Eastern Sicily by Train: Catania, Syracuse and the Val di Noto Without a Car
Catania, Syracuse and the Val di Noto by regional trains and the Barocco Line: a car-free itinerary through Baroque towns, Greek fortresses and ceramics.
Leaving the car at home and crossing eastern Sicily by train without a car is simpler than you might think: the tracks touch almost everything that matters between Catania, Syracuse and the Val di Noto, and the slow stretches become part of the journey rather than a nuisance. The Catania–Syracuse regional line runs along the Ionian coast, then from Syracuse the historic railway to Gela sets off, cutting across the Hyblaean plateau. In summer Trenitalia runs the Barocco Line, a seasonal service that stops at Fontane Bianche, Avola, Noto, Pozzallo, Scicli, Modica, Ragusa Ibla and Donnafugata: a single line for almost all the towns of the UNESCO Baroque. Here is how to build a sensible itinerary, with the most interesting stops reachable on foot, by local bus or a short walk from the station.
From Catania
You set off from Catania, the hub of the whole system. The central station is close to the harbour and the fish market, and from here in a few minutes you are among the lava stones of Piazza Duomo. Catania is also the terminus of the Ferrovia Circumetnea, a narrow-gauge line that circles the volcano as far as Randazzo: a scenic journey among black lava flows and Etna's vineyards. From Randazzo, with a connecting bus, you reach the Alcantara and the Cuba of Santa Domenica, a small domed Byzantine church lost among the vines, perfect for those who want to understand that eastern Sicily is not only Baroque and sea.
Syracuse and around
From Catania to Syracuse the regional train takes just over an hour. Syracuse is the ideal base: Ortigia can be explored entirely on foot and the Neapolis Archaeological Park is twenty minutes from the station. From here also depart the trips that would seem to require a car but can be done with the city bus and a bit of legwork. The first is the Castle of Euryalus, the Greek fortress that defended the Epipolae plateau: moats, tunnels and towers reachable by the AST line to Belvedere. The second, for those with more time, is Pantalica, the rock necropolis in the Anapo valley, where thousands of tombs carved into the rock look out over the river: you get there by local bus towards Ferla and then on foot along the reserve's trails.
The Val di Noto
The heart of the journey is the Val di Noto. From Syracuse the train heads south: Avola and its almonds, then Noto, capital of the Baroque, where the Cathedral staircase and via Nicolaci are five minutes from the station. You continue to Modica, split between Modica Alta and Modica Bassa and famous for its cold-processed chocolate, and to Ragusa, with the station conveniently at Ragusa Ibla during the months of the Barocco Line. Between the two, the stop at Scicli is worth it, the set of many films of Inspector Montalbano. It is a slow route - the climb up to the Iblei is a masterpiece of engineering with helical curves inspired by the Gotthard - but it is exactly the kind of slowness you seek when you give up the car.
To close the Baroque triangle there is Caltagirone, on the Catania–Gela line: the famous Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, 142 steps clad in painted majolica, climbs from the historic centre, reachable on foot from the station. It is the city of ceramics and deserves a half-day stop among workshops and courtyards.
Anyone with a few extra days can use the same network to extend westwards and northwards, always by train. On the Tyrrhenian Messina–Palermo line stop Cefalù, with its megalithic walls and the Temple of Diana on the Rocca sheer above the sea, and Patti, from which you reach the Roman mosaics of Patti Marina, a late-antique villa preserved under the motorway viaduct. The western terminus is Palermo, where you can lose yourself among the Arab courtyards of the Kalsa and the Cala and admire the red domes of San Giovanni degli Eremiti with its Arab-Norman cloister. Further west, the regional train reaches Marsala: from there a short crossing takes you to Mozia and the salt pans, the Phoenician island that floats in the lagoon of the Stagnone.
Practical tips
A few practical tips. Sicily's regional trains are cheap but infrequent: only a few services a day on many routes, so it is best to set the times in advance on the Trenitalia website and leave a margin for changes, almost always at Syracuse or Catania. The Barocco Line runs only in high season and on a variable calendar: it must be checked year by year. For the stops outside the towns - Euryalus, Pantalica, the Cuba of the Alcantara - you need local buses with sparse services, best taken in the morning. Spring and early autumn remain the best times: mild weather, liveable cities and less crowded trains.
Practical guides
Practical info
When is the best time to visit Eastern Sicily by Train?
The recommended time is April, May, June, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is Eastern Sicily by Train?
Eastern Sicily by Train is located in Italy.
