Modica or Noto? So difficult to decide!

Old Feb 14th, 2016, 04:30 AM
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Modica or Noto? So difficult to decide!

I know this has been asked before, so please forgive me! I currently have 2 nights reserved in Modica in a B&B. I'm also considering Noto, but am having a hard time with the decision. We will be there in mid-May.

Initially I asked about Modica as I do have some difficulty with stairs, but can manage as long as I go slowly, so we'll adjust where it's needed. My question really is more about the aesthetic experience of the towns. And here is where I get overwhelmed by the different takes on each of the Baroque towns.

Some folks love Modica -- a very "real" town, with minimal separation of tourism and daily life. Some find it "the least appealing" of the Baroque towns. Yet it also seems to have the most to offer the most in terms of tourist activities and restaurants of all the Baroque towns -- or at least, has much to do.

Noto is described as the most beautiful -- many folks do describe the architectural uniformity in glowing terms, with many descriptions of the stunning afternoon/evening light. It sounds like a great place to wander, which is what we do best. We are not huge foodies, so I don't need high end restaurants. Rather, we prefer small hotels or B&Bs with a personal touch.

While I would like to plan for a day trip to each of the towns, there is a very good chance that we'll end up staying where we are, soaking up the ambience of the town that we are staying in. So we may not end up visiting the different towns. So which town is the one to stay in?

I'd really love to hear the different takes -- where would you rather spend 2 nights, Modica or Noto?

Thanks!
Paule
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 05:58 AM
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it's just a question of personnal preference. Noto is easier to reach: more non stop buses from Catania airport.
I would probably stay at Siracusa and do a day trip to Noto (including the roman villa in the Tellaro area).
But frankly: go to the one or to the other or to both, you can't do anything wrong. Do just what you like best.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 06:14 AM
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We will be in Ortygia for 3 nights before going to the Baroque towns for 2 nights. I've got a reservation in Modica but Noto also sounds lovely. I'd love to hear the different takes of each of the towns to help me figure out what, exactly, I like best.

So especially for those who've been to both, why do you prefer one over the other? What is it you like or dislike about the town.

I know that ultimately it will be fine either way; however, it's been the one place that has been tugging at me since I started planning my itinerary months ago. I'm comfortable with the rest of my itinerary, but have really struggled with this town choice in particular.

In case you want to know our itinerary, it is:
Arrive Catania on May 15, leave from Palermo May 29.

5/15-5/17- Ortygia/L'approdo delle sirene Siracusa- 3 nights
5/18-5/19- Modica/Palazzo Il Cavaliere B&B or Stanze Barroche B&B- 2 nights
5/20 -- Piazza Armerina/Villa Clementine (just outside) - 1 night
5/21 -- Agrigento/Villa Diana - 1 night
5/22-5/23- Selinunte/Villa Sogno - 2 nights
5/24-5/25- Erice/Pietre Antiche -2 nights
5/26-5/28- Palermo/Palazzo Pantaleo - 3 nights
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 08:18 AM
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First, the caveats. Our Sicily trip was almost 6 years ago. We visited both but for very different lengths of time, Noto briefly on a Sunday on our way to Modica where we spent four nights. Spent the most time at Caffe Sicilia so that gives you an idea of our priorities that day. Saw Noto's lovely duomo only from the outside. Noto on a Sunday afternoon had a sleepy, dusty feel, and we left before sunset so missed what may have been the quintessential Noto experience. I recall that most of the people of whom I asked for directions were tourists also. I would have liked more time to explore, but my brood was ready to move on, and we all really enjoyed our time in attractive, lively Modica. Although you didn't ask about Ragusa Ibla, I thought it was the most visually attractive of the three Baroque towns we visited, but Modica's personality gave it the edge overall.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 09:43 AM
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I think I've already said that I haven't been to Modica, but I loved Noto, where I spent one night. During the day, there were a fair number of tourists, but it was back in 2007, just as the scaffolding that had surrounded the Duomo for MANY years was being dismantled, so I'm not sure people had realized it made sense to try it again. Once the day trippers left, it was delightful and quite beautiful. I was one of very few tourists in town by late afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, and I took a break for a glass of wine. All the cafes were doing a brisk business -- of men only, and I had to order in Italian (which I barely speak). Didn't smack of tourism to me! IIRC, Noto is a great place to stroll to see the facades -- the main street itself is fairly flat. Going INTO the buildings is a bit of a different matter, as you would need to climb stairs to get inside. And IMO, there are some worthy sights uphill from the main street, and again, climbing would be necessary to reach them. But for a leisurely stroll to see these gorgeous facades at their best -- as the setting sun strikes them, and later, lit against the night sky, well, I was glad I chose to stay there. And FWIW, I, personally, wouldn't choose between 2 locations based on number of restaurants, unless there aren't enough for the time you'll be there, and I think you'd have to eat a LOT to run out of places worth eating in Noto!

Good luck making a decision.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 09:51 AM
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Thank you both! I know there's not a "wrong" decision here - it's just the one that I keep struggling with. Just as I'm about to say, yes, I'm happy to be staying in Modica (lots of people also say it's a highlight), I read a post like yours, kja, and say to myself, "Oh, I really should stay here instead!" and for some reason, this is the place I have not been able to settle into my decision.

I'm aware that there will be stairs in most of the locations; I've accepted that we will just be going a little slower than normal, but we can manage the stairs.

