Top things to do in Ortigia and Siracusa

We adore Sicily and have explored this region of Italy a lot over the years. When we were staying in Avola in 2021, we did a day trip to Ortigia and fell in love with it. We just knew we had to go back and spend more time there. So this year we stayed for five nights and had an amazing time exploring Ortigia and Siracusa, as well as some of the surrounding areas. Just a note – Italians spell it as Siracusa, however most other people spell it Syracuse as this is what it was called by the Greeks, when it was an ancient Greek city.

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Should you stay in Siracusa or Ortigia?

Siracusa and Ortigia are connected by two bridges and are in walking distance of each other. As a small island, Ortigia is a fabulous place to stay and it’s by pretty much all the major attractions, beaches, bars and restaurants. It’s probably a bit cheaper to stay in Siracusa but if you can, I’d recommend staying in Ortigia over Siracusa.

We stayed in a lovely apartment, hosted by Mariangela, which was right in the heart of Ortigia and close to the stunning duomo. It was located on a very quiet street and was perfect for our needs.

My top things to do in Ortigia and Siracusa

There is so much to see and do in Ortigia and the surrounding province of Siracusa. Whether you have one day to explore or five, here are my recommendations of the top things to see and do.

Visit the Duomo di Siracusa

The Duomo di Siracusa (or Siracusa Cathedral) sits majestically on the stunning Piazza Duomo in Ortigia and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was originally built in the 7th century over the Temple of Athena, which was a Doric temple that was built in the 5th century. The columns of that ancient temple are incorporated in the walls of the cathedral and you can see them from both the inside and outside. On the outside, you can see them particularly well along the northern side of the cathedral.

Like many churches, it has changed over the years. It was even a mosque in the 9th century and then reverted back to a church after King Roger I conquered Siracusa. The roof of the nave and some of the mosaics inside the cathedral are from Norman times but the beautiful facade that you see today is Baroque and was rebuilt in 1725, after it was damaged by two earthquakes in 1542 and 1693.

Whilst magnificent outside, it’s definitely worth taking the time to visit inside as it’s spectacular. Inside you’ll find bone fragments of Santa Lucia (or, St Lucy), the patron Saint of Siracusa as well as a silver statue of her by Pietro Rizzo, which is brought out twice a year to be paraded through the streets as part of a religious festival.

Explore Ortigia market

Italy loves a market! And Ortigia has a great one, right by the Temple of Apollo. In one of the roads there are stores selling clothing, phone accessories, hats, bags, souvenirs etc but the best street is the one with all the food stalls!

There are stalls selling pretty much everything you could need, such as fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, meat, fish, biscuits, pasta and more. We bought a bag of sun-dried tomatoes to take home to the UK with us and some local extra virgin olive oil. Top tip – if you’re ever in Puglia, Sicily or Tuscany you should always buy a bottle of local olive oil.

As well as stalls selling items to take home with you, there are street food stalls where you can get sandwiches, fried seafood and even oysters with a glass of wine. Or, if you prefer to sit down and eat lunch (or dinner), there are some restaurants with both indoor and outdoor seating. On a recommendation, we had lunch at Fratelli Burgio, which also has a gorgeous deli. We had a very yummy salad of tomatoes with mozzarella, followed by fresh sandwiches. A very basic lunch but delicious!

Enjoy a swim in the Ionian sea

There are several beaches and swimming spots on Ortigia island, which is super handy if you don’t have a car or a scooter. One of the most popular is Cala Rossa, which is easy to access so is good for families. The beach does have little stones though so I’d recommend wearing diving shoes.

Not too far from Cala Rossa beach is Forte Vigliena, which has a sunbathing platform (or solarium) as well as a large rock where you can also sunbathe. Its name comes from the fort which is next to it and looks like a little castle.

Another nice swimming spot is along the Lungomare Vittorini. Note though that the walkway is quite narrow and it doesn’t have the easiest access into and out of the sea. Again, diving shoes are recommended as the stones can be slippery.

The best beaches, in my opinion, are a short drive away from Ortigia. We visited quite a few and my favourite was Oasi Gelsomineto as it is a big sandy beach with lots of space. It’s a free beach, however if you’re coming by car you may need to pay for parking. This beach is about a 30 minute drive from Ortigia.

Another very popular beach, also about half an hour’s drive from Ortigia, is Fontane Bianche. It’s a long stretch of beach with stunning blue water. It’s got lots of lidos where you can pay for a sunbed and umbrella, as well as free areas of the beach. There are also a number of restaurants to have lunch or bars where you can get a salad, sandwich, ice-cream or snacks.

We had lunch at Malafemmina and it was fabulous. You have an amazing view of the beach and the food was delicious. I have to say, the portions though were huge!

