Piccola Casa is a private, fully equipped house on an acre of stone-terraced olive groves. It has a well-equipped kitchen (which you will find stocked with basics when you arrive), sitting room, bathroom and a bedroom in the open loft area above the sitting room.
The bedroom has a queen-sized bed and two of the seating areas in the sitting room have proper bed mattresses and can easily be made up as single beds. It is very private and quiet as it sits at the end of a private road. We think it is perfect as both a romantic getaway and a family holiday home. Free Wi-Fi access and private parking immediately adjacent to the house.
Piccola Casa is situated about 20 Km northeast of the provincial town of Ragusa. Below are some ideas as to what you can do and see in our immediate area and further afield. Distances are approximate and if you need more information, please email us.
San Giacomo – is the closest village – 2 Km away. It boasts a good supermarket (with local butcher counter), bar, pizzeria, bakery, pharmacy and Post Office.
Giarratana – is significantly bigger than San Giacomo and is 8 Km away. It has several good restaurants, supermarkets, a bank, a Post Office, a pharmacy, bars, butchers, bakeries and a fresh fish shop open three mornings a week, etc. It also has an open-air market on the 4th and 21st of every month. There is a very old quarter which has several lovely churches, steep narrow streets and even the remains of a castle.
Frigintini – is only 15 Km away and is of similar size to Giarratana. It also has good restaurants, several supermarkets, an excellent butcher and an enoteca (wine shop). The bakery is particularly wonderful!!!
Ragusa - is our provincial town and it is about 23 Km away. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is split into two cities on the sides of a deep gorge (mesa) running north/south down to the Mediterranean Sea. Ragusa and the surrounding area are home to the famous Inspector Montelbano TV series and it is not uncommon to see episodes being filmed. His beachfront house, in the series, is in Punta Secca on the coast 20 Km south of Ragusa.
Ragusa Superiore - was founded in 1693 after a major earthquake and is the now the main shopping and commercial city. There are many fine examples of Baroque architecture including the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista and three impressive bridges that scan the gorge that bisects the town. There is a big open-air market every Wednesday morning which is really worth a visit.
Ragusa Ibla - is the old city, the origins of which can be traced back to the 2nd millennium BC when it was probably settled by the ancient Sicels. In the last ten years Ibla has undergone a significant rebirth and many of its historical buildings have been carefully restored. The two cities boast a total of over 100 churches many of which are in the Baroque style. There are a myriad of narrow streets and piazzas to be explored which are home to a variety of interesting shops, great restaurants and cafes.
Marina di Ragusa – is 20 Km south of Ragusa. It is increasingly becoming a year-round destination partly due to the large new marina that was opened in 2009. In summer it is packed and bustling but it's much quieter between late September and June. It's a great people watching spot in mid summer.
Modica – was the former provincial capital until 1927 when Ragusa succeeded it in this role. It is a wonderful example of Baroque architecture and is located about 25 Km south of Casa Iside. It is physically very attractive, has a good selection of restaurants and cafes and is notably famous for its particular type of chocolate. Great shopping too.
Marina di Modica – is about 15 Km south of Modica and has a good swimming beach and a choice of restaurants during the summer months.
Sampieri – is probably our favourite local beach spot. It has a choice of a sandy beach or rocky ledges and a number of beach restaurants. Its about 35 Km from Casa Iside and is a happening place during the summer months.
Scicli – is a smaller Baroque town located about 35 Km south of us that is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It dates back to 300 BCE and was originally inhabited by the Sicels from whom it derived its name. It hosts a number of religious festivals and processions during the year and seems to attract artists during the summer when there are generally a number of exhibitions.
Chiaramonte Gulfi - is a smaller country town about 20 Km to the west of us which boasts spectacular views over the Valley of the Ippari and beyond down to the Mediterranean Sea in a southerly direction and as far as Mt. Etna in a northerly direction. It also has a number of good examples of Baroque architecture.
Caltagirone – is a hilltop town about 50 Km away which is very famous for its hand-painted ceramics and the decorated staircase of Santa Maria del Monte.
Buccheri – is a small but interesting country town located at over 800 metres on Monte Lauro. It is about 20 Km north of us and the drive has wonderful views as far as the Mediterranean coast to the south and Mt. Etna to the north. It is home to one of our favourite restaurants which is almost impossible to find if you did not know it was there.
Palazzolo Acreide – is about 20 Km away in a northeasterly direction and is one of our favourite spots. Great restaurants, two lovely piazzas and lots of narrow streets to explore. The main street is still cobbled. There is also an amazingly intact and refreshingly non-touristy archeological park which was the location of the ancient city. It has a remarkable, small Greek ampitheatre, ruins of a number of other buildings and catacombs that you can actually enter.
Siracusa (Syracuse) – is 80 Km away down on the southeastern coast. It is a lovely spot – especially the old city of Ortygia. There are lots of things to do and see there, plenty of shops and an open-air market every morning. The Greek Archeological site is quite extensive and there are a number of interesting structures to see including the famous Teatro Greco ampitheatre. Ortygia is on an island, connected to Siracusa by two bridges, and its myriad of old narrow streets are full of restaurants and shops. There is also an old fort, an historical natural fresh water fountain and a number of interesting churches to visit including Il Duomo in the lovely Piazza Duomo. The harbor is picturesque and the city was once the Greek Mediterranean capital of Europe primarily due to the size and location of its large natural harbor.
Marzamemi – is our favourite authentic fishing port style town. It is very pretty and in recent years a number of restaurants have sprung up making it a lovely day out and place to eat lunch. The harbour is full of brightly coloured local fishing boats and in days gone by it was very famous for its tuna fishing industry.
Noto – has been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage site and is perhaps the most famous Baroque town in our area. Being only approximately 60 Km away it is a very doable day trip and great place to have lunch. The architecture is exceptional and there are a number of restaurants and cafes to choose from for a meal, drinks and/or gelato!
Piazza Armerina – is a long but worthwhile day trip. It's about an hour and 45 minute drive through beautiful countryside. We recommend that you leave Casa Iside mid morning – spend an hour exploring the town of Piazza Armerina itself, have a leisurely lunch at an outdoor café and then drive the few minutes down to the Villa Romana Casale (a UNESCO World Heritage site) just below the town. Although the currently excavated remains of the villa do not cover a large area, the floors of every room are paved with the most incredible mosaics dating back almost 2,000 years. We easily lost three hours admiring them - the famous “bikini girls” being only one of the numerous detailed mosaics on display.
Acitivities
Sicily offers an abundance of things to do. Although Ragusa is not yet a primary tourist destination there are more and more businesses which offer a wide variety of activities for visitors including; mountain biking, off-road tours, culinary courses, language courses, horse riding, painting, hiking, motor bike enduro and road tours. There are also a number of really beautiful walks within either immediate walking distance or a few minutes drive from Casa Iside.
Spa and massage facilities are available within a 15 minute drive and on-site massage is available by prior arrangement.
We have a very dear Sicilian friend who speaks several languages and is a qualified tour guide for all the most notable local towns including Chiaramonte, Modica, Noto, Ragusa and Scicli. We can book private tours with her to suite your personal schedule.
Sicily is still very much culturally intact and in our immediate region there are festivals throughout the year, many of which are associated with the church and seasonal happenings such as the grape and olive harvests. Literally the whole town stops to party and participate in the huge colourful processions. Sicilians love fireworks and the displays in even the smallest villages are generally very impressive.
We also have a traditional flour mill and an olioficio (olive press) nearby.
The Teatro Greco in Siracusa (Syracuse) stages live performances of selected
