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Stemma di Siracusa

Sicily · Siracusa

Siracusa

Ortigia island, wrapped in honey-coloured Baroque stone, sits at the heart of the city Cicero called the most beautiful in the world, on the eastern Sicilian coast south of Catania.

Known for

  • UNESCO 2005

    Inscribed with the Necropolis of Pantalica in 2005. Cicero called it the greatest Greek city; the Temple of Athena (5th c. BC) survives inside the Baroque cathedral.

  • GREEK THEATRE

    5th-c. BC Greek theatre, the largest surviving in Sicily, still hosting the INDA classical drama season every summer.

  • FONTE ARETUSA

    Freshwater spring at the seafront with the only papyrus colony on European soil, the mythological setting of Arethusa's transformation.

When to visit

Best · Year-round

  • J15°
  • F16°
  • M17°
  • A19°
  • M23°
  • J29°
  • J32°
  • A32°
  • S29°
  • O24°
  • N21°
  • D17°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 29° and coldest in February at 15°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

Why come

The city was founded in 734 BC by Corinthian Greeks and became the most populous Greek city in the Mediterranean under the tyrant Dionysius I in the 4th century BC. The historic centre sits on Ortigia, the small island linked to the mainland by three bridges, where the Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Colonne, the freshwater spring, and the Piazza Duomo's late-Baroque palazzi, rebuilt after 1693, all stand on the same ground the Greeks first built on. Across on the mainland, the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis preserves the theatre, the limestone cave, a Roman amphitheatre, and the Ara di Ierone sacrificial altar, so the ancient city reads as two halves: an island core wrapped by the sea and a mainland quarry and theatre district set into the hillside behind it.

The Necropolis of Pantalica lies inland from both, joined to the city on the same UNESCO listing, and the city was later named a candidate for European Capital of Culture in 2019. What Cicero praised as the greatest and most beautiful of Greek cities was in effect two settlements working as one, the island for living and worship, the mainland for spectacle and quarrying, a division still legible in how the ruins are separated by water and distance today.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Siracusa’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

How to get there

From Catania (CTA), about 53 minutes by car.

By car from the centre of Palermo 3h 15m.

Driving in is restricted: there is a limited traffic zone here (ZTL Siracusa). Check the signs and the times before you drive into the centre.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming by train into Siracusa? Siracusa is about 3 minutes away by road.

Every town within reach of Catania airport.

Siracusa — photo 1
Siracusa — photo 2

What to see

  • Ortigia + Duomo (Tempio di Atena)

    Island historic centre with the cathedral built directly into a 5th-c. BC Doric temple of Athena, the original columns visible in the walls. Honey-coloured Baroque palazzi on Greek foundations.

  • Teatro Greco (Parco della Neapolis)

    5th-century BC Greek theatre carved into the limestone hillside, still in use every summer for the INDA classical drama festival. The largest surviving Greek theatre in Sicily.

  • Fonte Aretusa

    Freshwater spring at the western tip of Ortigia, the mythological setting of Arethusa's transformation. Pools at the seafront with papyrus growing, the only papyrus colony on European soil.

  • Orecchio di Dionisio

    Limestone cave in the Neapolis quarry, 23 m high and ear-shaped. Caravaggio named it after visiting in 1608. Acoustic properties amplified speech, allegedly used by the tyrant Dionysius to eavesdrop.

  • Castello Maniace

    13th-century Norman-Swabian castle on the southern tip of Ortigia, built by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1232-39 on the site of the ancient acropolis. View of the Porto Grande from the ramparts.

The slow-trip planner

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We recommend

Where to eat and stay

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Cortile Spirito SantoRistorante

    One Michelin star for Cortile Spirito Santo, and two Gambero Rosso forks (87/100).

  • Don CamilloRistorante

    Don Camillo carries two Gambero Rosso forks (82/100), plus a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • OstariaRistorante

    Two Gambero Rosso forks (81/100) for Ostaria, and a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • Il Tiranno del Caportigia HotelRistorante

    Il Tiranno del Caportigia Hotel carries two Gambero Rosso forks (80/100).

  • La PignaTrattoria

    One Gambero Rosso prawn, at La Pigna.

  • Latteria Mamma IabicaRistorante

    A Slow Food snail, at Latteria Mamma Iabica.

  • Pourquoi pasBistrot

    Pourquoi pas carries two Gambero Rosso tables.

  • Regina LuciaRistorante

    A spot in the Michelin Guide, at Regina Lucia.

  • Byssus SuitesHotel

    A place in the Michelin hotel guide, at Byssus Suites.

  • Donna Coraly Country Boutique HotelHotel

    Donna Coraly Country Boutique Hotel carries one Michelin Key.

  • Grand Hotel Des ÉtrangersHotel

    Grand Hotel Des Étrangers has a Leading Hotels of the World listing to its name.

  • Grand Hotel OrtigiaHotel

    Grand Hotel Ortigia holds a place on Italy's historic-locali register.

  • Grand Hotel Villa PolitiHotel

    Grand Hotel Villa Politi holds a place on Italy's historic-locali register.

  • LùmeHotel

    Lùme has one Michelin Key to its name.

  • Una Hotel SiracusaHotel

    Una Hotel Siracusa has a place in the Michelin hotel guide to its name.

Living here

  • Population 116,244
  • A local hubi
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Catania, 53 min drive
  • Regional capital Palermo, 3 h 15 min drive

Common questions

What is Siracusa known for?
Ortigia island, wrapped in honey-coloured Baroque stone, sits at the heart of the city Cicero called the most beautiful in the world, on the eastern Sicilian coast south of Catania.
Where is Siracusa?
Siracusa is a comune in the province of Siracusa, in Sicily, at 17 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Siracusa?
Catania (CTA), about 53 minutes by car.
Can you get to Siracusa without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Palermo to Siracusa?
About 3h 15m by car.
When is the best time to visit Siracusa?
Best in Year-round. August is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 10 rain days.
Which other towns are like Siracusa?
Catania, Aci Castello and Pachino.
How many people live in Siracusa?
116,244 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 17 m
  • Population: 116,244
  • Surface area: 207.78 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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