The Syracuse Travel Guide Sicily

Syracuse travel guide

Syracuse was my next stop after Catania, located about an hour away on the east of Sicily. This Syracuse travel guide covers everything from history and shopping to getting around and where to stay. Syracuse has a lot of history, especially Roman. It is actually the birthplace of the famous mathematician Archimedes.

What I loved was just the history of it, but also the size. It is actually a very similar size to Athens. The population is about 125,000 and was once known as the most beautiful Greek city. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The top things to do in Syracuse

There are a lot of historical sites, such as the Syracuse Duomo, which is a World Heritage site. You also have the Ear of Dionysius, and what is special about this? It is actually a limestone cave that looks like an ear carved out of a hill. Really cool. When I went, I actually booked a walking tour so I could check out all these sites. You can read my full blog on the best things to do in Syracuse for more.

When I was travelling around Sicily, I was looking for little things I could do and take back home. In Syracuse, there is the ancient town of Ortigia, which is an island. Syracuse is a very popular shopping destination. There are a lot of boutique shops but also well-known brands like H&M. You can spend a couple of hours just going through.

There are also a lot of fresh markets in Syracuse. There are local markets near the remains of the temple of Apollo, where you can find a lot of clothes. You also have the fresh fish and vegetable markets. I would actually try to go earlier, about 7 AM, to avoid some of the lines and things running out. I have been to other markets, such as when I went to Catania, and I went too late and there was not much left.

Enjoy the food. Syracuse is on the ocean and is a popular city to have fresh seafood dishes, and a must is fried fish and shellfish. It is also very close to Catania, which is a big importer of food. You can find many restaurants in Syracuse.

Languages Spoken in Syracuse

Syracuse has Italian as its official language. However, there is a dialect in Sicily. I think the best thing to do is learn a little bit of Duolingo before you visit. Italians in general, respond well if you try to speak Italian. A lot of the places do speak English, especially near the city centre and on the island of Ortigia. This Syracuse tourism guide Sicily would not be complete without mentioning that.

The Best Time to Visit Syracuse

The city has a lot of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 2,600 hours. The temperatures are quite nice, the lowest being 8 degrees and it usually gets up to about 30 degrees in August. I went in September, which was about 27 degrees, but anything from about May to October is generally nice.

If you want to be there in a quieter time with fewer tourists, you can even go in October, November, March or April. The rainfall starts to pick up around September, quite a lot in September and October.

How to get around Syracuse

Getting to Syracuse is pretty easy, thanks to its small size and convenient access to major airports. Here are some helpful tips for getting around:

Flying to Syracuse Sicily

If you are travelling to Syracuse from overseas, the nearest airport is Catania Airport, and that takes about an hour. The reason I know that is my rental car broke down, so I had to go back to Catania Airport and pick up another car. Just to give some more perspective, if you are flying from New York, it takes about 10.5 hours to get to Sicily.

The bus in and around Syracuse

Buses in Syracuse are a cost-effective way to get around. However, a lot of them start to get cancelled, which is something I noticed in Sicily in general. The primary bus line around town is called SAIS Autoline. If you want to take the bus from Catania Airport to Syracuse, it is called the Interbus. It only takes just over an hour, and last time my friends went, they said it was just over €6.

Driving to Syracuse Sicily

I was driving around Sicily in a car, and like I said, about an hour to get there. But you also have to think about parking, and I go into more detail on parking a little further down. If you are travelling to Sicily from mainland Italy, you do have to take a ferry from Villa San Giovanni Port to Messina, and then from Messina it is about 2 hours to get to Syracuse.

Bear in mind that drivers drive on the right-hand side of the road, and your position in the vehicle is on the left-hand side. Manual cars were the cheapest, and there are quite a lot of them. Automatics were a little bit more expensive. I would be cautious if you are not familiar with driving a manual, as they drive very fast in Sicily.

The train to Siracusa

A lot of my friends took the train, and Syracuse Station is very well located to where you may want to stay in Syracuse. To get into Ortigia, for instance, it is just a 24-minute walk from the Syracuse train station. If you are going from Catania Airport, it takes just an hour. It is a little bit more convenient than the bus, as the buses might get cancelled, and trains go from 6 AM to about 9 PM, last time I checked. It is a little bit more expensive at €8, but it might be an easier option.

Taxi to Syracuse Sicily

Taxis are pretty good, and you just avoid having to wait for buses or deal with rental cars. It is about an hour to get there, and the pricing was about €90, so not the cheapest, but a great way to go. You do not have to wait for a rental car, which happened to me. If you are in the area and want to visit other places, such as Fontana Bianche, which is one of the best beaches in Sicily, the local taxi company in Syracuse is Radio Taxi Syracuse.

Parking in Syracuse Sicily

I did a lot of research into parking and luckily I had family in Italy who explained the rules to me. It is a little bit difficult and that is probably because of the ZTL area. Just some basic rules: free parking is usually marked by white lines, unless there is a ticket machine nearby, so double check. Blue lines are definitely paid parking. Make sure you have a look at the signs before you park, but white lines are usually fine.

