Ortigia is a small island just off the coast of Syracuse, measuring roughly one kilometre by 500 metres, connected to the mainland by two short bridges. It contains, within that modest perimeter, the ruins of two ancient Greek temples, a cathedral built inside a temple of Athena with the original Doric columns still visible in the walls, the freshwater spring where a mythological nymph once took refuge from a river god, what is thought to be the oldest Jewish ritual bath in Europe, a 13th-century castle at the island’s southern tip, one of the finest baroque squares in Italy, and a daily fish market that has been operating on more or less the same site since antiquity.
This concentration of history, mythology, architecture and daily life in so small a space is what gives Ortigia its particular character. The island is not a museum people live here, children play in the piazzas, the bars and restaurants are full of locals as well as visitors, the market vendors are selling the same catches and the same vegetables they have always sold. Walking Ortigia is walking through 2,700 years of continuous human habitation, all of it still in use.
In this guide
- Temple of Apollo the entrance to the island
- The Ortigia market
- The Cathedral a Greek temple inside a baroque church
- Fonte Aretusa the freshwater spring and the myth
- Castello Maniace
- The Giudecca the Jewish quarter and the mikveh
- Walking Ortigia the best streets and viewpoints
- What to eat in Ortigia
- Guided tours and boat trips
- Practical information
- Frequently asked questions
Ortigia quick facts
- What it is: The historic island old town of Syracuse (Siracusa), southeastern Sicily
- Size: Approximately 1 km long by 500 m wide entirely walkable
- UNESCO status: Part of “Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica” (2005)
- From Catania: 60 km, approximately 1 hour by car or bus
- From Noto: 30 km, approximately 35 minutes by car
- Cars: No-drive zone park outside and walk in
- How many days: 1 full day for Ortigia alone; 2 nights to include the Neapolis archaeological park and day trips
- Best time: Late afternoon and evening the island comes alive at aperitivo hour
Temple of Apollo the entrance to the island
The first thing you encounter when you cross the bridge from the mainland into Ortigia is the Temple of Apollo, the ruins of which occupy a public square just inside the island entrance. Built around 580 BC, it is one of the oldest Doric temples in Sicily and one of the oldest stone temples in the Greek world its construction marked a transition from the timber temples of the earlier Greek period to the stone architecture that would characterise the next three centuries of Sicilian building.
What remains of the Temple of Apollo is far less than what remains of the temples at Agrigento or Segesta: two columns of the original peristyle, sections of the outer wall and fragments of the platform on which the building stood. The incompleteness is partly explained by the building’s extraordinary subsequent history: it was converted into a Byzantine church, then into a mosque under Arab rule, then back into a church by the Normans, then into a Spanish barracks in the 16th century before being finally uncovered and stabilised in the late 19th century. Each conversion required structural modifications that removed or altered the original fabric. What the Temple of Apollo offers, despite its fragmentary state, is a direct physical connection to the earliest moment of Greek settlement on Ortigia the moment when Greek colonists from Corinth arrived on this island in 734 BC and began to build a city that would grow into one of the greatest powers in the ancient Mediterranean.
The Ortigia market
Just beyond the Temple of Apollo, in the streets running north of Largo XXV Luglio, the Mercato di Ortigia operates on weekday mornings with a density and a vitality that are among the finest market experiences in Sicily. The fish section, spread across the street around the old fountain, is extraordinary: swordfish in large sections, sea urchins in open trays, tuna steaks, red shrimp from Mazara del Vallo, octopus, cuttlefish, anchovies and sardines, all sold by vendors who know their catch and will tell you about it at length if you show interest. Adjacent stalls sell the vegetables, herbs, cheeses and preserved products of the southeastern Sicilian countryside: sun-dried tomatoes, capers from Pantelleria, Avola almonds, ricotta di pecora, and the full range of Sicilian citrus in season.