I've no doubt I'll have enough to eat in Noto, and certainly there are multiple options in Modica!
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 11:23 AM
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Haven't been to Modica, but visited Noto one day and then another late afternoon into the night. Noto was charming and in the evenings the sunsets on buildings are just lovely. We were there in May also and May in Sicily seems to be a popular time for school trips. Noto during the day had just that (as did Erice). But after they left Noto did not have many tourists.

I have a friend who went to Sicily in the fall and she liked Modica the least of all the places she visited. She picked Modica because a friend told her how great it was. So just goes to show...everyone will have a different opinion. Flip a coin!
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 12:56 PM
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Yestravel,
I keep flipping the coin and it keeps coming up differently each time!

I know, I know. This is the make-a-decision-and-go-with-it but it's the one choice where the decision keeps nagging at me and I'll probably go,back and forth for a while.....
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 01:06 PM
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as you know from my planning thread Progol, I flipped the coin and came up with Ragusa, mainly because I found what looks like a great B&B within spitting distance of the centre with a swimming pool and parking.

And it's slightly closer to Agrigento which will be our next stop.

We will drop into Noto on the way, and possibly do Modica on the day we are in the area, as we have 2 nights in Ragusa.

our itineraries are very similar up until Agrigento - when are you going to be there?
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 01:45 PM
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We will be there in mid-May. Leaving in exactly 3 months and can't wait, especially today -- NYC was -1 degree Farenheit today! Too bad -- it would be great to meet up.

I like that Ragusa B&B, too..... Parking, too? Very tempting!
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 01:58 PM
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"I keep flipping the coin and it keeps coming up differently each time! "

My credo is that if I flip a coin, and my reaction is that I'm going to flip it again, then I've actually made up my mind -- I want the other one. JMO.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 02:36 PM
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Shame, Progol - a mini-GTG on Sicily would have been fun. But I can benefit from your experiences so not all bad, for me anyway.

I tend to agree with kja - if you keep changing your mind, you haven't found the right place yet. You're like me - I'm really happy with our first 3 choices, but the 4th one is really causing me problems.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 10:30 PM
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Another method of choosing the town in which to stay is to find the hotel you like best and decide on that basis. Like annhig in Ragusa I found a hotel in Noto that I loved (at least online) and that made the decision for me. But I'm one of those people to whom the hotel is important and perhaps you are not. Many people feel they only need a place to sleep and don't much care about the details.

This may be another case of not being able to do everything you want to do and having to come back another time, not the worst possibility.
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 01:33 AM
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shellio - where you stay is an important part of the experience for us - as we proved to ourselves in Cuba! It doesn't have to be luxurious, [though I'm not averse to a bit of pampering] but it does need to be more than basic.

You're right that it can be difficult to judge what places are like on line, but it's definitely better than the alternative which is doing it without any idea at all what the place is going to be like [Cuba again].

could you provide a link for Progol to your Noto pick?
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 02:16 AM
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I see from your post with the itinerary that you will have a car. In this case, it's really not important whether you will sleep at Modica or at Noto. The distances aren't that big. In other words: there is no need to cancel your Modica reservation.
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 02:41 AM
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@ neckervd -- I agree in principal, but I prefer to spend my evenings in the places that are most charming at that time of day -- so there could still be a difference worth considering. JMO.
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 03:26 AM
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We rented a house in Modica. I remember at the time Noto felt like a better place to stay. I can't explain why. That said, we enjoyed our stay in Modica. So I wouldn't overthink this!
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 03:27 AM
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And I chose Scicli because of Hotel Novecento! Turned out to be one of the best places I stayed. The town was special because there were no tourists, great food, and the best passegiata Ive seen anywhere in Italy.
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 04:12 AM
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You guys are absolutely terrific and understand my indecisiveness absolutely! Of course, it's not helping me make a decision but at least I feel understood!

kja: love your comment:
>

So true! I keep doing exactly that. I'm embarrassed to report how many times I've made a reservation in other towns that I've cancelled. Booking.com is providing fuel to my addiction (!).

We usually stay in a range of places - sometimes I like the pampering, sometimes I enjoy the personal connection with a guest home or B&B. That may be part of the reason I'm so ambivalent -- I've got reservations at 2 places that seem okay (each for different reasons) but don't knock my socks off. I'm opting not to stay in Modica Alta, as I really do have difficulty with stairs and don't want to be walking up after dinner. So we are staying in the Modica bassa part of town.

But it's also trying to get a vibe for each of the places. It's going to be one of those times that I'm just going to have to accept that it's just 2 days and it doesn't have to be perfect. As my husband reminds me, "the perfect is the enemy of the good".

Which means, I'll most likely stay in Modica, as that was my first choice, but I'm still debating it and will probably do so for a while.

But write on, everyone! I love the comments!
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 05:06 AM
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I'm going through a similar set of pros and cons for an upcoming visit to Singapore -- I can't seem to decide what area in which to stay, or what things I'm willing to give up in order to stay in my budget, etc. I haven't yet put myself to the coin-flip test for that one -- I think I need to do a bit more research. But I completely understand how difficult it can be to make a choice!

I think you're right to remind yourself that its only 2 days (maybe that's one reason I like one night stays?) and that really really really, you don't have a bad option because each location gives you access to all the things you want to see.

One other thing: We're talking about a vacation, right? So, it's all icing on the cake, isn't it? A decidedly "1st world problem" if ever there was one! Seriously, the worst that can happen is a good story -- or at least that's my take on the head-games I find myself playing when I get caught up in a this-or-that choice that ultimately makes little difference. I don't mean to make the decision seem easy; just trying to put your decision -- and mine -- in perspective. ;-)

Good luck!
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