Travel guide · Siracusa, Sicily
Things to do in Siracusa,
and when the light is right.
Every guide will tell you what to see in Siracusa. Almost none will tell you what time to go. And in a city built out of pale limestone, under a Sicilian sun, the hour matters more than anywhere else: the same piazza is unbearable at one in the afternoon and unforgettable at seven in the evening.
I live here and photograph here, so this guide is organised the way I actually plan a day: by light. For each place, what it is, when to go, and the photograph that is waiting there.
Ortigia, the island
Siracusa's old town sits on a small island joined to the mainland by two short bridges, the main one being the Ponte Umbertino. You can walk across the island in twenty minutes, and you will still be finding new alleys on your third day. If your time is short, spend all of it here.
Piazza Duomo
The most beautiful square in Sicily, and one of the strangest buildings in Europe: the Cathedral is a Greek temple. The Doric columns of the fifth century BC Temple of Athena are still there, absorbed into the walls, with a baroque façade added after the 1693 earthquake. Walk inside and look left, and you are standing between columns that are two and a half thousand years old.
Arrive before nine, when the square is empty and the low sun rakes across the white pavement. The façade faces roughly west, so it is lit warm in the late afternoon and flat in the morning: for the building go late, for the empty square go early.
The alleys behind the Duomo, late afternoon
Piazza Archimede & La Giudecca
A five minute walk from the Duomo, Piazza Archimede has the Diana Fountain at its centre and is the second most photographed square on the island. Just behind it, La Giudecca, the old Jewish quarter, is a knot of alleys older than almost anything else in Ortigia, and quietly one of the most photogenic corners of the whole town.
Late morning for the fountain, when the light drops straight into the square. For La Giudecca, any time: the alleys are narrow enough to stay in shade most of the day, which makes them forgiving even at midday in August.
Fonte Aretusa
A freshwater spring that surfaces a few metres from the sea, with papyrus growing in it, which should not be possible and is. The Greeks explained it with the myth of the nymph Arethusa, who fled across the sea and was turned into a spring here. It is small, and it is lovely at the end of the day.
This is on the western side of the island, so the sun sets over the water right behind it. Come forty minutes before sunset, and stay after: the twenty minutes once the sun is down are the best.
The morning market
Near the Temple of Apollo, at the entrance to the island, a few streets fill every morning with fish, tomatoes, cheese and shouting. It is the most alive part of Siracusa and it is over by early afternoon. Go hungry.
Between eight and ten. Shafts of light cut between the awnings, and the colour is extraordinary. Ask before photographing people up close; almost everyone says yes, and some will hand you something to taste.
Castello Maniace and the point
At the southern tip of the island, a squat thirteenth century fortress built under Frederick II, with the sea on three sides. Even without going in, the walk out to the point is worth it.
Sunrise, if you can face it. The point catches the first light from the east, and at that hour there is nobody there at all.
The Marina, under the ficus trees
Locals call it simply la Marina: the shaded promenade of the Foro Vittorio Emanuele II, running along the Porto Grande under a row of enormous century-old ficus trees, with Porta Marina, the last medieval gate, at one end and the yachts of the Marina Yachting moored along the quay. It is the coolest place to walk in the middle of a hot afternoon.
Any time of day, thanks to the shade. The gaps between the trees throw dramatic shafts of light across the path in the late afternoon.
The two seafronts
This is the thing most visitors never work out, and it decides your whole evening. Ortigia has a seafront on each side, and they face opposite ways. The Lungomare di Levante, on the east, looks at the open sea: that is your sunrise side. The west side, along the Fonte Aretusa and the Lungomare Alfeo, looks across the Porto Grande: that is where the sun goes down.
Sunset on the west, sunrise on the east. And in between, swim off the rocks and the metal ladders on the eastern side, the way locals do. Forte Vigliena, the small fort at the far end of the Lungomare di Levante, is a good last stop: golden hour there with the island behind you.
The mainland: Greeks and Caravaggio
The Neapolis Archaeological Park
Fifteen minutes from Ortigia, the ancient city. The Greek Theatre is carved straight out of the rock and is one of the largest of the Greek world, and in May and June it still hosts classical drama, performed where it was meant to be performed. Nearby, the Ear of Dionysius is a tall limestone cave with an acoustic that carries a whisper the length of it. There is also a Roman amphitheatre and the enormous altar of Hiero II.
Go at opening time. There is almost no shade in the park, and in July the middle of the day is genuinely punishing. Early light also gives the theatre's stone steps the texture that midday flattens.
Caravaggio's Burial of Saint Lucy
Caravaggio painted it in Siracusa in 1608, on the run, and it is still in the city. It is enormous, mostly empty space and darkness, and it is worth going out of your way for. Check locally where it is currently displayed before you go: it has moved between churches over the years.
The sea, and just outside town
Plemmirio
A marine reserve on the headland south of the city, ten minutes by car. Low rocky cliffs, coves and some of the clearest water in eastern Sicily. No sand, so bring something for your feet.
Fontane Bianche and Arenella
If you want actual sand, especially with children, these are the beaches south of town. Fontane Bianche has shallow, pale water and plenty of places to eat.
Noto
About half an hour down the coast, and the best half day trip from Siracusa. Noto was rebuilt all at once after the 1693 earthquake, which is why the whole town matches: one long honey coloured main street, and a cathedral staircase that is among the most photographed in Sicily.
Late afternoon, when the stone turns properly gold. Noto has one of the warmest lights in Sicily and it lasts about an hour.
A day, planned by the light
If you only have one day, this is the order I would do it in.
How long to stay
One day: spend all of it on Ortigia and skip the mainland. The island is what people remember.
Two days: Ortigia on foot the first day, the Neapolis park early on the second and the sea in the afternoon.
Three or more: add Noto, and a morning in the water at Plemmirio.
Common questions
How many days do you need in Siracusa?
Two full days is the sweet spot. One day for Ortigia on foot, one for the Neapolis archaeological park in the morning and the sea in the afternoon. With only one day, spend it entirely on Ortigia and skip the mainland: the island is what people remember.
What is the best time of day to visit Ortigia?
Before nine in the morning and after six in the evening. In the middle of the day the light is hard, the stone reflects the heat and the piazzas fill with tour groups. Early morning is the quietest: Piazza Duomo is almost empty and the market is at its best.
Where do you watch the sunset in Siracusa?
On the western side of Ortigia, along the Lungomare Alfeo and around the Fonte Aretusa, where the sun goes down over the Porto Grande. The eastern side, the Lungomare di Levante, faces the open sea instead: that is the side for sunrise.
Is the Greek Theatre worth visiting?
Yes, and go early. The Neapolis park has almost no shade, so by late morning in summer it is punishing. In May and June the theatre hosts classical Greek drama performances, which is a remarkable thing to see in a theatre that was built for exactly that, twenty five centuries ago.
Can you swim in Siracusa?
Yes. You can swim straight off the rocks and the ladders along Ortigia's seafront, which is what locals do. For sand, head south to Fontane Bianche or Arenella. For clear water over rock, the Plemmirio marine reserve is the most beautiful stretch and it is only a short drive away.
Is Noto worth a day trip from Siracusa?
It is, and it is about half an hour down the coast. Noto is baroque built all at once after the 1693 earthquake, so the whole town matches: one honey coloured main street, and a cathedral staircase that is one of the most photographed in Sicily. Late afternoon is when the stone glows.
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