The market is at its busiest and freshest between 8am and noon on weekdays. Saturday morning is excellent; Sunday the market is closed. The cheese and food stall of Caseificio Borderi, which operates from within the market, is consistently cited as one of the finest food stops in Ortigia: their sandwiches, made from local bread and filled with fresh ricotta, salumi and whatever is at its best that morning, are worth a short queue.
The Cathedral a Greek temple inside a baroque church
The Cattedrale di Siracusa on Piazza del Duomo is one of the most architecturally complex and historically layered buildings in Sicily. What appears from the piazza to be a handsome baroque facade (rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake) conceals, inside, the virtually intact structure of a Greek temple dedicated to Athena built in the 5th century BC. The Doric columns of that temple 34 of them, originally are still standing, incorporated into the walls of the Christian church that was built around them in the 7th century AD by the Byzantine bishop Zosimus. You can see the columns clearly from inside the cathedral, projecting into the nave from the side walls, their fluted shafts and swelling entasis as precisely worked as they were 2,500 years ago.
The story of the building encapsulates the layered history of Ortigia in a single structure. The Greek temple was built to house a golden statue of Athena, visible from approaching ships as a navigational landmark. The Romans looted the temple’s contents, including a celebrated ivory and gold doors, described in detail by Cicero in his prosecution of the Sicilian governor Verres for corruption. The Byzantines converted the shell into a church. The Arabs converted the church into a mosque. The Normans converted the mosque back into a church. The 1693 earthquake brought down the original Norman facade, which was rebuilt in the baroque style now visible on the piazza. What connects all of these layers is the Greek colonnade underneath, which every subsequent occupant found too substantial and too impressive to demolish.
The interior of the cathedral contains several notable works. The chapel of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of Syracuse, holds a silver reliquary bust of the saint. The adjacent church of Santa Lucia alla Badia, on the south side of Piazza del Duomo, contains Caravaggio’s painting The Burial of Saint Lucy (1608), painted during the artist’s time in Syracuse and one of the most dramatically lit works of his late period. Entry to see the Caravaggio costs approximately €2 and is worth every cent.
Piazza del Duomo itself is consistently cited as one of the most beautiful squares in Italy. Lined on all sides with baroque buildings, animated by outdoor cafes and the particular quality of the Sicilian light on honey-coloured stone, it is most beautiful in the late afternoon when the day-trippers have thinned and the residents emerge for the evening.
Fonte Aretusa the freshwater spring and the myth
On the western waterfront of Ortigia, a few minutes’ walk south from Piazza del Duomo, the Fonte Aretusa is a freshwater spring that flows from the rock of the island just metres from the salt water of the Ionian Sea. Its existence a natural phenomenon where underground freshwater reaches the surface at sea level was so improbable to the ancient Greeks who first settled on Ortigia that they explained it with one of the most beautiful myths in the Syracusan tradition.
Arethusa was a nymph, attendant of the goddess Artemis, who came to bathe in a river after a hunt. The river was the home of the god Alpheus, who fell in love with her and pursued her. Arethusa fled, calling to Artemis for help, and the goddess transformed her into a freshwater spring. But Alpheus, also a river god, transformed himself into an underground river and followed her beneath the sea, mingling his waters with hers. The myth explains why the spring water at Fonte Aretusa is sometimes tinged with salt when the sea is high.
The spring today is a small pool of still water surrounded by papyrus plants one of only two places in Europe where papyrus grows wild in its natural state, a living relic of the African connections that have always shaped the culture of southeastern Sicily. White ducks paddle on the surface. The sea is visible just across the promenade wall. In the mornings before the tourist boats and the gelato vendors arrive, it is one of the most quietly beautiful spots in Syracuse.
Castello Maniace
At the very southern tip of Ortigia, projecting into the sea on a rocky promontory, the Castello Maniace was built in the early 13th century by the Emperor Frederick II, one of the most intellectually extraordinary rulers of medieval Europe. Frederick built fortresses across his Sicilian kingdom as expressions of royal power and as genuine defensive installations the Castello Maniace, named after the Byzantine general George Maniakes who had used the same promontory as a fortress in the 11th century, was designed to control the harbour entrance and to announce the military reality of Norman-Hohenstaufen power to any approaching ship.