In terms of getting a ticket, you can either find the metre machine or buy a ticket from the local tobacconist and then display it on the dashboard. That can sometimes take a bit of time, so I actually downloaded the EasyPark app. You can just do it within the car, put your GPS on, and it will locate exactly where you are. You can pay for parking right there, just put your rego number in. If you come back earlier it will refund you the difference.

Syracuse ZTL

In Sicily, you have to be really mindful of these because basically, they are a certain area in Syracuse where you cannot drive your car. If you park in a ZTL area, you might get fined, or barriers go up so you cannot take your car out.

The timings of the Syracuse ZTL are:

Monday to Friday, it is on 8 pm to 12 am the next day.

Saturday is from 5 pm to 12 am the next day.

Then Sunday and other holidays from 11 am to 12 am

And they change, so this was based on the ZTL website in Syracuse and may differ every year. The actual sign for the ZTL in Syracuse is just before you hit the Ponte Santa Lucia, which is just before the island of Ortigia, just off the Via Malta road.

Syracuse ZTL Map

The actual sign for the ZTL in Syracuse is just before you hit the Ponte Santa Lucia, which is just before the island of Ortigia, just off the Via Malta road. I have actually made a Syracuse ZTL map. The zone is pretty much the whole island of Ortigia.

You may look at the Syracuse ZTL map and see a road you think you can enter, but that is actually a walking bridge. You cannot get your car there. Make sure to look at the Syracuse ZTL map and also the sign just before you get to the Ponte Santa Lucia.

In terms of parking outside of Ortigia, you can search for parking on Google Maps. I found parking very close by, about a 5-minute walk to the island.

I parked right here as it had a gate and looked the closest to the island: Via del Porto Grande, 96100 Siracusa, SR, Italy. If you look at the Syracuse ZTL map, the parking is just on the left, just past that bus symbol.

The Top 5 properties in Syracuse Sicily

The Grand Hotel Ortigia. This has been around since the 19th century and has one of the best views and also one of the best restaurants in Syracuse.

Caportigia Boutique Hotel. If you are looking for somewhere a little bit more boutique, this is just before the island of Ortigia. It is a 5-star property with only 14 rooms. The rooms sometimes have terraces and jacuzzis and the service is just fantastic.

Ortea Palace Hotel. This overlooks the water, the Porto Piccolo. It is a 5-star property in Syracuse and was actually once the Syracuse post office from the 1920s. Lots of amenities including a pool, spa, hair salon and fitness centre.

The Grand Hotel Des Ètrangers. This is another 5-star luxury property in town. Rooms are huge, very modern, with ocean views if you pick the right room. They also have a really good spa.

Charme Hotel Henry's House. This is a 4-star boutique hotel. My friend stayed here, and I loved hanging out with them with that view. It also only has 14 rooms, king-sized beds and a more traditional Sicilian-furnished style.

You can also check out my full guide on Syracuse hotels and the best restaurants in Syracuse while you are planning.

How much should you budget for Syracuse

I would probably recommend about €230 per day. To break it down: breakfast about €20 unless it is included in the property, lunch about €30, dinner about €50. It is a really nice place with some really good restaurants in Syracuse. Tourist activities tend to be a little bit less, probably about €30. Going out for a cocktail before dinner or an aperitivo, about €30. The cost of properties is about €70 on average. So about €230 per person per day. However, there are some 5-star properties in Syracuse that can be a lot more, so it really depends on that as well.

I hope you have enjoyed my Syracuse travel guide in Sicily. If you have been to Syracuse and explored anything else or have any other useful tips, please leave a comment in the box below so I can add more value to my readers.

Syracuse travel guide Sicily FAQ's

How many days should you spend in Syracuse, Sicily?

I would probably say about 2 to 3 days when exploring Sicily. I stayed there for 2 days myself, but I was rushing to check out all the things to do. With 2 to 3 days, you can visit the Cathedral, the Ear of Dionysius, and if you have an extra day, maybe some hiking. I actually came back just to check out another restaurant in Syracuse because there are some really good options. You can read more on the best restaurants in Syracuse here.

Where is Mick Jagger's house in Sicily?

Mick Jagger has a house in Portopalo di Capo Passero, and it is in Syracuse. You won't find his actual address, but pretty cool that he has it there. It is a vacation home and he actually moved there during the pandemic because he fell in love with Syracuse.

Is Syracuse in Sicily worth visiting?

Absolutely. There is a lot of history, a lot of Roman history and a lot of Greek history. There are some lovely beaches and also some really good shopping and restaurants. You can also read more on things to do in Syracuse to help you plan.

Can you walk from Syracuse to Ortigia?

Well, it really depends on where you are in Syracuse, but absolutely. If you look at the Syracuse ZTL map above, you can see there are 2 points. You have got Syracuse on the left and then the island of Ortigia. It is a short 2-minute walk over the bridge. I parked just outside that map on the left, and it was about 5 minutes, just to give you some understanding of how big Syracuse and Ortigia are.