Scicli gem of Sicily: why you will love this Baroque town + best things to see

Essential travel guide to Scicli, a small town in South Easter Sicily with outstanding architecture and a mellow feel. In this travel guide, we share the best things to see, where to eat, how to enjoy Scicli with kids, and practical info for your visit, based on our own experience and the tips from a local friend.

Scicli is a beautiful and pleasant town in the south of Sicily, famous for outstanding baroque architecture and an mellow atmospheres.

It is a small gem of a town, with coffee places along shaded alleys, pretty piazzas with locals chatting in the sun and an unmistakable Sicilian feel.

It is also one of the towns operating as a set for the Inspector Montalbano TV series, so it has a strong cinematic quality!

During my most recent trip to Sicily, I was craving an Italian vacation that brought me away from the crowds, immersed me in beautiful architecture and fed me delicious food.

You know, how Italian vacations used to be before mass tourism? That!

I gave myself a chance by going in March, which is off season and by choosing an area that is a little further from main airport and indeed, my planning paid off! 

Val di Noto in general and Scicli in particular gave me all I wanted and more: a blend of Baroque architecture, pure Sicilian allure, laid-back atmosphere and of course all the delicious food this land does oh so well.

I am also a fan of Montalbano so being able to recognize the filming locations and basically walk on set was a real plus to me! 

Based on my recent trip, this is is my essential guide to visiting Scicli. I hope you go and love it as much as I did!

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Why Visit Scicli?

There many reasons to visit Scicli.

1. Baroque Beauty against a rocky backround – Scicli is part of the Val di Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its late Baroque towns. 

Juts like its famous neighbors like Noto and Ragusa Ibla, Scicli has delightful baroque buildings and churches all around you, but it also has something that I found unique to it: an exceptionally rocky landscape that works as an unexpected and powerful wild backdrop to the sapient craftmanship of Scicli’s architects.

A juxtaposition that gives the town a unique feel!

I felt that, in Scicli, the architecture truly dialogued with the surrounding landscape to create a unique aesthetic I loved.

2. Inspector Montalbano’s Set – if you are a of the Italian TV series Inspector Montalbano, you will recognize Scicli’s City Hall as Montalbano’s commissariato and several bits of the city as the filming location for the fictional town of Vigàta.

If you do not know Montalbano, I recommend to try get a hold of it: it is a TV series about a police inspector and it is filmed here: It is guarantee to make you want to come visit this part of Sicily! (ir is also excellent in quality it comes from books by Italian author Camilleri)

3. Authentic Sicilian Cuisine

Of course, you can taste in Sicily all regional specialties and it is great to know the town is less of a social media star than Noto, so you get a lot of local authentic places with excellent food

4. Cool Atmosphere – Scicli has a calm and relaxing vibe with an arty twist.

Despite being in a relatively remote location, Scicli has an artsy soul and has exhibition spaces and a young community of artists that add to the interest and vibe of this pretty town.

How long to stay in Scicli

You can visit Scicli in half a day or use it as a cute base to explore Val di Noto over the course of a few days. Car highly recommended (see below)

The best Things to See and Do in Scicli itinerary

The best thing to see in Scicli is the Scicli old center as a whole, the historic part of town with the churches, baroque architecture, Montalbano’s locations, cafes etc. Find the map at the end of this article!

Since the town is small, you don’t really need an itinerary nor a plan to visit, you can just take a stroll.

However, I recommend seeing the following spots and since we saw them in order, they do make an itinerary. So, here it is! To take this walk and lunch took us a two / three of hours at a very leisurely pace

San Bartolomeo and Square – The church of San Bartolomeo is a location that stopped me in my tracks, it is so unique.

The church has a beautiful facade and interior that is a typical example of the Baroque Art of this area but it stands beside an impressive rock, so wild and rugged, it is hard for the brain at first to take them both in together!

The church is beautiful inside and out and overlooks a large, lovely piazza with some houses, shops and eateries.

You can enter the church for free and admire the paintwork and the Neapolitan style presepe (nativity scene).

Bring a few coins to operate the lights and leave a small donation for maintenance, should you so be inclined.

On the piazza, you find a small supermarket for essentials and Cannolia, for cannoli, should you fancy a sweet treat and many cute photo worthy corners

Piazza Italia – Piazza Italia is a large square with beautiful architecture and some cute shops. The square is overlooked by beautiful buildings such as Sant’Ignazio Church, which can be worth seeing.

Via Nazionale – Via Nazionale is a nice street that leads you to to Scicli’s Municipal offices / Montalbano’s Commissariato.

As you stroll towards it, notice Palazzo Beneventano, which is another beautiful examples of Noto’s valley baroque, and take a moment to peek into the local shops.

This area is famous for pottery and handmade chocolate so, if you are looking for Italian souvenirs, there are the things to look for here!

Montalbano’s commissariato and Via Mormino Penna -after a short walk along Via Nazionale, you will find a piazza opening up to your left and suddenly you’re in Montalbanoland!

The piazza is one of the main piazzas in Scicli is and it overlooked by the palazzo seat of the City of Scicli and the church of San Giocanni Evangelista, both open to visitors (one ticketed, as it was the the series set; one free, being a church).

On the other side of the piazza you have some pretty cafes, which also pretty Via Mormino Penna, a pleasant road to stroll along to feel the pure Scicli atmpsphere.

