Originally Posted by
mreynolds767
JMN57: if you had to pick just 1 for a day trip (no overnight) which would you choose:
Ortigia or Noto ?
I have one day free in my plans on need to decide which ; want to walk in the main piazza, see a duomo, some souvenir shops, interesting architecture, gelato, etc...
Noto a little further drive but I believe will be easier to find parking so might be a wash time wise overall. Ortigia offers views of the sea which could be the tie breaker I imagine but also larger that it may not work as well as a day trip location?
Either way, likely can stop at the ruins outside of Siracusa that same day.
Tough choice. Both are appealing. A lot depends on what else you are going to do/see in Sicily. If you're going to Ragusa, for example, then you could easily skip Noto. If much of your trip was seaside, maybe skip Ortigia (that would be hard for me as, while Ortigia is by the sea, it's a wonderful, historical urban area to walk. It's not just the sea). Personally, I'd spend the day in Ortigia but if you are into the Baroque period, then go to Noto.
Parking is not that bad. While you can drive onto Ortigia with specific conditions, if you are day tripping unlikely as basically all of Ortigia is a ZTL. But you can park close and walk across the isthmus to the "island." While I've never had a problem in Sicily, I wouldn't leave anything in the car (or trunk/boot).