Noto Antica is the ruined predecessor to modern Noto, sitting on a ridge 8 km north of the current city. Destroyed by the 1693 earthquake and subsequently abandoned, the site preserves the ghost of a medieval Sicilian hill town: crumbled walls, broken arches, overgrown courtyards, and the outlines of streets and piazzas. The ruins are extensive and largely unexcavated.
The site is accessed by a minor road and a rough path; there is no formal entrance or visitor infrastructure. Bring water, wear shoes suitable for rough terrain, and go in the morning before the heat. The views from the ridge over the Iblean plateau are remarkable. The site is protected but not well-maintained — which is, in its way, part of the appeal.