I travelled round Sicily for almost a week, and Modica was one of the highlights. A beautiful city with a real sense of history. There aren't the hordes of tourists which is great. The views on the hill are spectacular as is the Baroque architecture.
Unfortunately Modica is incredibly quiet in February and very little was open. Things improved when the sun came out but spending a whole week here in Feb was not a good idea. Had it not been for the amazing hotel that we stayed in, Palazzo Failla things could have been a lot worse. Public transport is interesting but virtually non existent. The recession seems to have hit Sicily hard which is a shame. We would visit Modica for a couple of days but no more.
Modica is one of those places you can visit as a tourist and feel as if it is your own discovery. Like Ragusa Iblea and Noto, Modica is a spectacular Baroque masterpiece of a city, but unlike the aforementioned locations there is much more of a sense of it being a vibrant cosmopolotan living city, rather than a tourist attraction. Set in on the sides of one of the area's gorges the city consists of 3 parts. Modica Sorda is more modern and offers little aside from shops for the temporary visitor. Modica Bassa and Modica Alta are the historic hearts of the city, and as other reviewers have commented on, one of the great pleasures is wandering the cobbled lanes that rise above the main street of Modica Bassa. For the fitter visitor a walk up from the San Pietro cathedral up past the magnificent San Georgio and the castle to end up in Modica Alta is not to be missed. The other highlight is the food and drink, it's very difficult to do it all but Chocolate and Cannoli from Bonjuato and coffee, granita and ice cream in Cafe del'Arte are a must. Dining is a difficult choice - Pizza at La Contea is amongst the best on the island, for finer dining Torre d'Oriente, and finer still Gazza Ladra, or a trip out of town to the Torre Palazzelle are all recommended.
what makes this place so wonderful is its unpretentiousness. The people are charming and friendly without pandering to tourism. Natural and vibrant. Breathtakingly beautiful. You can spend hours time travelling back 1,000s of years through narrow cobblestone streets. Cafes, ice cream, pizza - all too die for. And 20 minutes from pristine beaches.
Reviewed April 22, 2012
Visited here on a day trip to Sicily after visiting Mount Etna. What a lovely place to visit it is very old with a very impressive church on the main street. There are a lot of small local shops. The whole place is full of character and very charming.
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