Hotel Paclà
Avola - Via Cesare Giuseppe Abba Strada Provinciale 59
Hotel Paclà is located in the Val di Noto, just a 5-minute drive from Avola’s beaches.
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Everyone knows it for giving its name to the wine produced here, but Avola is so much more: a coastal town in south-east Sicily, situated in the province of Syracuse, it’s a destination not to be missed during a tour of the island, thanks to a unique blend of art and culture, relaxed living, beaches and excellent food. An ideal destination, whether you’re passing through for a few hours or spending an entire holiday here.
Its charming hexagonal town centre is graced by some interesting buildings and beautiful churches with Baroque influences. Just beyond lies the sea, with some lovely town beaches featuring crystal-clear waters and gently sloping seabeds, backed by numerous hotels, bed and breakfasts and holiday rentals.
Being a coastal location, Avola has many beaches, all of them very attractive. Here are the best ones.
One of the finest beaches in south-eastern Sicily, Gallina beach features shallow waters and crystal-clear seas. It’s a fine sandy beach with a small pebble section; beside it are both free and paid parking facilities, whilst behind the beach you’ll find several bars and restaurants. The beach, especially on summer weekends, can get very crowded, so we recommend arriving early.
To reach Gallina beach from Avola, take state road 115 heading north until you reach the village of Gallina; it’s approximately 6.5 kilometres from Avola town centre.
Another of Avola’s town beaches is Pantanello beach, situated just north of Marina di Avola. This too is a sandy beach, with fine golden sand and crystal-clear waters. You can hire sunbeds and parasols, and there’s a free beach area; worth noting is the possibility of eating and drinking at the beach kiosks.
Marina Vecchia beach in Avola is located just south of the Tonnara, one of the town’s most interesting landmarks. The beach is free to access, but visitors have facilities including showers and recycling bins. Along the seafront you can park your car at reasonable rates, and access to the beach is always easy, even for the disabled.
The clear sea and fine golden sand make Marina Vecchia beach one of Avola’s finest. Also worth mentioning is the presence of bars and restaurants along the seafront, where you can enjoy lunch or dinner with a splendid view of the Mediterranean.
Just north of Marina di Avola town centre is the Tremoli seafront beach. It’s a fine golden sandy beach with shallow waters, making it suitable for families with children too.
Located close to the town, Tremoli seafront beach is very popular with both locals and tourists, and is divided into a large free beach area and an equipped zone where you can hire sunbeds and parasols. There are also several bars and kiosks for hiring water sports equipment.
Avola is a town known to tourists especially for its beautiful coastline, but those who choose to spend time here will discover plenty of interesting things to see. Here are the best ones, so you won’t miss a single attraction.
Shared between the municipalities of Avola, Noto and Syracuse, the Cavagrande del Cassibile oriented nature reserve was established in 1990 and covers 2,700 hectares. It’s divided into two zones: zone A (reserve) of 900 hectares, and zone B (pre-reserve) of 1,800 hectares. The Cassibile river, which runs through it entirely, has carved out impressive gorges and canyons of varying depths, with the deepest, exceeding 500 metres, located in the Avola Belvedere area.
Don’t miss the waterfalls and pools in the valley floor, much frequented in summer to cool off, reachable via Scala Cruci, which is truly atmospheric. A visit to the Briganti Cave, a series of ancient rock dwellings, and some necropolises located north-east of the reserve are also worthwhile.
Within the Cavagrande del Cassibile oriented nature reserve you’ll find Avola’s little lakes, a true trademark of the area. Located at the bottom of the canyons of the Cassibile river, the lakes have different shapes and sizes; unfortunately they have been closed to the public since 2014, as the road to reach them is impassable and dangerous.
Despite the prohibition, many people decide to venture along the canyon to reach Avola’s little lakes: you need to walk along steep paths, going downhill on the way there and uphill on the return journey, which, it’s important to stress, are in poor condition and unsafe. Respect the prohibition signs when you encounter them, as you risk hefty fines.
One of Avola’s most interesting churches is the one dedicated to the Annunciation, built after the 1704 earthquake. Inside you’ll find magnificent stucco decorations, the work of Giuseppe Gianforma, in Rococo style, and the wooden sculpture of Christ with the cross by Guarino da Noto.
Testament to Avola’s commercial past, the tonnara still stands today, one of the largest in south-east Sicily. It’s located on Via Antonio d’Agata, in the Marina di Avola area, and dates back to 1633. After tuna were brought to the so-called “chamber of death”, where the mattanza (slaughter) took place, they were brought here.
The Avola tonnara was damaged by the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt and restored in the following century; it remained in use until 1950, when operations ceased entirely. Today it’s only viewable from the outside, and it’s in a state of disrepair, though it remains a symbol of the town and of Sicily as a whole.
The Avola Dolmen is an interesting archaeological find, discovered in 1961. It consists of a large rock slab resting on two pillars, located opposite the civic hospital in the Borgellusa district. This megalith is a splendid example of a prehistoric tomb, and one of the most famous dolmen examples in Sicily and across Italy.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
From Avola there are plenty of tours you can undertake, both private and group options. There are indeed numerous interesting destinations nearby, starting with the Cavagrande del Cassibile nature reserve, located inland, through to the Vendicari Oasis wildlife reserve, situated south of Avola in the municipality of Noto. Additionally, less than half an hour’s drive heading north you’ll find magnificent Syracuse, which deserves far more than a quick tour of a couple of hours.
Nero d’Avola is a true hallmark of Sicily. It’s one of the most well-known wines in Italy, and although today it no longer exists as an autonomous designation, it’s still featured on the labels of wines produced from the grape of the same name.
Large-scale Nero d’Avola production began in the 1960s, and its high alcohol content, up to 15°, makes it both an excellent blending wine and, in its finest expressions, a high-quality wine suited to red meats and land-based appetisers, with a ruby red colour and hints of cherry and plum.
The Nero d’Avola grape is nowadays also cultivated in other parts of the world, such as California, Australia and Turkey, whilst in the area itself, the most famous production zones are those of Buonivini, Bufalefi, Maccari and Archi.
Depending on what type of holiday you want, you can choose to stay in various areas of Avola. Opt for the historic town centre, with its apartments and bed and breakfasts, to best experience the town’s atmosphere, or you can choose to stay near the sea, for example in Marina di Avola, if what you’re after is relaxation and beach life.
We offer a selection of hotels at Avola to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Avola, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Avola. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Avola are in high demand.
Avola is easily reached from Syracuse, as it lies along the A18 motorway. Heading south on it, about half an hour from Syracuse you’ll find the Avola exit; from here the town centre is just 5 kilometres away. Avola is also served by a railway station, situated west of the town, where trains stop from and to Modica, Augusta, Gela, Ragusa and Syracuse.
What's the weather at Avola? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Avola for the next few days.
Avola sits on the south-east coast of Sicily, approximately 35 kilometres from the island's southernmost point. It's around 80 kilometres from Catania's Fontanarossa airport, the nearest landing point, and fits perfectly into a tour of southern Sicily, as it's ideally positioned midway between the attractions of Syracuse, Noto, Modica and Pachino.
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