San Lorenzo: Beach, Nature and Byzantine Traces

San Lorenzo between Beach and Nature

San Lorenzo combines a light sandy beach with the wetlands of the Vendicari Reserve and an unusually dense succession of historical evidence. Here, you can combine the coast with nature observation and explorations of cultural history. When choosing a hotel, you can set the focus of your stay between the beach, wetlands and historical sites.

Beach, Coast and Wetlands

San Lorenzo Beach has fine, light sand, turquoise, crystal-clear water and a gently sloping seabed. In the vicinity of San Lorenzo lies the beach of the Tonnara di Vendicari between Calamosche Beach and San Lorenzo Beach.

In addition to the Vendicari Reserve, the coastal area of San Lorenzo has a rocky section with deep water. It is equipped with facilities and services for bathing. San Lorenzo Beach can be reached via the provincial road SP19, which connects Noto and Pachino; follow the signs to the locality of San Lorenzo.

In the vicinity of San Lorenzo, the Vendicari Reserve stretches along the coast between Noto Marina and the locality of San Lorenzo. In the wider regional area, it is a significant wetland and is part of the areas of international Ramsar importance. Its wetlands are important for migratory birds and serve as seasonal resting places. Birdwatching takes place there especially in autumn and spring. For visitors interested in nature observation, the seasonal perspective on the protected area is therefore particularly relevant.

Historical Traces by the Sea

In the vicinity of San Lorenzo, next to the beach of the Tonnara di Vendicari, are the remains of an 18th-century tuna fishery. Near the Tonnara di Vendicari stands the Torre Sveva, a 15th-century fortification. The Vendicari Visitor Ecomuseum is housed in the rooms of a former fisherman's house next to the Torre Sveva and the Tonnara di Vendicari.

During the Byzantine occupation of Noto between 535 and 555 AD, the Cripta di San Lorenzo Vecchio was among the monuments that enriched the area of Noto.

Cittadella Maccari and San Lorenzo Vecchio

In the vicinity of San Lorenzo, the Green Route begins at the entrance to Cittadella Maccari next to San Lorenzo Beach and reaches the Tonnara di Vendicari; there, visitors can view the old fishermen's houses.

Cittadella Maccari is considered a Byzantine village that originated in the 6th century AD and had previously served as a trading post for the Phoenicians and Greeks. Along its paths are Byzantine catacombs, including an underground double burial in a small mausoleum with a barrel vault. At Cittadella Maccari, the Trigona is a Byzantine structure with a square ground plan and three apses.

The archaeological site of Case San Lorenzo Vecchio is a Late Antique settlement with a 4th- to 6th-century AD trichora and the remains of a Hellenistic Greek temple. The Complesso di San Lorenzo Vecchio includes the remains of a cella of a Greek temple directly connected to a Byzantine trichora. The historical traces thus extend from the Byzantine period back to older Greek connections.

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To the higher-level travel overview: Syracuse.