Although they were yummy, neither my husband or I could finish our pasta as we were so full. Next time we’ll either skip the starters or have starters and just one pasta to share!

Visit the historical landmarks

Ortigia and Siracusa is steeped in history so there’s always something pretty spectacular to look at. One of the main historical landmarks is the Temple of Apollo, which is right by Ortigia Market and just before the bridge over to Siracusa. It’s one of the oldest Doric temples in Sicily, built in the 6th century BC. And although it’s just a relic now, it’s still amazing to see something so ancient – right in the heart of a modern city.

It’s also really beautiful to see at night as they light it up so be sure to walk past when it’s dark.

Another beautiful landmark to see is the Fountain of Diana in Piazza Archimede. It was built in just 10 months by sculptor Giulio Moschetti and his son, in 1906. It’s a bit of a mish-mash of Greek and Roman classical styles and is really something to behold. There are a few cafes that overlook the fountain. In fact, we had breakfast every morning at one right in front of the fountain so we got to see it every day.

In the middle of the fountain is Diana (or Artemis in Greek), the Goddess of the hunt, wild animals and childbirth. At Diana’s feet is Arethusa, the nymph, whose own spring you can see on the other side of Ortigia.

Another landmark to visit is the church of Santa Lucìa alla Badìa. It is located right near the cathedral and is dedicated to the patron saint of Ortigia, St Lucy (or Santa Lucia in Italian). Inside you’ll find a painting by Caravaggio, which was painted between 1608 and 1609 when he stayed in Ortigia after fleeing Malta. The painting is called ‘The burial of St Lucy’ and is placed on the altar.

Admire the Arethusa Spring

The Fountain of Arethusa, or Arethusa Spring, is a natural fresh water spring in Ortigia – which is at odds with its location right by the Ioanian sea. That is, until you know the myth surrounding its origins.

Siracusa (or Syracuse) was the Greek capital of Sicily and was founded by the Corinthians in 734 BC. Greek settlers established a colony on the small island of Ortigia (or Ortygia) in the 8th century BC. So Siracusa and Ortigia are steeped in Greek history – and mythology.

The story (or myth) of how the Arethusa Spring was created is fascinating. Arethusa was a nymph who, after a hunt, went to bathe in the river to get clean. Thinking she was alone, she took off her clothes to wash and the river began to bubble. The river transformed into Alpheus, the river god, who fell in love with Arethusa. Despite his persistence, Arethusa was determined to preserve her chastity. Getting tired and a little fearful of his advances, Arethusa asked for the goddess Artemis’s (known as Diana) help. Artemis enveloped Arethusa into a dense cloud and transformed her into an underwater freshwater spring. But because Alpheus was a river god, he merged his waters with Arethusa’s and their waters meet on Ortigia. They say that if you can see the water bubble, it means that Alpheus has returned to visit Arethusa.

You can see the Arethusa Spring with the papyrus and the ducks for free from above. It is also possible to walk along the walls of the spring but only if it’s open (it was closed when we visited). There is also a small ticket fee to visit.

Visit the Maniace Castle

As far as castles go, this certainly isn’t the prettiest. In fact, it’s more of a fortress and was designed in a military style. However, it has a fascinating history and is well worth a visit if you love history.

Castello Maniace – or Maniace Castle – is located right at the tip of Ortigia island and you can see the sheltered bay. It was built in the 13th century during the rule of Frederick II, who was the King of Sicily and the Holy Roman Emperor. The castle was built on the site of an earlier fort, which was built by the Byzantine Greek general, George Maniakes, who had conquered Sicily from the arabs. In fact, the castle was named after him. Then, under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon, it became a prison in the 15th century.

Apparently in 1704, a terrible storm caused an explosion of gunpowder magazines and it had to be rebuilt. During the Napoleonic Wars in 1803 and in 1860, canons were introduced due to the castle’s strategic position, but it was conquered by an Italian general, Giuseppe Garibaldi. It remained a military structure until the 1970s and was restored between 1993 and 2003.

You can visit inside the Maniace Castle for €9 per adult, €4.50 for 18 -25 years olds and under 18s go free. There is disabled access and people with disabilities can visit for free, along with one family member or carer. Every first Sunday of the month it is free for everyone to visit.

Explore the Neapolis Archaeological Park

In Siracusa you’ll find the Neapolis Archaeological Park, which is like a vast open-air museum containing ancient relics. Neapolis was one of the five areas of Siracusa during the Greek and Roman periods.

The park is divided into three sections and it’s well signposted so that you follow a route. You start at the Latomia del Paradiso, or Paradise Quarry, which is made up of ancient caves. There is a cavern, which was given the name ‘Ear of Dionysius’ by the famous Italian painter Caravaggio, which you can see in the photo below.

