Sicily is way more than sunny beaches and baroque facades, and you will discover its best identity not by what you’ll see, but how you will decide to live it. These four Sicilian places where history, craftsmanship, and superimposition of cultures make it not only interesting to stay in, but also significant and ideal for travelers who seek authentic Sicily, not its postcard version.
- Noto
Noto is a city whose architecture is the product of post-earthquake reconstruction and artistic ambition. Recovered after the devastating 1693 earthquake, the whole town was a baroque designed exhibit, executed in golden limestone and staying here means waking up inside a UNESCO World Heritage Site that functions as a living museum of late Sicilian Baroque.
Its location is also a great base for exploring southeastern Sicily’s historic triangle of Ragusa, Modica, and Scicli as well as the Vendicari Nature Reserve and the more secluded beaches along the Ionian coast.
- Ragusa Ibla
Ragusa Ibla’s physical geography — built across steep, intersecting ravines — defines its culture. The town is split in two: Ragusa Superiore above, and Ibla below. The lower town, where you’ll want to stay, is compact, historical, and emotionally dense. Its architectural mix is less polished than Noto’s, but that’s the point. What distinguishes it is its intensity: alleys pinched by necessity, buildings stacked through centuries, and churches placed according to land, not harmony of the eye. Baroque here is functional, not decorative, which is a testament to survival and endurance.
- Ortigia
Ortigia, the island core of Syracuse, is Sicily in a nutshell: Greek ruins, Jewish legacy, Norman facades, and a modern-day atmosphere driven by artists and young entrepreneurs. Nowhere on the island is ancient and modern so dense within such a pedestrian area.What is so strategic about Ortigia is that it has a dual personality. You are able to visit the well-known Greek Theater and ancient Temple of Apollo by day and enjoy live jazz or live contemporary art performances in modern bars and locations at night – all within a 15-minute walk.
Ortigia also features regular public festivities, open-air performances, and more upscale events just beyond the city center — like events at Mazzarò Sea Palace — making it ideal for travelers wishing to engage with tradition alongside innovation.
- Caltagirone
Most travelers know Caltagirone for its staircase — the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, 142 steps that are lined with majolica tiles. But the real reason to stay overnight is what’s under the tiles. Caltagirone is not just famous for ceramics, but it’s also one of the few places in Sicily where craft remains the dominant feature of the local economy, and if you’re staying, you can visit workshops where families are still throwing, glazing, and firing ceramics as their forebears have for centuries. It is also within an easy drive of Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina — and offers a special glimpse into the interior of Sicily, where life remains slow, yet traditions become powerful.
Choosing a place to stay in Sicily is not a question of ease, it’s one of context. To truly come to know the essence of the island, choose a place where art is not something you just go out and see, but something that surrounds you from the moment you awaken.