While here, peek into Antica Farmacia Cartia and take the small guided visits: this is an old pharmacy now turned museum and a very cool place to see for a step back into past times!

Scicli’ canal – Via Aleardi – from the end of Via Penna, turn right and follow Scicl’s Canal (when we visited, pretty much dry) to regain the center of the city.

The canal side makes for a peasant walk: following it will bring you to impressive Piazza Busacca and the stunning Chiesa della Madonna Del Carmine (church), also worth seeing.

From here, keep walking along via Santa Maria la Nova to catch a glimpse of Santa Maria La Nova itself, and the impressive rock surrounding it. From here, you regain Via Nazionale to walk back to your starting point.

Good to know. Part of Scicli is made of cave dwellings, somewhat reminiscent of those of Matera. These area is an archaeological park but it is unfortunately closed to visitors, which is why I do not cover it in this guide.

Where to Eat in Scicli

Scicli has a lot of lovely restaurants and cafes , with a mix of traditional Sicilian cuisine and local specialties. Here are some top spots to consider:

Cannolia: which I already mentioned for cannoli, on the same square as San Bartolomeo. Link here.

Prosit Sicilian Bistrot – rightly famous for its octopus but the menu has more than that, including a good wine list. Link to address and reviews here.

Ummara Vineria con Cucina (evening), for its cute setting and natural wines expecially

Baqqala, excellent for seafood Link to address and reviews here.

My Name is Tannino, great for aperitivo or a full meal. Link to address and reviews here.

Visiting Scicli with Kids

Scicli is a lovely town to visit with kids for families.

The town is small and, as such, it doesn’t have many resources such as indoor playcenters or similat; yet, it is safe, pleasant, it has a playground (Scicli playground address: Largo Antonio Gramsci, 341, 97018 Scicli RG, Italy) and it is family oriented in feel , meaning you can enjoy all its restaurants with kids in tow and leisurely enjoy the town with littles no problem.

Need to know: Scicli is inland and very far south so it is HOT. I would recommend to avoid it in summer, unless you come here for the evening, as the sun here is really strong and the temperature is not joke, in the good season.

Like in the rest of Italy, you won’t find kids’ menus as such, but you will be able to order anything from the menu in a smaller portion or ask for a simple plate of pasta with butter, tomato sauce or similar. Have a look here our tips for eating out in Italy with kids.

The town’s streets are generally stroller-friendly, though some areas with cobblestones may require a bit more effort.

However, the charm of these streets and the lack of heavy traffic make it a pleasant experience for families. 

Where to stay in Scicli

I recommend you check out the following hotels, in Scicli and surrounding area:

Palazzo Conti – beautiful and super central location, rooms for up to three guests

Roccaseta (kid friendly) – beautiful, charming, with a pool and close to the beach, perfect for the hottest months

How to Get to Scicli

The best way to get to Scicli is by car.

The closest airport is Comiso, while Catania is about 140 Km (and a long, slow0ish drive). Palermo is at almost the opposite end of the island, well over 200 Km away.

Driving in this area is slow but not difficult outside of the towns; however, it get considerably more challenging once you enter town centers as the roads are narrow, there are limited access areas and street sings are not always the ones you are used to, like this one with the horseman!

If driving, just go slow and familiarize yourself with Italian parking rules first.

Alternatively, you can take a train or bus from Ragusa, with several departures throughout the day. The train station is about 1 km from the city center. The bus works well and you can get tickets in Ragusa bus station.

Please be advised that while getting here is by bus is ok, exploring relying on public transport is not as straightforward. I strongly recommend you get a car.

Day Trips from Scicli: what to see nearby

One of the great things about Scicli is its location—it’s the perfect base for exploring the southeast of Sicily. Here are a few standout day trips that are well worth your time:

1. Modica (15 minutes by car)

Modica is one of the biggest and most famous centers in this area. It’s an intersesting, bustling town with the typical baroque architecture of this area and it is famous for handmade chocolate: Modica’s chocolate is uniquely made and it is excellent as an ingredient especially so if you love to cook or bake, it is definitely worth getting some!

2. Ragusa Ibla (30 minutes)

Ragusa’s historic center is another jewel in the Val di Noto crown. It is a lovely small town with an almost out of time feel and it is a delightful stop for an afternoon or for a meal. With kids, i recommend spending time at Ragusa’s pretty Giardino (park with playground), while foodies may love to learn Ragusa has a Michelin Starred restaurans: Locanda Don Serafino and Il Duomo!

You can find here >>> my travel guide to Ragusa Ibla

3. Sampieri Beach (15 minutes)

Sampieri is a cute and charming village with a long golden beach, clear waters and a wonderful local feel. The town is not overly commercial and very much outside the main tourism fluxes, so it is perfect if you want a laid back retreat. Families in particular will like the soft sand, stroller friendly promenade, small playground and we even notices a small kid space / mini library here!

4. Donnafugata Castle (40 minutes)

A stunning castle surrounded by myths, noble history, and beautiful gardens (with a maze!)

5. Noto (1 hour)

Noto is maybe the best known of the baroque towns of Noto Valley and it is a place indeed worth seeing while in the area. The town is famous for good food, lovely views and it it easy to visit with kids too – worth spending an afternoon here and have a meal in one of its lovely restaurants! Find here >>> my guide to Noto with kids

Scicli walking itinerary, best things to see, Scicli restaurant recommendations MAP

Travel Guide to Scicli – pin this!