Marina di Ragusa
Seaside resort of the south east of Sicily
Marina di Ragusa is the most popular seaside resort of the south east of Sicily. Every year it is visited by Italian and foreign tourists, who appreciate it for its fine golden sandy beaches.
Its coast is characterized by the presence of several tourist accommodations and places to relax or have fun, as well as wide sandy beaches and shallow waters, ideal to entertain even the little ones.
Its geographical position in the south-east coast of Sicily, in the heart of the Val di Noto, rich in Baroque monuments, archaeological remains of ancient civilisations, beautiful landscapes and a fine food and wine tradition, will allow you to enjoy a seaside holiday, visit places of artistic and cultural interest and taste the ancient flavours of Sicilian cuisine.
What to see in Marina di Ragusa
Marina di Ragusa, a seaside hamlet of Ragusa, was a fishing village in ancient times. It still preserves an old area called Mazzarelli, which is nowadays its lively centre rich in pubs, coffee bars and restaurants.
Monuments and churches
Walk around the city centre of Marina di Ragusa and discover its most typical corners.
Of the old seaside hamlet, the town preserves the Tower Cabrera, located south of Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi and overlooking the promenade Lungomare Andrea Doria. It is a lookout tower dating back to the sixteenth century, but what we can see now are only the walls of the basis. North of the central square, there is the Church of Santa Maria di Portosalvo, dating back to the â30s of the last century.
Nearby the Tower Cabrera there was an old port, where now is Piazza della Dogana: here you can still recognize a typical small dock used for little boats.
Museums
Discover the ancient Greek origins of the port cities of the south east of Sicily. Not far from Marina di Ragusa, along the road leading to Punta Secca through the village of Caucana, there is the Archaeological Park of Caucana, which preserves the ruins of the port city of Caucana. If you want to know more about the history of the ancient maritime cities of the area, visit the Archaeological Museum of Kamarina where they keep amphorae, vases, statues and bronze objects recovered from shipwrecks of commercial ships, in addition to the findings discovered among the remains of the ancient city, from prehistory to the classical age.
Things to see nearby
Marina di Ragusa is located a short distance from the main tourist sites of Val di Noto and is an ideal starting point to see the baroque towns. Ragusa is about 20 km from Marina di Ragusa and is rich in monuments and baroque churches, 18 of which have been declared World Heritage Sites in 2002. During your holiday, you must see the district of Ragusa Ibla, an architectural jewel castled up on a hill offering countless of wonderful landscapes and 18 World Heritage Sites.
Nearby there are also Scicli and Modica, two more wonderful baroque towns of Val di Noto. The plaiting of tiny streets, buildings, spectacular balconies and churches in the historic centre is astonishing.
Do you want to see other beaches?
The surroundings of Marina di Ragusa offers a great quantity of wonderful beaches, such as Donnalucata and Punta Secca, characterized by long sandy beaches where you can breathe the picturesque atmosphere of the ancient Sicilian fishing villages.
Are you a fan of Inspector Montalbano? Only 6 km from Marina di Ragusa, in Punta Secca, there is a popular house on the beach used as filming location for the shooting of the tv series âInspector Montalbanoâ: take a photo in front of the famous Sicilian policemanâs house and have a relaxing swim like he loves to do.
If you aim to stay one or two weeks in Marina di Ragusa and go on brief excursions to see the surroundings, you can easily move to see the Valley of the Temples near Agrigento and go trekking to Mount Etna.
What to do in Marina di Ragusa
In summer Marina di Ragusa becomes a lively location of events and festivals that will fill your days. Here are a series of activities and events that will entertain you during your holidays
Events and shows
Il porto di Marina viene spesso scelto come sede di vari eventi sportivi, quali il Trofeo Vele dâAgosto e lâItalia Cup Laser. Il Trofeo Vele dâAgosto è una regata velica che si svolge a metĂ agosto. In occasione della premiazione potrai assistere anche a degustazioni di prodotti della cucina tipica siciliana, che mirano a far conoscere lâatmosfera sicula agli sportivi stranieri e, ovviamente, alle centinaia di turisti che in questo periodo affollano Marina di Ragusa. LâItalia Cup Laser è unâaltra regata velica nazionale in cui gareggiano piĂš di 200 atleti e si svolge generalmente nel mese di novembre. Per gli appassionati di vela e per i turisti che si trovano in zona durante lâinverno, può essere un evento molto particolare a cui assistere.
Traditional festivals and concerts
Spending your holiday in Marina di Ragusa means not only going to the sea, but also taking part to two of the most popular summer events of the area of Ragusa.
Feast of Santa Maria di Portosalvo
Several traditional festivals take place in summer in Marina di Ragusa: the religious feast of Santa Maria di Portosalvo is one of the most popular and takes place on 15th August.
In the morning of ferragosto (15th August) they organize a game called âPalo a mareâ o âGioco del Paloâ, which is called lignu ânsivatu in Sicilian dialect: the game happens in the sea and consists of taking a flag at the end of a wooden pole placed horizontally on a fishing boat. What makes this game more difficult is that the pole is greasy with oil, but the lucky and capable competitor picking up the flag first, without falling into the water, wins the competition. Then, in the afternoon there is a procession with the statue of the Virgin, embellished with crowns and necklaces, from the church to the port.
Afterwards, the Virgin is taken on a boat for a procession in the sea followed by many boats. This traditional boat procession can be seen by the promenade, so many people gather along the coast to wait for the passage of the boats.
