Page 395 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

added, and the only bus routes from the airport ran to Catania Airport and Catania (1

daily Mon–Wed, Fri & Sun) and Ragusa (1 daily except Thurs), but note that
departures don’t tie in with flight timings. A taxi to Ragusa from the airport should
cost around €40, while there are also two local car-rental outfits: Morgan Service (
393 426 6443, morganservice.it) and Gianni Motors ( 0932 721 851,
giannimotors.it).

Chiaramonte Gulfi

Twenty kilometres north of Ragusa, CHIARAMONTE GULFI merits a visit largely
for its far-reaching views. This is one of several places dubbed the “balcony of

Sicily” and, though hazy in summer, the panorama (west towards Gela and north to
Etna) embraces dun-coloured farmland interspersed with solitary villages – a still,
silent scene, but for the occasional dog’s bark or the whine of a Vespa.

Sampieri

There’s more to the province of Ragusa than its feted Baroque towns. Head down to

the coast from Modica or Scicli and you’ll strike the magnificent beach of Sampieri, a
stunning 2km sweep of sand running between the dramatic Gothic ruins of an
abandoned brick factory (which fans of Montalbano will recognize). Sampieri village,
a small and pleasantly low-key local resort, retains a core of traditional cubic
fishermen’s houses, built of the same gleaming limestone as the cobbles on the streets.

In summer a couple of small lidos open on the beach, but for the rest of the year it’s a
marvellous place to spend a few days if you want to do nothing but swim and take long
beach walks.

ACCOMMODATION: SAMPIERI

If you want to rent a house or apartment in Sampieri, the Abitare Solemare agency (
334 633 4423, abitaresolemare.it) has the widest choice, with high-season prices
starting at €500 per week for two people – and low season prices around half that.

Poggio Bellavista 0932 939 068, poggio-bellavista.com. If you want to stay in
Sampieri you couldn’t do better than this welcoming and comfortable B&B, with five
pretty rooms, perched on the hillside 1km outside town. The English-speaking owners

go out of their way to make guests feel at home. €80

Marina di Ragusa

Southwest of Ragusa, it’s a straight 24km run down to the coast, and the start of the so-
called “riviera”, which extends as far as Gela. the small resort of MARINA DI

RAGUSA is a typical Sicilian mix of private lidos and apartments, and bars and