Being a budget traveller, my preferred source of entertainment is always free! 😊However, I do not hesitate to pay a small fee for activities either. I have found the best things to do in Modica for €5 or less should you be looking for ideas.
The Chocolate Museum €3
Modica has a very special history with chocolate. The Spaniards brought it over in the 16th century, and since the year 1700, it has been made like the Aztecs, the original founders of this magical plant.
The chocolate in Modica is made using a cold press method, no added fats, only cocoa and sugar. When you enter this quirky museum, you will be given a small piece to enjoy. There are several rooms with information along the walls.
Sculptures and vintage chocolate boxes will entertain you throughout. In the largest room is a map of Italy, made entirely of chocolate! The smell throughout the space is overwhelmingly of glorious, rich chocolate.
The Train €5
Looking for a quick and fun thing to do, especially if you have kids in toe? Catch the tourist train right down on Corso Umberto 1, just outside of the cultural centre (which is where the chocolate museum is).
The train will take you to various view points throughout the city, up the steep hillsides so you don’t have to climb in the heat. Listen to Italian instrumental music, see the sights, and bask in all that is Modica.
The Cave Church €2.50
One of my very favourite things to see in Modica is the ancient cave church. Nestled in beside The Church of Saint Peter, you will enter a dark and damp space.
Inside the cave, you will see an incredible fresco, painted over three separate time periods dating from the 11th century. Also see tombs, some still untouched, and a throne chair.
Try to get there at opening and be the only person inside. It is mystical, and enchanting and only takes a few minutes to visit.
Bell Tower of Duomo di San Giorgio €2
For only a meagre two euro, you can climb up an old stone spiral staircase into the lofty heights of the bell tower at the Cathedral of Saint George.
You will undoubtedly want to see this cathedral regardless, enter for free and wander around. The exterior is an excellent example of Sicilian baroque architecture.
But for me, the highlight was being high inside the tower, right beside and within touching distance of those huge bronze bells. And the views…..the best in the city!
The Castle €3
Yes, there is a castle here in Modica! The castle itself is very old and there is not much left of it in fact, mostly low stone walls that have a walkway built over top for safe viewing. But wait, there is more.
Besides the empty monastery that sits over most of the ancient castle, down below all of these things, are the caves!
These are the grotte or ancient caves that the tribal peoples lived in before Modica had traditional structures. They are incredibly cool to see.
You can actually go right inside one, it is completely dark and ever so scary! The holes in the mountain side are huge and you have quite a bit of freedom in the largest space to explore. I was blown away by how much fun this was, and so incredibly interesting as well.
Safe travels my friends, have fun!
