Compact centro storico; everything's a 10-minute walk from Porta Reale.
Walk a few blocks off Corso Vittorio Emanuele for better food at fairer prices.
Caffè Sicilia is the headline — 20+ minute summer waits. Caffè Costanzo is the locals' answer with a direct cathedral view and far less queue.
Palazzo Nicolaci is the non-cathedral must-see. The bell tower at Chiesa di San Carlo has the panoramic view but isn't for Matt.
Timing: Noto bakes midday in summer. Late afternoon is the sweet spot for the baroque architecture light, and cooler walking. The cathedral façade is most photogenic at gold hour, ~7:00 PM in June.
Walk a couple of blocks off Corso Vittorio Emanuele for better food at fairer prices. Norma Bistrot and Anche gli Angeli are both a few minutes off the main drag.
Parking: Noto's ZTL is more permissive than Ortigia's. Park near Porta Reale (the entry arch) — the walk to the cathedral is ~600m, gently uphill, manageable for the seniors with planned rest stops at Caffè Costanzo.
Combo ticket: €5–6 at the visitor center on Corso Vittorio Emanuele gets cathedral terrace + Palazzo Ducezio + Chiesa di Santa Chiara. The Santa Chiara rooftop has the city view but stairs make it not-for-Matt.
One thing the deep-dive flagged: Ristorante Manna has moved out of the centro to a historic courtyard between Calabernardo and Lido di Noto. Old guides will misdirect.