La festa di Addio all’Estate
Every year Marina di Ragusa celebrates a feast called âAddio AllâEstateâ, which symbolically marks the end of the summer. Usually it takes place during the first or the second weekend of September: on this occasion different sport, cultural and leisure activities are organized. The Lungomare Anrea Doria and Piazza Malta are full of markets and stands, where you can taste typical products and buy local handcrafted objects.
Anyway, the heart of this feast in on Sunday evening, when you can assist to a competition of fireworks realized by different local companies. The show of the fireworks on the surface of the sea is very fascinating and creates very particular reflections. The crowds gather along the promenade, near the port or on the beach to enjoy this enchanting show, but many people prefer to see it from a boat.
Concerts and dances in Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi, as well as sport events and photographic exhibitions frame this feast in Marina di Ragusa.
Markets and food festivals
Every Tuesday in Marina di Ragusa there is an open-air market in the parking area near Piazza Mercato, between via Caboto and via Citelli. Here you can find local products and fresh food, especially fruit and vegetables.
What to do in the evening
Marina di Ragusa is famous for being one of the most lively seaside resort of the south east of Sicily. The bars are perfect for all ages, from teenagers to less young people: there is really something for everyone.
If you love the nightlife, you are spoiled for choice when deciding where to go, from June to September. Between a sandwich and a beer in the square and a chat with friends, the summer evenings will fly in the blink of an eye.
The heart of the nightlife in Marina di Ragusa is in the pubs located in Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi and in the nearest streets, especially the pubs of Piazza della Dogana, Lungomare Mediterraneo and the bars of the beach clubs. In the evening, after having dinner in one of the pizzerias, you can go to the âpiazzettaâ (as the people of Marina di Ragusa call Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi) to have a beer or a cocktail with your friends or go to one of the pubs of the city centre. Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi is always full of people and liven up by the music coming from the pubs.
Those who want to eat something quick can go to a good panineria (sandwich shop). In Marina di Ragusa there are different where you can have a very good sandwich with typical ingredients, such as the provola ragusana cheese, the local pork meat and horse meat. Here in the South, we do not make classic sandwiches, but panini: they are very big and well stuffed!
The pubs in front of the beach La Mancina and in Piazza della Dogana are also very popular and ideal for a happy hour.
If you want to go wild with music, you will meet your match in one of the pubs on the beach, such as the âBaja Beachâ and âLa Ola Beachâ. They are not indoor discos, but offer outdoor dance floors where you can have fun until late at night.
If also on holiday you love to keep fit, go running or walking along the promenade or the beach in the morning. Otherwise, if you love chilling out and eating you can seat and try a delicious ice-cream.
Where it is and how to get to Marina di Ragusa
Marina di Ragusa is the main seaside resort belonging to the municipality of Ragusa, from which it is about 20 km away. It is located along the coast of the south east of Sicily.
By car
Reaching Marina di Ragusa by car is the best way to get here from the main cities of Sicily and enjoy a tour of the nearest places in total autonomy.
From Ragusa take the provincial road SP 25 and go straight on until you reach your destination.
From Catania take the state road SS 194 and follow the direction to Syracuse. Then turn to Ragusa and proceed to Marina di Ragusa along the SP 25.
From Palermo proceed along the highway A 19 and take the exit to Caltanissetta. From here proceed along the SS 626 to Gela and then follow the direction to Santa Croce Camerina. Afterwards, turn into the SP 36 to Marina di Ragusa.
From Agrigento take the SS 115 to Caltanissetta, following the direction Gela-Ragusa and then continue to Santa Croce Camerica, from where you have to take the SP 36 to Marina di Ragusa.
From Syracuse take the highway E 45 to Rosolini and proceed along the SS 115 to Ispica. From here take the SP 66 to Marina di Modica/Sampieri/Donnalucata and proceed in the direction to Marina di Ragusa.
Parking areas
Marina di Ragusa offers free and paying parking spaces in different areas of the city:
- Free parking area in Piazza Scalo Trapanese, near the tourist port
- Free parking area in Piazza Vincenzo Rabito (Piazza Mercato)
- Free parking area in Via Chioggia, next to the Lungomare Andrea Doria
- Free (white lines) and paying (blue lines) parking spaces along the Lungomare Andrea Doria
By bus
Marina di Ragusa is well connected to the nearby cities by private bus lines.
From Ragusa you can take the Tumino line, linking Marina di Ragusa also to Punta Secca, Santa Croce Camerina and Kamarina.
From Catania Airport you can reach Marina di Ragusa by the Etna line, while from Comiso Airport take the Giamporcaro and SAIS lines
If you want to visit the cities of the south east of Sicily with no connections to Marina di Ragusa, you can check if there are buses departing from Ragusa to your destination.
For more information about timetables and routes, visit the website of Comune di Ragusa
Airports
If you want to get to Marina di Ragusa by plane, we recommend you to land in one of the nearest airport, Comiso or Catania, from where you can move by bus.
Comiso Airport is the nearest one: it is only 35 km from Marina di Ragusa and it is also well connected by the Tumino line. Catania Airport is about 115 km from Marina di Ragusa: from here you can take the Etna Trasporti line, buying the ticket at the Arrivals Terminal of the airport.
We do not recommend flying to Palermo (300 km) or to Trapani (250 km) if you want to visit the south east of Sicily. If you do not find other solutions or if you have already bought the ticket, please note that there are no bus or train connections to Marina di Ragusa, so the best way to move is to rent a car.
By train
In Marina di Ragusa there are no train stations, but you can get to Ragusa by train and then take a bus to Marina di Ragusa.