Meet Avola
An old tuna fishing port, Avola has the open piazzas adorned with palm trees you’d expect of an Italian destination and is surrounded by almond groves and citrus farms to add a splash of color to the ancient town.
Avola is perhaps most famous for its rich red wine, called Nero d’Avola, but it has so much more to offer visitors than grapes and wine. It's a quaint Sicilian seaside town in the province of Syracuse, which boasts a historical port, pleasant Mediterranean climate, and verdant surroundings. Not too far from the provincial capital, Syracuse, Avola is one of the province's hidden gems, which is understated in its charm but full of surprises. Take the nearby nature reserve, for example, a true nature-lovers paradise with a canyon and several fresh lakes if you fancy a refreshing dip. Then there’s the pristine beach, Tonnara di Avola, which is named so for the abundance of tuna you’ll find swimming around in the sea. There’s also the family-run winery, which provides a unique experience complete with wine-tastings and mouth-watering charcuterie boards.
Where to live in Avola
As a small town of just 30,000 or so inhabitants, there aren’t registered neighborhoods in the area as such, and instead, Avola counts as one large district with smaller areas within it. With that in mind, we’ll consider the surrounding areas of Avola too, to give you a good idea of what to expect.
Best Neighborhoods in Avola
While there aren’t official neighborhoods per se, the small town of Avola can be broken up into different areas, such as the old town and the beach. As well as the areas of Avola, we will also take a look at some nearby locations, so you can decide what the best move is for you.
Amazing Apartments, Coliving Spaces and More
We've been rounded up the best housing options in Avola. All are available on flexible terms, so you can stay one month or as long as you want
Quick Facts About Avola
Avola is a quiet Sicilian town, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have an interesting past and plenty of reasons to stick around. Here are a few of the most interesting facts about the city, to help you get a better idea of its past and what it has to offer today:There is a large winery
If you’re in an Italian town, there’s a good chance there’ll be a winery nearby. In Avola, that would be the Cantina Palmeri, which produces the Nero d’Avola red wine Sicily is known for.It’s near the Cavagrande del Cassibile
The Cavagrande Del Cassibile Nature Reserve is one of the most idyllic sites you could hope to escape to, and it’s just a 30-minute drive from Avola. This large green area is home to canyons, the Cassibile river, and a whole host of Mediterranean fauna.It’s in the region of Sicily
If you think of Italy as the long boot of Europe, Sicily is the tip of that boot and is actually a separate island from the mainland. Avola is located specifically in the Sicilian province of Syracuse in the southeastern part of the island.There are a lot of tuna at the beach
As an old tuna fishing port, it’s only natural that you’d be able to find large schools of tuna fish hanging around by the city. At the Tonnara di Avola beach is where you’ll find tons of tuna.History dates back to Sicani
The town of Avola was once occupied by the Sicani, a people of Sicily who were around at the same time as the Phoenicians. It is believed that the Sicani originally came from the Iberian peninsula and were named after the Spanish river called the ‘Jucar.’It was a key location in the Allied invasion of Sicily
During the Second World War, Avola was a crucial location in the Allied invasion of Sicily, as the Allied forces first landed there in the assault, which took place in 1943. The town was captured hours after the assault began, but not without some misunderstandings between British and American forces.It’s home to several pristine beaches
Avola doesn’t just have a single beach, but many. Spiaggia di Gallina has its rocky shores, while Spiaggia Pantanellos great for sunbathing, and there are also beach bars and restaurants like Lido il Solleone.It was damaged by an earthquake in 1693
In 1693, Sicily suffered a devastating earthquake, which experts believe had a magnitude of 7.4, which makes it the most powerful in Italian history. As a result of the earthquake damage, Avola was one of two towns that were moved to a new site.Work in Avola
Since Avola is a smaller town, we’ll focus on Sicily’s top employers to give you an idea of what kind of work is available on the island. Sicily’s biggest employer is STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor company that creates analog chips and deals in electronic manufacturing. Pfizer is also a top employer on the island, which covers the industry of pharmaceuticals and biotech. You can also find airline company Easyjet and general merchandise company Leroy Merlin here.
How good is Avola for Digital Nomads or Remote Work
Remote work is changing how the global workspace operates. In a trend that is showing no signs of slowing down, remote work is rapidly on the increase all around the world—especially in a place like Avola. And about 25% of remote workers describe themselves as digital nomads—those who like to travel or stay in cities around the world while they work. So, how good is Avola for both of these growing movements?
