Two Days in Syracuse, Sicily
Situated on the eastern coast and once a super power in the times of ancient Greece, Syracuse (or Siracusa)!
Logistics:
On the east coast of Sicily, there are really easy ways between the major cities! Because Syracuse does not have an airport, we came from Catania which is how most people get to this amazing city.
By Car
In every Sicilian planning blog or trip post, everyone said you had to rent a car. Even the people we met rented cars! Unless you have a burning desire to have no rules on the road and squeeze through tiny streets, I would avoid it as we found it really easy to get between the cities.
However, if not, I highly recommend this website, Rental Cars.com
By Public Transportation
If a car is not your cup of tea, getting around Sicily is extremely easy if you don’t mind public buses and lots of walking. We used a direct bus from Catania Airport to Syracuse and it was much easier than going into town and then catching a train or another bus. All schedules are online and one can buy a ticket in advance, ticket booth, or on the bus.
Travel Tip: Use the Interbus website to make it easy! Beware of schedule changes depending on the day or holiday.
Lodging
In Syracuse, my worst nightmare occurred as we arrived at our pre-paid hotel only to find it closed for the season… It was a disaster as the city was insanely busy with the August 15th national holiday! For 1.5 hours, we searched all hotel websites for an available room but did not have any luck.
With pure luck, the LOL Hostel had two beds come available with a recent cancellation so we ran over there! Thankfully, we secured the last beds in Syracuse!
For all of our efforts, we were rewarded with 2 beds in an 8 bed mixed dorm. Thankfully, MF was not the only girl but it still was a hostel. The room itself was not bad, it had air conditioning and its own bathroom. In my travels, I would rate LOL hostel as a decent, solid hostel that is very closet to the public transportation links (a huge plus in HOT August) and within 10 minutes of Old Town and the other sights. Plus, the staff here was absolutely wonderful, explaining what to do and where to eat! They even booked us a table!
However, our poor luck did not stop there… Initially, we were going to stay another night at LOL hostel, but two mixed dorm beds were not available. Thus, we were forced to search AGAIN for a room for the night. Because it was a Sunday night, we had better luck. To make up for my mistakes, I booked a very nice B&B called I Santi located in the heart of Ortigia.
When we arrived in the heat of the day, our room at I Santi appeared too good to be true! We had really nice air conditioning, a wonderful bathroom, and a large, comfortable bed! We slept so well there! Normally, they provided breakfast but they gave us a voucher to a wonderful little cafe instead. Honestly, we preferred the cafe! I would highly recommend I Santi!
Travel Tip: For non-brand hotels, I use Hotels.com for their loyalty program, but look to book directly in case it is cheaper. Other sites such as booking.com and expedia offer similar programs! In the case of hostels, you have to use Hostelworld.com or the helpful app.
Food & Drinks
Based on our hostel hosts, they said all the restaurants and bars in Ortigia, the old town, were super expensive and not as local. However, that did not stop us from finding amazing restaurants! After our research, we realized we would not have enough time to try it all!
Osteria Mariano: Located at the southern tip of Ortigia, Mariano specializes in the classic Sicilain dishes. Although we did not try the fresh seafood, we enjoyed our massive pasta dishes! Mary Frances had the traditional carbonara and I had the pesto. Highly recommend!
A Putia: In the middle of Ortigia, our hotel recommend A Putia and boy did we enjoy it! For our late lunch or early dinner, we had a complete meal of caprese salad, a tasty salami sandwich, and a wonderful pistacchio pesto pasta.
Granita and Gelato: In the middle of August, everyone needs an ice cold granita or gelato! There are ton of shops advertising these tasty flavored icees. For me, I chose the Gelateria Gusto and really enjoyed every minute of it!
L'Antica Salumeria: Next to the sunset promenade, L'Antica Salumeria looks like a hole in the wall wine bar. Initially, we were very excited to try local Sicilian cheeses, wine, and meats! In the end, our semi-meal was just a little disappointing. We should have done a little bit more research here!
Caseificio Borderi: In the morning food market, there is this famous sandwich shop serving huge delicious meats! I would go early to avoid the line and sun!
Piazza Archimede Caffe: In the middle of the biggest square in Ortigia, we stumbled upon this little cafe for tasty brioche, coffee, and granitas!
Click here for our Sicily Google map pins for all of our hard research of the top food and drink spots!
Activities
During my research, I also used this fantastic travel blog, Voyage Tips.
- Wander Ortigia: By far, our favorite activity was wandering the old town of Ortigia. Between the beautiful architecture and colorful balconies, windows, and doors, we loved wandering through the many alleys and streets. In fact, our favorite activity was “find the shaded alley” and then we would walk down it!
- Fort Maniace: On the tip of Ortigia, the Fort has protected Syracuse for generations. While it wasn’t around in the ancient Greek wars, the fort has terrific views of the old town.
- Neapolis Archaeological Park: One of the highlights in Syracuse are the two ancient Greek and Roman amphitheaters. It is truly amazing to see all the great, old sites. I would arrive as soon as it opens or near sunset to avoid the intense heat. It costs 10E per person.
- Beaches: Located outside of town, Syracuse has terrific beaches located a short distance from Old Town by car or bus.
- INSERT HOSTEL INFORMATION
- Old Market: Every morning the local market is full of fresh fruits, fish, and other delights! I highly recommend a visit especially if you want cheap, fresh eats!