The castle was damaged by an explosion of the gunpowder magazine in 1704, rebuilt in the 18th century, used as a prison, later as a military installation, and finally opened to the public after restoration in 2003. The interior exhibition covers the building’s history and displays some of the stone sculpture and architectural fragments found during restoration. The castle costs approximately €4 to enter. The views from the southern terrace, looking back north over the full length of Ortigia and across both harbours of ancient Syracuse, are among the finest on the island the natural geographic advantages that made Ortigia the founding nucleus of one of the greatest cities of antiquity are immediately legible from this vantage point.
The castle closes in the early afternoon check current hours before visiting and prioritise it in the morning.
The Giudecca the Jewish quarter and the mikveh
The Giudecca, the Jewish quarter of Ortigia, occupies the eastern side of the island in a labyrinth of narrow alleys and small squares whose street plan has remained largely unchanged since the Middle Ages. At its height, before the Spanish expulsion of 1492, the Jewish community of Ortigia numbered approximately 5,000 people one quarter of the island’s total population and maintained 12 synagogues. The community contributed significantly to the economic and intellectual life of medieval Syracuse, and its sudden removal left a gap in the city’s culture that was felt for generations.
Beneath what is now a boutique hotel on Via Alagona, excavated by accident during construction work in 1989, lies the Bagno Ebraico the ancient mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, that is thought to be the oldest surviving in Europe and possibly the oldest in the world. Built approximately in the 6th century BC and continuously used for almost two thousand years until the expulsion of 1492, the mikveh was deliberately hidden by the departing Jewish community to protect it from destruction: the entrance was sealed with rubble and the courtyard above it was paved over, concealing the entire structure beneath the ground for five centuries.
The discovery in 1989 revealed a 48-step staircase descending 18 metres into the rock, leading to a large vaulted chamber supported by stone pillars, with five ritual pools fed by a natural freshwater spring that flows beneath Ortigia. The walls still bear chisel marks made by the workers who carved the chamber from the bedrock. The mikveh is now open for guided visits and takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes. It is one of the most extraordinary and least visited monuments in southeastern Sicily an encounter with a space that was hidden from the world for five centuries and that carries the weight of that concealment in every dark, cool room.
Walking Ortigia the best streets and viewpoints
Ortigia is small enough that any walk through the island will eventually cover most of it, but some routes and specific spots are worth knowing about.
Via della Maestranza, running east-west through the centre of the island, is the finest secular street in Ortigia: a sequence of baroque and medieval palaces, their facades alternating between the warm limestone of the post-earthquake reconstruction and the darker stone of the Norman period, with the occasional carved portal or wrought-iron balcony providing detail at eye level. It is quieter than the tourist circuit around the Duomo and gives a more accurate sense of the island as a lived place.
Via Cavour, the main pedestrian shopping and eating street, connects the market area near the Temple of Apollo to Piazza Archimede, the central square of the island named after the mathematician and engineer born in Syracuse around 287 BC. The 1907 fountain in the square depicts the myth of Diana and the nymph Arethusa in carved marble. Piazza Archimede is the social centre of Ortigia more local, more animated and more genuinely Syracusan in character than the more photographed Piazza del Duomo.
The western waterfront promenade, running south from the Fonte Aretusa to the Castello Maniace, is the finest walk on the island in the late afternoon: the sun sets over the harbour to the west, the light falls on the limestone buildings of the waterfront, the café tables fill with locals for the aperitivo hour, and the full sweep of the harbour and the Sicilian coast stretches beyond. This is the view that makes visitors understand why the Greeks chose this island as the founding nucleus of their greatest western colony.