Average Internet Speed
The average internet speed in Avola is between 10.53Mbps and 41.65Mbps. This is around 15% above the national average in Italy, which is good news if you plan on getting work done from the comfort of your Italian residence.Work-friendly Coffee Shops
While we’re not going to tell you that Avola is full of work-friendly cafes and digital nomad coffee shops, because it isn’t, we will say that a ‘cafe con latte’ is always a great accompaniment to an afternoon’s work. Here are the top coffee shops for work in Avola: Bar Girlando: Bar Girlando offers a relaxing outdoor terrace, as well as a variety of delicious pastries made with locally-grown almonds. An ice cream and a ‘cafe con latte’ here will help give you the energy to power through your work project. Caffe Cancemi: Caffe Cancemi is a centrally-located coffee shop offering a mouthwatering selection of sweet treats and its great coffee. Caffe La Bruna: Caffe La Bruna has a generous outdoor seating area, which makes it a great spot to head to if you want to feel the Sicilian sun on your skin as you crack on with some work.Coworking Spaces
As a town of just over 30,000 inhabitants, Avola is yet to open up its first coworking space. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of options dotted around the island of Sicily and within the province of Syracuse. CoWonderful: CoWonderful is an ideal coworking space in Catania with events rooms, meeting rooms, shared desks, and furnished offices. Fablab Catania: Fablab Catania is a great coworking spot in Catania, intended for those interested in digital manufacturing and the sharing of ideas. Verso Coffice Catania: Verso Coffice Catania is an interesting proposition: a bar that doubles up as a coworking space. This unique concept seems to work well, and you can use the space for grabbing a bite to eat, conversing with colleagues, or cracking on with some work. While there are coworking spaces elsewhere on the island, such as in Palermo, your best bet if you’re traveling from Avola is to head to Catania as there are several options there.Suitable Level for Digital Nomads
Avola perhaps isn’t the most obvious destination for the digital nomad lifestyle, but that’s also what makes it so special. This is an authentic Italian town where you can get away from it all and focus on the good stuff in life, such as a hearty glass of Sicilian red wine and a seaside stroll. This is one of those increasingly rare places that feels unaffected by globalization, and as such, offers up a uniquely peaceful experience to those patient enough to appreciate it. It’s also got plenty of beautiful nature surrounding it, including the mesmerizing Cavagrande nature reserve, which makes it easy to recharge your batteries when work is taking a toll.Visa Requirements
You’ll need to apply for an Elective Residency visa, a student visa, or a working visa to move to Italy. The first, an Elective Residency visa, can be obtained by those who can afford to live in the country without working. For this, you’ll need proof of financial means, as well as a rental agreement for a property in Italy and medical insurance. As for a working visa, it can be tricky to secure if you’re a non-EU citizen. This is because it isn’t enough to simply have a job offer, but you also need the company to apply to a provincial employment office and prove that nobody local had the right skills for the position.Food and Drink in Avola
For the most part, it’s safe to assume that just about anywhere you go in Italy is going to have a tasty dish or two to sample. Avola is no exception, and of particular note are the many delightful seafood dishes with locally sourced fish. One of the best restaurants in Avola is Ristorante La Prua, which boasts the use of quality ingredients and gastronomic innovation. Here you’ll find a range of exquisite dishes to tantalize the taste buds, mostly focussing on fresh seafood. Retrogusto comes highly recommended, too, offering up generous Italian pasta dishes and divine seafood and shellfish. If you prefer meat to fish, you might instead like to try out the Summeat Steakhouse, which serves up sizzling steaks and delicious vegetables. Don Beach is the place to go if you want a refreshing drink close to the sea, with a range of curious cocktails on offer. Roxy bar is another good choice, with a wide assortment of drinks and refreshing ‘gelatos’ and sweet treats to go with them.
Restaurants
Bars
Top 6 Things To Do in Avola
Once you’re done admiring the old fishing town charm of Avola, there are plenty of places to explore and events to experience in the area. For example, the Cantina Palmeri makes for a great day out, as you can explore one of the wineries behind the great Sicilian red wine Nero d’Avola while enjoying a charcuterie board or two. Then there’s the several beautiful beaches and the port, which are perfect spots to rest after a busy day’s work. When you’re feeling more adventurous, a simple 30-minute drive will get you to the incredible Cavagrande del Cassibile nature reserve, which is an idyllic retreat for when you want to swap buildings for trees.
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi
Viale Teocrito, 66, Siracusa
1
Oasi Gelsomineto
Avola
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Chiesa parrocchiale Santa Venera
Piazza Teatro, 6, Avola
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Noto Cathedral
Piazza del Municipio, Noto
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Fountain of Diana
Piazza Archimede, Siracusa
5
Nicolaci Palace
Via Corrado Nicolaci, Noto