ortygia

We were so happy that we changed our plans and stayed 5 days in Ortygia vs other nearby towns. We enjoyed the charming streets and could easily walk everywhere. There are many historical sites to visit on the island. We picked a hotel that was halfway down the coast so we had easy access to all of the restaurants and sites. We also walked across the bridge to the Archaeological Park and other sites on the mainland. We hope to visit again another year!

Visited in February-fabulous place full of history & stunning architecture. Wonderful restaurants everywhere. Great access to other local sites & views of Etna on a good day. What more could you want. Highly recommend the greek amphitheatre.

We rented an apartment with a beautiful roof top terrace just opposite the puppet theatre. Small island that is easy to walk around and apart from a modern car park it's all quaint, narrow streets and lanes that you get lost in. Loads of nice restaurants and bars, great ice cream and granita's, superb weather in the autumn when we were there.Modern Syracusa which the island is attached to is not very scenic or indeed interesting other than the Greek amphitheatre and surrounds. There are small buses that go round the edge of Ortygia and one of the routes they connect to takes you to the amphitheatre. A week there was very pleasant, restful, swimming available in very clear water from wooden platforms. I would recommend visiting the castle at the tip of the island, the main square is a great place to sit and have a drink while people watching. The church with the Caravaggio in the square is worth a quick look. The Cathedral is not actually up to much in my opinion but you are bound to go in.We travelled to Ortygia by rail from Rome on the overnight sleeper, nice journey and you go on the last rail ferry in Europe. However Syracusa rail connections in Sicily are surprisingly poor though we did have one day out to Noto which is very worth visiting. It's station is a fair trek from the interesting parts of town. If you intend to use Ortygia as a base to visit that part of Sicily you really need a car. Find out where to park it, if considering that option as it certainly won't be outside your accommodation in all probability. We thought Ortygia was excellent value for money and would go back. Pistachio, Almond or Sicilian Lemon Granitas are the highlight in hot weather.

Ortigia has it all. It is a small island (attached to the mainland by a short bridges) with beautiful water, and few small beaches, all around. The town is almost uniformly antique, with building dating back thousands years and from at least half a dozen civilizations. Has beautiful churches, palazzos, and squares (especially Piazza del Duomo, probably the best in Sicily). It has greats hotels for any budgets and very good restaurants, bars, enoteche and shopping. Beautiful whether in most seasons, although summer is very hot and humid.

We thoroughly researched where to stay in Sicily before our trip with our teenage daughters. Ortygia was absolutely the best choice for us! We stayed at a great B & B (La Via Della Guidecca) and the city was charming, friendly and beautiful! Our room had a gorgeous terrace, and we were able to truly experience the magic of staying in a historic and thriving town. We traveled by car, and were able to easily visit other historic Unesco towns (Taormina, Noto, and Modica) during our stay. We highly recommend this town as a great home base during your stay in Sicily:-)

lovely place to visit, lots to see. great food, shopping and views. If you want to see historic Syracuse you need to look here

At least a week's worth of interest within easy walking: Architecture, Art, History Restaurants, Local Market

Beautiful old city with heart. Just as beautiful in the winter. Wander the streets and discover its secrets.

We loooooved this place. Just get lost walking around the cobblestone streets and taste gelato and bakery treats along the way. We found the morning market and are the most amazing fruit and grilled peppers. The people are amazing and visiting in the off season was great- no tourists and you could see the residents living their daily lives. Don't miss this place!!

lovely district of syracuse with really nice houses and places.it's a bit a pity that car can cross the center of this small area and a bit dissappointing that Italian government didn't invest more money to clean and maintain this very turistic area.Anyway the laguna is awesome and contrast with sea front impressive.

so, if you come in Sicily you must to see ortigia, it's a island of Syracusas City, in this part of town there are a lotta monuments and much resturants, so be happy, this is a dream.

Good for shopping and coffee shops. Quiet and Relaxing. Very old historical city, lovely museums, beautiful harbor, but alas plenty of abandoned houses, pity!

We are living in Ortigia for the winter of 2015.This is a special town which, as a traveller, you should not miss on any visit to Sicily if possible. It oozes longevity and history from every little alley and building. The Lungomare is quite unique. We walk it every day, usually right round the Island, and every day it gives us a boost of energy - the sea, the sun, the wind and the architectural views.It is a developing town. Yes, it gets a lot of summer tourists but it is very much a working town and thus has a genuine Italian atmosphere. There is a lot of renovation going on and without doubt the town will be more sophisticated and probably less atmospheric in ten yrs. but will still be a special place.There are a fine, diverse range of restaurants and cafes. Shopping is also ecclectic - you can find almost everything you want just on the Island but you will need to hunt. The market is more comprehensive than one might think on first impressions.The downsides are few: dog mess is a scourge on pavements and we reserve a view on museums and monuments as we have yet to tour them properly!

An amazingly interesting place, recommended with kids who find plenty to look at and enjoy, or alone!

We stayed just across the bridge, in Siracusa, so were able to walk across the bridge into Ortigia. You can walk around the perimeter of the island, then walk through the labarynthine streets. We watched the sunset and had oysters and Prosecco as the sky turned orange. Wander into the Papyrus Museum for a friendly chat, walk through amazing churches, eat gelato. My favorite part was sitting at the piazza and the tango dancers gathering to dance, well into the night.