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May is the best time—cool enough to visit the cities but warm enough to enjoy a swim. From mid-June through August you won't want to stray far from the beach in southeastern Sicily.
Until the new airport outside Ragusa opens in December, flying into Catania is your best bet. There is regular service from Rome and other European cities, and direct flights via Rome or Milan from New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Rent a car at the Catania airport (Hertz and Avis are the most reliable) and chart a circular tour: Siracusa, Noto, Modica, Ragusa. The distances are small; you could drive across the whole region in two hours.
Via Elorina, Contrada Pantanelli, Siracusa; 39-0931/69057; Caolishka.com; doubles from $256.
1/9 Via Exaudinos, Modica; 39-0932/752-075; Casatalia.it; doubles from $162.
A former monk's retreat, now an 11-room boutique hotel south of Ragusa. Contrada Giubiliana, Km. 7.5, S.P. Marina di Ragusa; 39-0932/669-119; EremodellaGiubiliana.it; doubles from $336.
The hotel has maintained the feeling of a Sicilian villa, with wrought-iron fixtures, frescoed, vaulted ceilings, and antique furniture. 5 Via Blandini, Modica; 39-0932/941-059; PalazzoFailla.it; doubles from $182.
159 Corso Umberto I, Modica; 39-0932/941-225; cannoli for two $3.
125 Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Noto; 39-0931/835-013; gelato for two $5.
The most famous restaurant in the region, the only one to get two stars from Michelin. Chef Ciccio Sultano's business partner, Angelo Di Stefano, looks like a Sicilian Oscar Wilde. 31 Via Capitano Bocchieri, Ragusa; 39-0932/651-265; dinner for two $269.
Peppe Barone's sweet-and-sour rabbit was the best version I tasted. 14 Vico Napolitano, Modica; 39-0932/751-286; dinner for two $102.
A restaurant helmed by chef Accursio Craparo, next door to Palazzo Failla. Try the branzino fillet with saffron and potatoes. 5 Via Blandini, Modica; 39-0932/755-655; dinner for two $130.
A dim, cool restaurant in the center of town that specializes in fish. 18 Via S. La Rosa, Noto; 39-0931/574-818; dinner for two $95.
Contrada Porcari, Noto; 39-0931/813-019; lunch for two $80.
Visits and tastings must be booked in advance. Contrada Dispensa, Menfi; 39-0925/80009; Planeta.it.
Tours are free but reservations are required. S.P. 3 Acate, Chiaremonte Ragusa; 39-0932/876-145; Locandos.it.
The Patience of the Spider, by Andrea Camilleri, the latest in a series set in the region and featuring the Sicilian detective, Inspector Montalbano.
The most recent CD from Catanian singer-songwriter Carmen Consoli.
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