Marzamemi, the most southern village in Italy
The name derives from the Arab Marsà Al Hamem, which means ‘Bay of the Turtledoves’, as the area is where these small birds fly past during migrations. In the past, ships that transported large quantities of locally produced wine to the various ports of the peninsula also departed from the port of Marzamemi. Off the port of Marzamemi, visitors cannot help but admire a small island with a red villa in the centre that occupies almost the entire perimeter of the island. Its name is "Isola Piccola” (small island) but it is also known as "Isolotto Brancati” (Brancati islet). Isola Piccola is privately owned and belongs to the family of Raffaele Brancati, a surgeon from Pachino. However, the name of the islet derives from the name of the writer and playwright Vitaliano Brancati, originally from Pachino, who seems to have stayed on this very island
Vendicari,
faunistic oasis
The natural reserve "Faunistic Oasis of Vendicari" was established in 1984 by the Sicilian Region. It is located precisely between Noto and Pachino (province of Syracuse) with a territory that extends for about 1512 hectares. Within the reserve, an entire ecosystem lives undisturbed.
Frequently you will find yourself in front of breathtaking landscapes, dense vegetation that suddenly opens up to a crystalline sea, to very long and golden beaches, which after a few hundred metres become rocks overlooking a deep sea. From the observation huts you can admire flamingos, herons, storks that stop here before reaching the definitive migratory destinations
NOTO, capital of sicilian baroque
The meaning of its name is not known, but there is certainly that it has pre-Hellenic origins (the old site of ancient Noto dates back to the third millennium BC and is thought to be called Neas), while we know with certainty that it was named by the Greeks Νέητον (Néēton), from the Latin Netum and finally from the Arabs Notus, from which the current and definitive name derives: Noto. During the various dominations Sicily was always divided into administrative, religious and territorial areas, which over time underwent various changes and extensions.
The island of
Capo Passero
The island of Capo Passero is one of the most enchanting attractions of the Syracuse area not to be missed. It is an islet of the Ionian Sea that was created after the first half of the 18th century due to different currents: before it was a peninsula connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. During low tide, the island of Capo Passero is easily reachable on foot, otherwise it can be reached by any type of boat, so that you can go around it and admire all its wonders. It is a small island about one kilometre long and 500 meters wide. On the bank towards Portopalo di Capo Passero it is possible to see the buildings of the ancient ‘tonnara’ with the ‘scieri’, that is the boats used for tuna fishing, and the large iron anchors.
Isola delle correnti
Isola delle Correnti (island of the currents) is a small island with a rounded shape, which extends for about 10,000 square metres, reaching a maximum height of 4m above sea level.
Connected to Portopalo by a fine stone tongue, it enchants with its wild and uncontaminated beauty. Within the island, the few signs of man's passage are represented by the suggestive lighthouse, a small disused military structure and a few houses where the lighthouse keeper once resided with his family. Due to its position, the island of currents represents a sort of ideal border between the Ionian and the Mediterranean Sea. The currents generated by the meeting of these two seas give life to ripples and colours in continuous evolution ... hence the name "Island of the Currents".