Ragusa Ibla — Attraction in Ragusa

Don't do the Royal Caribbean International excursion "Charming sites of Ragusa". Our on Oct 9th 2022 was a mess!

It never dawned on our guides that some of 96 older excursion participants might need to use a bathroom after 2 hours riding on a bus to our charming destination. Then the guides "hoped" they could find a bathroom when everything is closed on Sunday in Ragusa. One hotel let the group use one toilet.

It was a really a pathetic excursion. The tour was supposed to be 5.5 hours. They didn’t mention that 4 hours of that would be time riding on a bus to and from the ship to Ragusa. Once we got to Ragusa, we were dropped in the uppermost part of the town and had to walk down steep inclines and steps. Lots of steps. One woman injured her hip and could not continue. One man's knee gave out and he fell backwards. Fortunately someone caught him. The group was so late coming down through the city, that our advertised "free time" in the nice part of town was non-existent. Our group will be about 45 minutes late getting back to the ship...

I hope Royal Caribbean will consider refunding the money people paid for this excursion because it was completely disorganized. One would think the guides never did thos...

Ragusa Ibla is the ancient and baroque heart of Ragusa, located on a hill in the eastern part of the city. After the devastating earthquake of 1693 that leveled much of southeastern Sicily, the city was rebuilt and Ragusa Ibla became the center of the new Sicilian Baroque architecture. Thanks to this legacy, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, along with other cities in the Val di Noto. The symbol of Ragusa Ibla is the Cathedral of San Giorgio. Its imposing Baroque facade is an architectural masterpiece, preceded by a large monumental staircase that dominates the square of the same name. I also recommend visiting the Giardino Ibleo: This is a beautiful public park that offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding valley. It is a perfect place for a relaxing walk among palm trees, exotic plants and fountains. Piazza Pola is another jewel of the historic center. Here is the church of San Giuseppe, which enchants with its Baroque elegance and rich stucco interior. Ragusa Ibla is also famous as one of the main locations for the television series "Inspector Montalbano", which made its alleys and squares recognizable all...

We visited Ragusa Ibla for a day trip from Malta using the Ragusa Express catamaran—super smooth and well-organized, made the whole trip easy and stress-free. Definitely recommend them if you're looking for a quick escape to Sicily.

Ragusa Ibla itself was stunning. It gave us strong Mdina vibes (if you're from Malta, you'll get it,) quiet, historic, full of charm. The narrow winding streets, old buildings, and overall peaceful atmosphere made it one of the most enjoyable parts of our trip. It's not overrun by tourists either, which made exploring even better.

We spent the day just walking around, stopping for coffee and taking in the views. It's one of those places that makes you slow down and just enjoy the moment.

If you’re into history, architecture, or just want a chill change of scenery, Ragusa Ibla is...