Ragusa: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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The earthquake of 1693 flattened Ragusa, and the town rebuilt itself twice: Ibla on the old hill, and a new grid on the plateau above. This walk takes the stairs from the upper town down into Ibla, past churches built in the decades after the disaster, to the cathedral and the garden at the far end. The steps are many, so do it downhill and take a bus or taxi back. About three hours.

A short history of Ragusa

The Sicels lived on the hill even before the Greeks, and in the Middle Ages Ragusa was the seat of a Norman county. On 11 January 1693 a powerful earthquake shook all of south-eastern Sicily and destroyed the town almost completely. The inhabitants split up: some rebuilt on the old site, Ragusa Ibla, and some built a new town on the plateau above it, and so two Baroque towns arose. Only in 1926 were they reunited as one town, and a year later it became a provincial capital. In the 1950s oil was discovered in the area. In 2002 Ragusa was added, together with the towns of the Val di Noto, to the World Heritage List.

The ten best sights in Ragusa

1
Duomo of San Giorgio, Ibla
The Baroque heart of Ibla; see it lit up at night too
2
Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista
The cathedral of the upper town, on a wide terrace
3
Santa Maria delle Scale
Start the walk down to Ibla here, for the view
4
Anime Sante del Purgatorio
Church at the foot of the steps into Ibla
5
Santa Maria dell'Itria
Look up at the blue and gold tiles on the dome
6
San Giuseppe, Ibla
A smaller Baroque church on Piazza Pola
7
Circolo di Conversazione
The old nobles' club on the Duomo square; peek inside if the door is open
8
Portal of San Giorgio
A Gothic doorway, all that is left of the old church
9
Ibleo Archaeological Museum
Finds from Kamarina and the Hyblaean hills
10
Castello di Donnafugata
A 19th-century baron's mansion with a stone maze in the park

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Ragusa →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ragusa:

Free walking tours in Ragusa

Down into Ibla

Santa Maria delle Scale · The church stands at the top of the stairs that link the upper town to Ibla, and part of its Gothic structure survived the earthquake of 1693. From the terrace beside it the whole of Ibla is laid out on its hill.
Anime Sante del Purgatorio · At the bottom of the steps, the first church of Ibla. After the earthquake the survivors split: some rebuilt here on the old site, others founded a new town on the plateau above.
Duomo of San Giorgio, Ibla · Designed by Rosario Gagliardi and built from 1738, its three-tier facade rises above a long sloping square. The neoclassical dome was added in the 19th century. It is part of the UNESCO listing of the late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto.
Circolo di Conversazione · A 19th-century club where the noble families of Ibla met to talk, play cards and read the papers. Its painted ballroom is one of the finest rooms in town.
San Giuseppe, Ibla · An oval church on Piazza Pola, often credited to the school of Gagliardi. It was the church of a convent of Benedictine nuns.
Giardino Ibleo · Ibla's public garden opened in 1858 at the eastern tip of the hill. At its gate stands the Portal of San Giorgio, a Gothic doorway, the only part of the old church of San Giorgio left standing after 1693.

Upper town to the sea

The new Ragusa of the 18th century has its own cathedral and bridges over a ravine. From there the road drops through stone-walled fields to a baron's mansion, a Greek city on the shore and the fishing village of Montalbano's TV house. A day by car, with a swim at the end.

Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista · The cathedral of the new upper town was begun right after the earthquake. For two centuries Ragusa and Ibla were rivals and even separate towns, until they were joined in 1926.
Ponte dei Cappuccini · The upper town is cut by a deep ravine, and three bridges cross it. This is the oldest, built in the 19th century; walk to the middle for the view down.
Ibleo Archaeological Museum · The museum keeps finds from the Greek city of Kamarina and from the older cultures of the Hyblaean hills. See it before driving to the coast.
Castello di Donnafugata · Despite the name it is not a medieval castle but a 19th-century mansion of Baron Corrado Arezzo de Spuches. In the park is a maze of dry-stone walls, and the house appears in the Inspector Montalbano TV series.
Kamarina · Syracuse founded Kamarina around 598 BC. An oracle warned them not to drain the marsh beside it; they did, and enemies crossed the dry ground to take the city. 'Do not move Kamarina' became a Greek saying.
Punta Secca · In the TV series, Montalbano's house with the terrace on the beach is here, next to the lighthouse of Capo Scaramia. End with a swim and an evening on the little square.