The eastern waterfront, accessible from the alleys of the Giudecca, is rockier, less frequented and considerably more atmospheric crumbling baroque palaces give directly onto the sea, fishing boats are moored at small concrete jetties, and the light on the Ionian coast to the east is different in quality from the harbour light to the west: harder, more direct, more distinctly Mediterranean. Several rocky platforms and small swimming spots are accessible from the eastern shore.
What to eat in Ortigia
Ortigia eats extraordinarily well. The combination of the morning fish market, the agricultural abundance of the southeastern Sicilian countryside, and the deep tradition of Syracusan cooking produces a food culture that is among the finest in the Val di Noto region.
Sea urchin (ricci di mare) from the rocky coasts around the island is the signature raw material of Ortigia’s finest restaurants between November and April: eaten from the shell with bread and lemon at the market, or in pasta at the better trattorie, the briny, oceanic intensity of Sicilian sea urchin is a flavour with no equivalent in northern European or North American food culture. If you are visiting between November and April, do not leave without eating sea urchin.
Granita and brioche at any of the bars around Piazza Archimede or along Via Cavour makes the finest breakfast in Ortigia. The lemon granita here, made from Siracusa lemons grown in the coastal groves south of the city, has a sharpness and a freshness that the airport-bought version cannot approach.
The market sandwiches at Caseificio Borderi are non-negotiable for anyone arriving at the market in the morning. The combination of fresh ricotta, local vegetables and good bread assembled on the spot is one of the finest quick meals in Sicily.
For dinner, the restaurant scene on and around Piazza del Duomo is excellent but prices are pitched to the tourist trade. The side streets of the Giudecca and the alleys of Via della Maestranza have smaller, less designed establishments serving the Syracusan kitchen at more honest prices. Look for handwritten menus, the presence of locals at the tables and the absence of photographs on the wall.
Guided tours and boat trips
Ortigia rewards guided visits considerably the mikveh requires a guide to enter, the Cathedral’s architectural layers are far more legible with expert commentary, and the mythology of the Fonte Aretusa is considerably richer when told by someone who knows both the Greek sources and the Syracusan oral tradition.
Ortigia private walking tour with local guide
A guided walk through the historic island covering the Temple of Apollo, the Cathedral, Fonte Aretusa, the Giudecca and the Jewish mikveh, with food and wine tasting. Available in English, 2 hours, small groups.
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One of the finest ways to experience Ortigia is from the water. Boat tours of the island circumnavigate the full perimeter, passing the sea caves and grottos on the eastern shore, including a heart-shaped sea cave near Castello Maniace that is accessible only by boat, and providing views of the island’s waterfront facades from a perspective entirely different from the land-based experience.
Ortigia boat tour sea caves, swimming and sunset
A sailing or motorboat tour around the island of Ortigia, entering the sea grottos near Castello Maniace, swimming in the turquoise water, and watching the sunset from the water with a glass of prosecco. One of the top-rated experiences in Syracuse.
👉SEE THE BEST Ortigia boat tour HERE
Ortigia street food tour
A guided food walk through the Ortigia market and the side streets of the island, tasting the street food, cheeses, preserved fish and sweets of the Syracusan tradition with a local guide who knows where to go.
👉 SEE THE BEST Ortigia street food tour HERE
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Practical information for visiting Ortigia
How to get there
From Catania, the drive takes approximately 1 hour via the A18 motorway (60 km). Direct bus services with Interbus run from Catania airport and Catania Centrale to Syracuse bus terminal, taking approximately 55 minutes and costing around €7. Trains from Catania Centrale reach Siracusa station in just over 1 hour and run several times daily. From Noto, approximately 35 minutes by car (30 km) or 30 minutes by bus.
Parking and getting around
Ortigia is a no-drive zone. Park at the Parcheggio Talete garage at the northern entrance to the island (near the Temple of Apollo) and explore entirely on foot. The island is 1 km by 500 metres and every monument is within 15 minutes’ walk of the parking garage. Tuk-tuks (ape calessino) operate in the island for those who prefer a guided ride rather than walking.
