Crystal clear sea and beaches’ characteristic golden sand are a strong point of these lands. Staying in Casa La Pennica in Noto it will be easy to reach the most beautiful beaches on the coast, starting from those inside the Vendicari Reserve.
NOTE: Except for a few establishments in Lido di Noto and facing the Island of the currents, the rest are free beaches: it is therefore quite complicated to find shade and food near the beaches. So it is good to start from home armed with umbrella, water and arancini.
Vendicari Reserve
In this section you’ll find details about beaches which are part of the Vendicari Reserve (from North to South): Eloro, Marianelli, Calamosche, Vendicari and San Lorenzo.
Eloro: it is the closest beach to Noto which belongs to the Reserva and with easier access (about 5/10 min walk from the parking to the sand). http://www.vendicari.net/vendicari-beaches/beach-of-eloro/
Marianelli: wild but quite easily accessible. Parking costs around € 4.50 per day (2019 pricing), and entitles you to a voucher of equivalent value to spend on drinks at the neighboring farmhouse. http://www.vendicari.net/vendicari-beaches/marianelli-beach/
Calamosche: probably the most coveted and popular, and therefore also the most crowded. To reach the beach from parking you need to walk for about 30 min. It is advisable to inquire with the tourist office before planning the day on the beach: sometimes in the season it is possible that access to the sea is less easy due to seagrass beds. http://www.vendicari.net/vendicari-beaches/calamosche-beach/
Vendicari: around this area there are some of the most beautiful beaches on the coast, the old fishing village, the old Tonnara and the quagmire where you can observe pink flamingos at certain times of the year. http://www.vendicari.net/vendicari-beaches/
Cittadella and San Lorenzo: at the opposite end of the Vendicari Reserve from Eloro, there is the coast of San Lorenzo with the beaches of San Lorenzo and Cittadella. At the following link you will find all the necessary information and the coordinates to arrive and park. http://www.vendicari.net/vendicari-beaches/san-lorenzo-beach
All information relating to beaches, fauna and exhibition areas can be consulted on the website http://www.vendicari.net/
North of the Reserve
Riserva del Plemmirio: another amazing marine reserve in Syracuse area. Access to the beaches (mainly rocks) takes a few minutes’ walk.
Cavagrande Lakes: this is not a beach, but it’s a perfect spot to dive into fresh water. In the area of Avola Antica, this small heaven is not easy to reach. The descent is quite steep and the ascent, therefore, tiring. It is essential to wear sneakers, and to bring water and food (especially fruit). Before going, make sure that the ponds are accessible: it may happen that in summer they are closed because risk of fire.
Laghetti del Carosello:close to the village of San Corrado, a few km from Casa La Pennica, there are these lakes of icy water. The descent, not too easy, lasts about 30min and is necessarily to wear sneakers. Probably one of the few places on the coast where you can be alone even in the months of July and August.
Calabernardo “Malacala”: Malacala is not a beach but a spot of rocks in the village of Balata Calabernardo. The famous discomfort of these boulders makes it the perfect area for those days when the most renowned beaches are crowded: usually the color of the sea fully rewards. (GPS 36.866965, 15.136607)
Lido di Noto: Lido di noto is “the daily beach” for most of the people. It extends from the white rocks (in front of the Hotel President) to just before the beach Pizzuta (GPS 36.857717, 15.116851). Here you can find some equipped beach.
Colonna Pizzuta: amazing and wide beach close to Eloro beach. Frequently Caretta Caretta turtles decide to deposit their eggs here. GPS coordinates: 36.844873, 15.109271
A Sud della Riserva
Capo Passero di Portopalo: the island of Capo Passero faces Porto Palo, the last strip of land completely covered by the Ionian Sea (GPS 36.685135, 15.139477)
Isola delle Correnti: l’Isola delle correnti is the border between the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. There are some very nice equipped beaches where to stay at the sunset time (i.e Scialai, Carratois) (GPS: 36.645487, 15.077551)