v2.webp){kind=logo}
- Duomo di Siracusa (Piazza Duomo) — A cathedral literally built into a 5th-century BC Greek temple: you can see Doric columns inside the baroque church. The square around it is high-energy and perfect for people-watching with a coffee or an aperitivo.
- Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo) — One of Sicily’s oldest Doric temples, its ruined columns sit right at Ortigia’s entrance. It’s compact, photogenic at dusk, and gives a real sense of how ancient life bled into the medieval town.
- Fonte Aretusa — A freshwater spring on Ortigia fringed by papyrus and reeds, wrapped in myth (Arethusa and Alpheus). It’s atmospheric, great for a slow stroll, and a rare spot in Italy where papyrus actually grows in the open.
- Castello Maniace — A massive Angevin-French fortress sitting at the tip of Ortigia
- Duomo di Siracusa (Piazza Duomo) — A cathedral literally built into a 5th-century BC Greek temple: you can see Doric columns inside the baroque church. The square around it is high-energy and perfect for people-watching with a coffee or an aperitivo.
- Tempio di Apollo (Temple of Apollo) — One of Sicily’s oldest Doric temples, its ruined columns sit right at Ortigia’s entrance. It’s compact, photogenic at dusk, and gives a real sense of how ancient life bled into the medieval town.
- Fonte Aretusa — A freshwater spring on Ortigia fringed by papyrus and reeds, wrapped in myth (Arethusa and Alpheus). It’s atmospheric, great for a slow stroll, and a rare spot in Italy where papyrus actually grows in the open.
- Castello Maniace — A massive Angevin-French fortress sitting at the tip of Ortigia with seawall walks and wide views of the harbor. Clamber up the battlements and you’ll get salty wind, history, and a proper sense of the island’s defenses.
- Teatro Greco (Greek Theatre) — A well-preserved Hellenistic theatre carved into the hill of the Neapolis Archaeological Park. It’s still used for performances in summer and the views across the cavea to the sea are unforgettable.
- Orecchio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysius) — A dramatic, echoing limestone cave in the old quarries whose shape and acoustics are spooky and impressive. It’s small but visceral — you can hear whispers carry in a way that gives you chills.
- Latomie del Paradiso (Stone Quarries and Gardens) — These ancient rock quarries are peaceful, leafy gorges with olive trees and the ruins of quarrying activity. Walking the shaded paths feels like stepping back to the labor that built classical Syracuse.
- Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi — One of Italy’s best archaeology museums for Greek and pre-Greek Sicily; massive collections of pottery, sculpture and finds from the area. Spend a couple of hours to get real context for everything you see around town.
- Mercato di Ortigia (Daily Market) — A noisy, colourful market near the fish stalls where locals buy fresh catch, fruit and street food. Eat a quick arancino, haggle for oranges, and you’ll feel the day-to-day Syracuse that guidebooks can’t capture.
- Catacombe di San Giovanni (Catacombs of St. John) — Extensive early-Christian burial galleries with frescoes, carvings and a surprisingly intimate atmosphere. It’s quieter than the big sites and gives a different, subterranean angle on the city’s layered history.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.
Syracuse Ortigia - Sicilian Street Food Tour by Do Eat Better
Full-Day Mount Etna Experience from Siracusa
The Authentic Ortigia Street Food Tour by Hidden Syracuse
Syracuse & Ortigia Electric Velobike Guided Tour
Baroque tour: Ragusa, Modica and Noto
Syracuse and Ortygia by tuk-tuk 2-hour tour
Catania Airport Transfer ↔ Syracuse , Taormina or Giardini Naxos
Sicilian cooking course and more
Syracuse Private Walking Tour with Arancino and Cannolo
Best Backpacking
.jpg)
Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.