possible to admire specimens of flamingo, heron, stork, spatula and rider of Italy. The flora that lies between the rocky and sandy stretches of the coast is very varied, with a strong presence of dwarf palm, thyme and fennel of sea. In the inner part of the Reserve, however, the typical Mediterranean scrub blends the landscape with a myriad of spectacular colored orchids. The earth’s wildlife here mainly consists of small mammals such as foxes and shepherds, as well as reptiles and amphibians.

Marzamem's Borg

At 27 Km from Avola, Marzamemi is one of the most picturesque fishermen villages in the south east. Its old town is now the destination of many tourists who, during the spring and summer season, walk through the alleys, entering the heart of Marzamemi: the white stone reflects the light of the Sicilian sun, giving vivid colors throughout the village with its several restaurant, bar and street food. The village of Marzamemi, directly overlooking the sea, remains one of Sicily’s most characteristic locations.