When we visited there were several sculptures by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj around the park, which were just incredible. The sheer size of them! Especially against the backdrop of the quarry and the caves. They are so striking.

Walking around this part of the Neapolis Archaeological Park was definitely my highlight and what we spent most of our time looking at. If you enjoy art and sculpture, you’ll love this.

The next section is the Greek theatre. I have to say, I’ve visited a few Greek theatres or amphitheatres in Sicily – in Taormina, Segesta and Pollina near Cefalù – and I have to say that this one is pretty disappointing because so little of the original stone remains. As you can see in the photo, almost all of the seating is modern. I’m sure it’s been necessary to do so – especially as they host concerts here – but it sort of took away its history for me.

I thought the Roman amphitheatre, which is the third section of the park, was much more interesting as it’s in its natural state. Well, some sculptures have been added! But looking at it, I could imagine it back in Roman times with Gladiators maybe walking up the steps into the theatre.

It took us about 2 hours to explore the Neapolis Archaeological Park and whilst I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Greek theatre, I would still 100% recommend visiting it.

We bought our tickets on the day but if you’d prefer to book them in advance with an audio guide, and skip the queue, purchase them on GetYourGuide. Or if you’d prefer a guided tour, GetYourGuide offers a 2 hour guided tour and you also get to skip the queue.

Do a day trip to Noto

Noto is a UNESCO World Heritage city that is about an hour’s drive from Siracusa and is an absolute must-see. It is famous for its stunning Baroque architecture, which can be found throughout the city. It’s a great place to explore for the day and there’s also a beach that is about a 15 minute drive from Noto. It makes for a perfect day trip from Siracusa. Read my post on how to spend a day in Noto.

One of the highlights of Noto is the incredible Cathedral, called the Basilica Cattedrale di San Nicolo. An earthquake in 1693 caused severe damage to Noto, as well as 70 other cities, towns and villages. As part of the reconstruction of the city, construction of the cathedral began in the early 18th century and it was completed in 1776.

A top tip when visiting Noto is to purchase a Museo Diffuso ticket, which you can buy inside the cathedral. For just €10 it gives you entry to five different churches in Noto – the Basilica Cattedrale di San Nicolo, Basilica del SS Salvatore, Chiesa di Montevergini, Chiesa di San Domenica and Chiesa di San Carlo.

The interior of the Basilica Cattedrale di San Nicolo is stunning, with beautiful frescos above the altar.

Some of the churches included in the ticket, such as Chiesa di San Domenica, have a panoramic rooftop where you can see an amazing view over Noto. Note the stone pine cone on this rooftop, which is the symbol of Sicily. The pine cone signifies fertility, prosperity and abundance.

One church that wasn’t included in the €10 ticket but is definitely worth the €2 or €2.50 entry fee for the stunning panoramic views is Chiesa Santa Chiara. Especially as when we visited there were a number of artworks made from coloured sand (I think) that were visible from the rooftop. Not to mention the amazing view of the cathedral!

As well as the beautiful churches, there are also lots of shops, art galleries, museums and restaurants in Noto to visit. There’s also a few painted stairs that you’ll spot if you look up off the main street. They were designed by Ortigia artist Carlo Coniglio, who was inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. These ones pictured below are located at Via Fratelli Bandiera. Although look closely… they’re not actually painted!

I 100% recommend a day trip to Noto! And don’t worry if you don’t have a car, there are plenty of buses that go to Noto from Siracusa and it costs about €4 one-way.

Swim in natural lakes in a canyon

Cavagrande del Cassibile is a nature reserve near Avola, in the province of Siracusa, that has the Laghetti di Cavagrande. They are a series of natural lakes and they are absolutely amazing!

The catch is… it’s located in a canyon so you need to walk about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your fitness, to reach it. You definitely need to wear appropriate footwear and have enough to drink as there’s nothing down at the lakes where you can buy anything.

Before you head down to the lakes, there is a cafe where you can buy food and drinks. We bought some sandwiches and water to have when we reached the first of the lakes – which is much quieter than the others so was a great spot to rest and eat.

The water in the lakes is so fresh and cooling, especially in the heat. Walking down wasn’t too bad but walking up was pretty intense. When we reached the top we had a Coca-cola at the cafe and I’ve never tasted anything so good in my life! Visiting the lakes is a pretty unique experience and makes for a great day out. Just make sure you’re prepared with food, drink and trainers (sneakers)!

So those are my recommendations of what to see and do in Ortigia and Siracusa. We loved our stay and will definitely return to this beautiful part of Sicily.

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