- Sunset: On the promenade, sunset is really special as it sets behind the bay and hills. While it is an interrupted view, the sunset is still magical!
Onto Syracuse
Because we arrived in Catania Airport, we had a few different options to get to Syracuse which is south of the island. While we could have gone into Catania and then taken a train, we opted for the direct bus from Catania Airport. Because the stand is located right outside the arrival doors, it was really easy to find and purchase tickets. We just had to wait for the bus, then endure another bus ride, and then walk to our hotel. Sounds easy in the Italian August heat, right?!
Ultimate Planning Fail
Once we arrived in Syracuse, hauled our luggage in 90F/30C heat for twenty minutes, we arrived at our closed hotel. Yes, the doors were locked and shut fo the season. It was entirely depressing since I pride myself in trip planning! After a hot, sweaty few minutes, we decided to walk to a hotel that showed availability online, but that also did not work for us.
For the next 1.5 hours, we tried every website between AirBnB, Tripadvisor, Hotels.com, Booking.com, and any website. Apparently, we picked the only day in August where Italians flock to the seas in mass because it is a huge national holiday. That no one knows why it is a national holiday other than it has been a Roman holiday for centuries. Instead, MF had the brilliant idea to try hostel world.com. Luckily, we found two beds available at the only hostel in town!
When I ran to the hostel, the owner told us that they had a late cancellation and that we had the last two beds. How on earth did we manage this?! To top off our luck, the owners were exceptionally kind and helpful. They even gave us tips on the city and booked us a reservation at Marinos for dinner.
During a long relaxing walk back into Old town, past our failed hotels, we were able to enjoy his beautiful city. Somehow we could see city in its true light when we weren’t carrying all your luggage! While we had a frightening few hours, we finally settled in and enjoyed beautiful Syracuse.
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot
On our last full day in Syracuse, we would explore the Old Town while trying to dodge the insane August heat.
Hidden Ancient Wonders
In the heart of Syracuse lies archeological wonders that dive into the area’s glorious history. From the Greeks to Romans, Syracuse has been a powerhouse and an important port.
Which Theatre is Your Favorite?
Known for the amphitheaters, the Neapolis Archaeological Park begins with a tour of the “Old Ear” quarry that likely is the foundation for all the amphitheaters. Initially, we weren’t sure what we were looking at, but once we went inside, we realized it has two functions - it is in the shade and has a great echo!
For the grand entrance into Syracuse history, we walked into the Greco Theatre like old gladiators. Instantly, we were blown away by the size and presence. The theatre is magnificent with many rows surrounding the stage, obviously aligning with COVID social distancing rules. The theatre even has box seats in the shade and their own water supply. While they don’t offer the best view, we certainly enjoyed cooling off in them!
Amazing Views
Gladiator Time!
The ultimate finale was the Roman amphitheater. While it is not as grand as the Greco, the Roman one offers more clues and understanding into the culture and history of the time. While we couldn’t explore it, we enjoyed the ancient history.
Find the Shaded Alley
After an insanely hot walk back to the Old Town to check into our hotel and eat at A Putia, we played our favorite game - find the shaded alley! Around 4pm, it is the perfect time to discover the hidden alleys. Between the old streets and balconies to the seaside views, we definitely love exploring Orietga!
Syracuse at Evening
Sunset...with a Cruise Ship
Sunset views
After a refreshing shower, we went out for our last sunset over the Syracuse bay. With cruise ships, loads of people, and no room at any sunset bar, we strolled the promenade taking pictures until we reached the end.
Syracuse
Afterwards, we found the L'Antica Salumeria wine bar. Only four days later did we find out that I left my camera here and it was horrible…. Combined a below par meal with this disaster, it was not a pleasant thought!
Goodbye Old Town
On our last day in Syracuse, we explored Old Town for the last time, enjoying fantastic restaurants and wandering the city.
Fresh Old Town Market
Everyday, except Sundays, the local Orietga market is bustling with angry Italians shouting at each other and selling abosolutely fresh fruit, seafood, veggies, and sandwiches! For some reason, Syracuse has a big reputation for huge sandwiches full of fresh meat and cheeses. In the market, the Caseificio Borderi shop sells their huge sandwiches. While I really wanted to try the sandwich, the line was out the door and directly in the burning sunshine. While standing in the mask in the hot sun is usually a pleasure, I could not handle it!
Thus, we “resorted” to our favorite sandwich place - A Putia! With no line, in the shade, and cold ice water, we enjoyed our salami sandwiches!
The UnChartered Summary
Our terrific, yet turbulent time in Syracuse was worth it all. Yes, we scrambled on an Italian holiday for hotels on back to back days, but we enjoyed getting lost on the small alleys in Oriegta. The hot days were worth the terrific food, sandwiches, and gelato. In the end, we are incredibly grateful that we experienced Syracuse!
- While the Italians do not know why we celebrate August 15th, beware that everyone goes on holiday and hotels will be scarce!
- We enjoyed our archelogical days, but we should have combined a hot day discovering history with a lovely beach day.
- In Syracuse, the cheaper options are not in Oritega but the hotels and views are incredibly worth the extra price. Old Town has magic within its alleys!
- As one can tell, our favorite restaurant in Oretiga is A Puglia. Try it sometime!