Marina di Ragusa: places not to be missed - PURA VIDA BAROCCA

Much of Punta Secca's notoriety is due to the fiction "Il commissario Montalbano" which has found a home in the seaside village of Santa Croce Camerina. The scenes at Enzo a Mare's restaurant are set here; the Casa di Montalbano  overlooks the beach and Salvo swims in the sea in front of the house. Among the narrow streets of the village and on the seafront we recognize the Marinella seen on TV!

A perfect seaside destination

Santa Croce Camerina is twenty kilometers from Ragusa. It is very close to Marina di Ragusa which is only 8 kilometers away.

The "Integral Nature Reserve of Cava Randello" is located between Punta Braccetto and Scoglitti and consists of a splendid and vast pine grove on the sea, and the small bay that lies ahead. Managed by the forest body, it is equipped with: fixed stations that allow you to cook on the grill; water (not potable) and showers; essential hygienic services. The oasis has an extension of about 156 hectares and is an important biotope in the province of Ragusa, it hosts various types of trees such as Eucalyptus, Cupressus Sempervirens (cypress), Quercus Ilex (holm oak) and Quercus Coccifera (spiny oak). In this area there are also some necropolis (V - II a.c.) relevant to the archaeological area of Kamarina. This Mediterranean spot is the ideal place to relax, eat, play sports and have a nice bath in a peaceful atmosphere. In the past it was the private hunting reserve of the Marquis Orazio Arezzo.

The Tower Vigliena or Tower of Bracello is a coastal defense tower in the province of Ragusa on the Mediterranean coast. It was built in the years 1595 - 1607 at the end of the Braccio della Colombara, in the territory of Punta Braccetto, a seaside resort between the towns of Ragusa and Santa Croce Camerina. It was armed with cannons and inside there were two soldiers and a corporal who commanded them. The construction was commissioned by the crown of the Kingdom to defend the territory from attacks by Barbary or North-African pirates intensified during the late sixteenth century. Unlike those built until the middle of the 1500s, like all the others, it was built on a project by the architect Camillo Camilliani, specially commissioned by the kingdom. The project involved the construction of the tower on three levels: the base, the operational floor and the terrace.

Along the dune coast between Marina di Ragusa and Donnalucata a marvelous example of natural vegetation is the last testimony of how the Sicilian coasts presented themselves historically. The river Irminio does not lack mythical traditions, among which those of having been inhabited by the god Mercury. This tradition originates from Pliny the Elder who in the third book "Naturalis Historia" derives the name of Irminio from Hermes which in Latin is called hermes, which means Mercury. There are numerous historical references that mention the area of ​​the river mouth as a stopover, refuge or even canal port, already active in the Greek and Roman periods. The alternating geomorphological and climatic events occurred around the year one thousand have determined the current physiognomy of the coast and the mouth. In fact, during this period, a succession of facts, mainly linked to the intense deforestation of the internal areas, determined the cover-up with the consequent disappearance of the port, the formation of coastal dunes with rich vegetation and swampy areas in the adjacent areas. The configuration of the Macchia has progressively reduced its extension due to the strong anthropic pressure, started with the reclamation of the marshes of the twenties and followed by the agricultural exploitation of the dunes. The right recognition but also the need to preserve this area, of undoubted historical, scientific and cultural value, was ratified by a regional legislative provision. The "Biological Special Nature Reserve" called "Macchia Foresta del Fiume Irminio", which falls within the municipalities of Ragusa and Scicli, was then established and identified. The management was entrusted to the Regional Province of Ragusa. With the definition "Special Biological" the aims of protection and conservation of this particular ecosystem, unique in its kind, rich in history and botanical rarities are highlighted. Rarity is associated with the uniqueness of particular phyto-sociological aspects that find maximum expression in the centuries-old and imposing junipers and tree lentisks, forming a structure in Macchia-Foresta for their continuous and impenetrable hair.

The town of Punta Braccetto consists of a sandy coastline of fine sand and a rocky coastline, a rare example for the whole area, known as the Canalotti. The beach of Punta Braccetto continues for a good stretch comprised of two rocky ridges: on one of them are still visible the remains of an ancient military sighting construction. The beach is chosen especially by families and children as a quiet place to spend a holiday in Sicily, between sea and relaxation. The small center is organized along the only road that continues up to the Canalotti, rocks and inlets where the water drops quickly in depth, allowing fans to carry out snorkelling and underwater fishing.

One of the places of interest in Ragusa is the Archaeological Park of Caucana (or Kaukana), where you can admire the ruins of a commercial port of the late Roman and Byzantine era. Kaukana is an ancient port city dating back to the period of Greek colonization in Sicily, built thanks to its favorable position and fertile land rich in water. In 258 d.C. it became a refuge for the inhabitants of Kamarina, when the Roman consul Attilio Calatino destroyed it. The Romans strengthened the port, which maintained its importance even in the Byzantine period, until the destruction by the Saracens in 827. Currently the Archaeological Park includes remains of humble buildings with a rectangular base formed by two or three rooms and large buildings divided into several rooms and accompanied by stairs and courtyards, as well as traces of a cemetery church with three naves complete with burials. Many of the findings that have come to light in the area are preserved in the Ragusa Archaeological Museum of Ragusa.

Caucana beach is located in the territory of Santa Croce Camerina, between Punta Secca and Marina di Ragusa, along the south-eastern coast of Sicily and is 27 km from Ragusa. It is characterized by a very extensive beach, of about 2 km, which allows you to enjoy the sea in peace even in the most crowded periods. The beautiful beach of golden and fine sand is lapped by a blue and crystalline sea. It extends close to the Lungomare delle Anticaglie where you can park your car at the edge of the road. However, during high season periods it may be difficult to find parking, so it is advisable to go to the place early in the morning or early afternoon. The beach is free, but if you stop in the stretch of coastline near the village of Caucana, you can walk to bars and restaurants.

The little church of Mezzagnone is located just outside the urban center of Santa Croce Camerina, in the locality of the same name. The building is housed in the lower part of the plateau and, over the centuries, the area has been partly submerged by the sands carried by rainwater. There are several theories about the intended use of this particular structure: it is believed it was a Byzantine church or mausoleum or, according to others, a thermal bath. For a long time it was considered a Byzantine church dated between the fourth and sixth centuries. AD, but following a recent excavation campaign, scholars have highlighted a medieval phase of the Mezzagnone building to be linked to the presence of an Arab thermal bath, a "hammam", which dates back to the year 852. With the arrival of the Arabs, the building was first used as a family tomb, then it was re-adapted as a spa. It has been suggested that the thermal building could exploit the waters of the nearby "Fonte Paradiso". In the two main rooms of the building it was made to get the water at different temperatures to create a "tepidarium" and a "calidarium". Both rooms were preceded by a dressing room. The building, better known by the vulgar name of "dammusu di Mezzagnu" or "u vagnu", is a domed construction in limestone ashlars without mortar of different sizes. It is the only construction of this type present in eastern Sicily.