I didn’t expect Ortigia to become one of my favorite places in Sicily.
Before visiting, I had heard all the usual mixed descriptions of Sicily – it is incredibly beautiful, but also chaotic, imperfect and a little rough. When you first arrive in Syracuse, you might not immediately understand what all the fuss about Ortigia is about.
Then you cross onto the island and start walking. That changed everything for me. Immediately I felt the energy – positive vibes and artistic spirit. Ortigia is the historic heart of Syracuse. It is small enough to explore almost entirely on foot, surrounded by the sea and filled with narrow streets they must bring the neighbors really close together. 🙂
Behind beautiful old façades you’ll find tiny galleries, ceramics shops, balconies covered in plants, beautiful old buildings, restaurants hidden down side streets and sudden glimpses of blue water.
If you have a weekend in Ortigia, my biggest advice is not to fill every hour with things to see. This is a place to wander.
Day one: Forget the map for a while
Start by walking. That really is my first recommendation.
You’ll naturally come across many of the places worth seeing, but don’t make getting from one attraction to another the entire point of the day.
Take the smaller streets. Look inside the independent shops. Stop for coffee when somewhere looks nice. Walk towards the sea and then change direction because you spotted a street you want to explore.
Eventually, make your way towards Piazza Duomo.
This was one of those places that made me stop as soon as I entered the square. After all the tiny streets, it suddenly opens into this huge, elegant space surrounded by pale stone buildings, with the Cathedral of Syracuse dominating one side. It is breathtaking.
The cathedral itself has an incredible history. It was built around the remains of the ancient Greek Temple of Athena, and some of the original Greek columns are still incorporated into the building today. But even if you know nothing about its history, the entire square’s beauty brings you the feeling of peace and admiration.
Don’t just take a photo and leave. Find somewhere to sit (even cafes on the main squares are almost by the rule average in the best case), order something and stay for a while.
Ortigia is much better when you give it time.
Leave space in your luggage
This is also where my usual attempt to travel light became slightly inconvenient. Ortigia is full of exactly the kind of souvenirs I actually want to bring home.
Sicilian ceramics, little pieces of art, prints, books, food, objects for the home – not just things with Sicily written across them, but things you might genuinely want to keep.
There are small shops and studios everywhere, and browsing them became part of exploring the town for me.
If you’re the kind of person who can spend far too long looking at ceramics and beautiful objects, consider this your warning: leave some room in your luggage.
Chase the sunset with a gelato
By late afternoon, I wouldn’t plan much at all. Get a gelato (we found ours here) and start walking towards the water.
One of my favorite memories of Ortigia is simply wandering around as the light changed, trying to figure out where we would get the best view of the sunset.
There are plenty of places along the waterfront where you can stop, but part of the fun is getting there. The sea keeps appearing unexpectedly at the end of streets, between buildings or behind little squares.
You can walk down the waterfront promenade, past Fonte Aretusa, the freshwater spring associated with the Greek myth of Arethusa, and continue along the waterfront towards Castello Maniace at the southern tip of the island.
Then find somewhere for an aperitivo. Dinner can wait.
Stay out after dark
Ortigia becomes a different place in the evening. Tables appear outside, bars fill up and streets that seemed quiet during the afternoon suddenly feel alive. This is probably when I loved the town most.
I wouldn’t over-plan every dinner before arriving. Have a traditional Sicilian meal one night (I ate in La Tavernetta da Piero). Find a pizza place another time (great one is Schiticchio in Via Cavour). Stop for a drink somewhere simply because you like the little square or the tables outside.
There are enough restaurants and bars packed into such a small area that you don’t need to spend the entire trip moving between reservations. I bumped into most charming one with great cocktails (Il Club).
Walk. Look around. Choose somewhere. And then probably have another gelato afterwards.
Day two: Start with a slow breakfast
There is absolutely no reason to rush your second morning. Find somewhere for coffee and breakfast and sit longer than necessary.
Then head towards the Ortigia market, where you’ll find fruit and vegetables, spices, cheeses, fish and plenty of Sicilian food to take home. It’s colorful, noisy and completely different from the quieter streets around Piazza Duomo.
And yes, this is another dangerous place if you already filled your luggage with ceramics the day before.
After the market, I would give myself another few hours without much of a plan. That might sound like terrible travel-guide advice, but Ortigia genuinely rewards it. Some cities make you feel that you’re wasting time if you’re not visiting another attraction. Ortigia didn’t make me feel that way at all. I was perfectly happy walking some of the same streets more than once.
The second time you notice a shop you missed. A courtyard. A balcony. A tiny bar you want to come back to later.
Sometimes the best way to experience a place is simply to stop trying so hard to experience it.
Don’t come to Ortigia for the beaches
If beautiful beaches are your priority, Ortigia itself probably isn’t where I would spend my beach days. Local people will also tell you this. For beautiful beaches you have to go out of the town. If you have more than a weekend and you’re traveling by car, you can use the extra days to explore beaches along the southeastern Sicilian coast and return to Ortigia for the evening.
Ortigia’s strength is Ortigia itself. The streets, the architecture, the shops, the food, the evenings and that feeling of wandering without needing to be anywhere.
Keep exploring
Planning more time in Sicily? Continue with:
4 days in Taormina, Sicily: What not to miss
Or explore more travel stories and places worth slowing down for in Places.