Chocolate and Baroque

Modica and Scicli, a few minutes apart, were rebuilt after 1693 like Ragusa and are on the same UNESCO list. Modica adds chocolate made the old way; between them lies a gorge of cave dwellings. Parking in Modica is hard, so leave the car at the top. A full day.

San Pietro, Modica · Modica too was rebuilt after 1693, in a deep valley where two rivers once ran; the main street, Corso Umberto, covers one of them. The statues of the twelve apostles stand along the steps of San Pietro.
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, Modica · Founded in 1880, it is the oldest chocolate maker in Sicily. Modica chocolate is worked cold, so the sugar does not melt and the bar stays grainy, a method that came from Mexico through Spanish rule.
Duomo of San Giorgio, Modica · Its tall facade crowns a staircase of some 250 steps climbing from the lower town. Many consider it the high point of Sicilian Baroque.
Cava d'Ispica · A limestone gorge about 13 km long, its walls full of tombs, cave houses and chapels cut from prehistory to the Middle Ages. People lived in some of these caves until the 20th century.
Via Mormino Penna, Scicli · One of the finest Baroque streets in Sicily, lined with palaces and churches. Fans will recognise the town hall: in the TV series it is Montalbano's police station.
Irminio River Reserve · Where the Irminio reaches the sea, a small reserve protects dunes and juniper scrub. A path leads through it to a quiet beach, a good end to the day.

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Getting to Ragusa and getting around

Comiso Airport · Small airport 20 minutes west; flights are few and seasonal
Ragusa station · Slow trains to Syracuse and Modica; the line through the hills is scenic
Ragusa bus station · Buses to Catania airport, Syracuse and the coast

Cheap eats in Ragusa

Ragusa is a town of cheese and bread: caciocavallo ragusano, a stretched cow's-milk cheese hung in pairs to age, and scacce, folded baked flatbreads. Ibla also has two of the most famous restaurants in Sicily. For a quick lunch, a slice of scaccia and a gelato cost under €8.

Gelati DiVini · Gelato on the Duomo square, including wine flavours; about €2.50-4
Dolcesalato · Sweet and savoury snacks near the garden, about €2-5
Benvenuti al Sud · Street food at the bottom of the steps, about €3-7
Caffè Siciliano · Bar by the Giardino Ibleo; coffee and granita about €1.50-4
Piazza Duomo · Quick bites on the Duomo square, about €3-7

Museums in Ragusa

Duomo of San Giorgio, Ibla · Baroque church; free, modest dress
Castello di Donnafugata · Baron's mansion, rooms and park; two hours
Ibleo Archaeological Museum · Greek and earlier finds from the province
Kamarina · Ruins and a small museum by the sea

Nature and day trips near Ragusa

Cava d'Ispica · Gorge walk among caves and tombs
Irminio River Reserve · Dunes and juniper by the sea
Giardino Ibleo · Shade, palms and views over the valley

Things to do in Ragusa with kids

Castello di Donnafugata — the maze · Get lost in a stone maze
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, Modica · Taste chocolate with chilli, orange or salt
Marina di Ragusa · Sandy beach and evening promenade

Where to eat in Ragusa

Ristorante Duomo · Ciccio Sultano's celebrated restaurant; book well ahead
Locanda Don Serafino · Fine dining in old stone cellars; Michelin-starred
U Saracinu · Trattoria by the Duomo; local dishes at fair prices
La Bettola · Simple trattoria behind the Duomo

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Frequently asked questions about Ragusa

What is there to see in Ragusa?

The top sights in Ragusa are Duomo of San Giorgio, Ibla, Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista and Santa Maria delle Scale. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Ragusa?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ragusa without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Ragusa?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ragusa, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Down into Ibla.

How do you get to Ragusa and get around?

The main ways are Comiso Airport, Ragusa station and Ragusa bus station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Ragusa, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ragusa that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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