How many days
One full day covers the main monuments of Ortigia at a thorough pace. Two nights is the ideal length: the first day for Ortigia itself, the second day for the Neapolis Archaeological Park on the mainland (the Greek theatre, the Roman amphitheatre, the Ear of Dionysius), with time for a day trip to Noto. Read our complete guides to things to do in Syracuse and things to do in Noto for planning this circuit. The Sicily road trip guide covers how to position Syracuse in a broader island circuit.
Best time of day
The market is at its best between 8am and noon. The Cathedral and Caravaggio painting are best visited mid-morning before queues build. The afternoon is ideal for Castello Maniace (which closes early), the Giudecca and the mikveh. The western promenade and Piazza del Duomo are most beautiful from 5pm onwards, when the afternoon light falls on the baroque facades and the aperitivo hour begins. The island at night, after the restaurants fill and the piazzas light up, is a completely different and equally beautiful experience.
Frequently asked questions about Ortigia
What is Ortigia?
Ortigia (also spelled Ortygia) is the historic island old town of Syracuse (Siracusa), connected to the mainland by two short bridges. It is the founding nucleus of the ancient Greek city of Syracuse, established by Corinthian colonists in 734 BC, and contains a continuous 2,700-year accumulation of architecture, from the oldest Doric temple in Sicily to baroque palaces rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the “Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica” designation.
Is Ortigia worth visiting?
Yes, without qualification. Ortigia is one of the most beautiful and most historically dense small islands in the Mediterranean the Cathedral alone (a Greek temple of Athena, later a Byzantine church, mosque, Norman church and baroque cathedral) is extraordinary, and the mikveh beneath the Giudecca is one of the most moving archaeological experiences in Sicily. The combination of ancient history, baroque architecture, outstanding food and the particular quality of the Ionian light makes Ortigia one of the genuinely unmissable destinations in southeastern Sicily.
How long do you need in Ortigia?
One full day is enough to see the main monuments at a thorough pace. Two nights is ideal, using Ortigia as a base for the Neapolis Archaeological Park and day trips to Noto, Modica or the Vendicari nature reserve beaches.
What is the mikveh in Ortigia?
The Bagno Ebraico (Jewish Bath) beneath Via Alagona is an ancient mikveh a Jewish ritual purification bath thought to be the oldest surviving in Europe. Built approximately in the 6th century BC and used continuously for almost 2,000 years until the Spanish expulsion of the Jewish community in 1492, it was deliberately hidden and sealed at the time of the expulsion and rediscovered by accident during construction work in 1989. The mikveh descends 18 metres into the rock through a 48-step staircase and contains five ritual pools fed by a natural freshwater spring. It is open for guided visits.
What is the Fonte Aretusa?
The Fonte Aretusa is a natural freshwater spring that emerges from the rock of Ortigia metres from the salt water of the Ionian Sea. Its improbable existence was explained in antiquity by the myth of the nymph Arethusa, who was transformed into the spring by the goddess Artemis to protect her from the pursuit of the river god Alpheus. The spring is surrounded by papyrus plants one of only two places in Europe where papyrus grows in its natural state. It is freely accessible on the western waterfront promenade.
The most layered island in Sicily
Ortigia holds more history per square metre than almost anywhere else in the Mediterranean. Greek temple, Byzantine church, Arab mosque, Norman cathedral, baroque piazza all in the same building, on the same island, still in daily use. Walking through it is not an exercise in nostalgia for a vanished world. It is an encounter with a city that has been continuously inhabited since the 8th century BC and that carries all of that time lightly, as something ordinary rather than exceptional.
For help planning the rest of your southeastern Sicily circuit, read our guides to things to do in Syracuse, Noto, Ragusa and Agrigento. For the full island, read our Sicily 7-day itinerary and our Sicily road trip guide.
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