In 1693 a terrible earthquake destroyed much of south-eastern Sicily, and the towns of the Val di Noto were rebuilt in the baroque style of the time, creating a group of towns of extraordinary beauty, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ragusa is one of them, a town divided into two parts: Ragusa Superiore, the newer town on the ridge, built after the earthquake, and Ragusa Ibla, the old town on a lower hill, rebuilt on its medieval street plan.
Ragusa Ibla is the jewel, a maze of narrow streets, stairways and squares, with baroque churches and palaces at every turn. The cathedral of San Giorgio, designed by Rosario Gagliardi, rises at the top of a flight of steps, its façade a masterpiece of Sicilian baroque. Between the two parts of the town, long staircases and winding roads climb up and down the slopes, offering views over the rooftops and the valley. The town has been used as a setting for the television series Inspector Montalbano.
The riding around Ragusa is delightful. The Hyblaean plateau is a landscape of limestone hills, dry stone walls, carob trees and farms, cut by deep gorges, the cave, and the roads wind over the plateau and down into the valleys, with tight bends and views. The road from Ragusa to Modica, the neighbouring baroque town, crosses a deep valley with spectacular bridges. The coast, with beaches and fishing villages, is a short ride south. Summer is hot, and spring and autumn are the best seasons. Surfaces vary, and some roads are rough.
Ragusa has fuel, shops and restaurants, and parking in Ibla can be tricky, so park on the edge and walk in. Modica, eight kilometres away, is famous for its chocolate, made with an old cold-working technique that gives it a grainy texture. The local food includes scaccia, a folded flatbread filled with tomato and cheese, and caciocavallo ragusano, a local cheese. In the evening, the passeggiata in Ibla, with families strolling through the illuminated streets, is a lovely way to end the day.