We will be there in May and wondering if we should stay in Ortigia/Siracusa for a few nights, then decamp to another "base" like Ragusa or Noto to see those towns, or if we could comfortably see them while staying in Siracusa.
Would we want to spend the night in a Baroque town or is a day trip to see them satisfying enough on its own?
Any agriturismos with a pool in the area that you'd recommend?
Thank you!
On our way to Siracusa we stayed overnight in Noto which worked well. Once we arrived in Ortigia we canceled our day trips so we could stay there; we loved Ortigia!
up to you. i stayed in siracusa and did day trips to ragusa, modica, scicli, and noto. there is a train that connects all of the above. not a fast train, actually a narrow gauge single-line railcar service. ragusa is the farthest at about 2 hours from siracus. i suppose you could stay in both siracusa and ragusa and cut your daily travel times. if you have a car then it's a different story.
Will you have a car? How many nights are you thinking? Generally, I would probably opt for more days/nights in lively Ortigia. The small towns can be pretty quiet. If you have a car, there is not much to do worry about. But public transportation gets trickier. There is a train (to Noto at least) , but I advise against it. It’s “rustic” not air conditioned and can drop you far from the town center. Bus is the way to go.
FYI, the Noto Flower Festival is the 3rd weekend in May. You should plan for that if possible.
Noto is an easy day trip by bus from Siracusa. Worth going, but you can see it in one day and don’t need to stay overnight. I write this as a very thorough visitor to any town. Ortigia is a good base and should not be shortchanged on time.
