Listen to “Exploring Sicily’s Val di Noto with Karen La Rosa” on Spreaker.
Wondering where to find historic towns with sweeping piazzas, incredible food, and friendly people? Look no further than Sicily’s Val di Noto in the south east of the island. We’re joined by Sicily travel expert Karen La Rosa who takes us on a journey through pretty towns and colorful landscapes and shares some of the best addresses to seek out in this wonderful region.
The Val di Noto is a very special part of Sicily and Italy. Many of the towns were destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1693 and the area was rebuilt in Baroque splendor in the following decades. These days, this region is known for its architecture, relaxed lifestyle, culture, food and wine. If ever there was an area deserving of the overused term “hidden gem” this is it.
Each of the towns of the Val di Noto has its own unique charm and specialty. In Modica, you’ll find an obsession with chocolate and delicacies made to ancient recipes. Catania has a world-famous fish market and an up-and-coming food scene blending tradition with modern techniques. While Ragusa is home to artisan traditions and spectacular views.
And it is not just the towns that capture your heart. In this region, the countryside is verdant in spring. While in autumn vines are dripping with grapes before the harvest leaves the countryside bare, but still beautiful.
What better way to discover this area than with a travel expert who takes specialty groups there and spends as much time sitting in the piazza and lingering over long lunches as she does exploring the ceramic shops of Caltagirone. And following in the footsteps of a famous Sicilian detective.
What you’ll learn in this episode
- All about the baroque towns of the Val di Noto and what makes each of them unique
- Where you can taste gelato made with wine
- Places you can visit if you’re a fan of the Inspector Montalbano series
- The best way to get around this part of Sicily
- Where to stay in the Val di Noto to enjoy the welcoming Sicilian hospitality
- Dishes and wine to try when you visit this region
- How to find a workshop where artisans make designs for Dolce e Gabbana
About our guest – Karen La Rosa
Karen is a tour operator and owner of La Rosa Works that specializes in travel to Sicily. For more than 10 years, she has been promoting travel to the island, bringing small to medium sized groups to join her and designing and arranging itineraries and tours for independent travelers.
Sicily is Karen’s heritage and her passion. That love evolved into a highly respected boutique travel business. Karen shares the island’s beating heart with her clients – from authentic, historical and off the beaten path experiences, to the contemporary and entrepreneurial efforts that represent the new paths in present day Sicily.
Karen’s tours are immersive and fun with expert guides, wine and food always the protagonists. Karen’s website, her YouTube channel, and social media presence are all aimed at engaging people interested in exploring Sicily’s fascinating history, stunning beauty, warm hospitality and some say, the best food and wine in Italy. Her clients write reviews that are amazing and a true testament to her kindness, generosity and passion for Sicily.
Karen is an Italian Wine Specialist, speaks Italian and has visited the Sicily countless happy times.
You can also find Karen on these social media channels:
Places and services mentioned in the show
- Val di Noto – region in the south east of Sicily famous for UNESCO listed Baroque towns
- Towns of the Val di Noto – Catania, Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Palazollo
- Gagliardi Hotel – lovely boutique hotel with views over Noto’s Corso Umberto
- Anche gli Angeli – recommended restaurant in Noto
- Caffè Sicilia and Caffè Costanzo – places to go in Noto for gelato and sweets
- gli AROMI – herb farm near Scicli
- Gelati di Vini – where to get the wine gelati in Ragusa
- Rosso Cinabro – colorful cart designers that work with Dolce e Gabbana with a workshop in Ragusa
- Modica – town famous for chocolate – visit Ciomod to tour the factory and make your own bar
- Caltagirone – town famous for ceramics in the north of the region
- Sapio – Michelin starred dining in Catania
- Vecchia Masseria – farm stay near Caltagirone
- Feudi del Pisciotto – wine estate with accommodation near Caltagirone
Resources from Untold Italy
- Join us on tour in Sicily – details here
- Reasons to visit Sicily, our Sicily guide, the Best Things to do in Sicily and off the beaten path Sicilian towns and our favorite Sicilian desserts, Traditional foods of Sicily and our guide to the Best places to stay in Sicily
- Discover one of Sicily’s gems in Best things to do in Catania
- Listen: to our other podcast episode recorded with Karen in Episode #107 Tastes of Sicily, Episode #069 Sicily’s Aeolian Islands Episode #036 Palermo not what you expect and Episode #043 Excursions from Palermo
- Driving in Italy – a guide to getting around by car
- How to plan a trip to Italy – our article that takes you step by step through trip planning so you can avoid our mistakes
- Italy Travel Planning – our FREE online community where you can ask questions and get inspiration for planning your trip
- Travel shop where you’ll find items mentioned in the show
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Transcript
Prefer to read along as you listen? Below is a full transcript of our episode conversation. Unfortunately it does not pick up our lovely Australian and American accents however!