Top Things to do in Syracuse
What to do and see in Syracuse, Sicily: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do
Once one of ancient Greece’s most important cities, today Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian) is a lively town of about 125,000 on Sicily’s southeast coast. The city overflows with amazing remnants from its long history. Romans, Vandals and Normans are but a few of those who ruled here after the Greeks. In Syracuse’s harbor, Ortygia Island (also called Città Vecchia or Old City) is the site of many of the main attractions, including the seventh-century cathedral and the Fountain of Arethusa.
Restaurants in Syracuse
1. Chiesa di San Filippo Apostolo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 246 reviews
Reviewed By mendip_7 - Axbridge, United Kingdom
We walked past this church one day and spotted a notice (in Italian) saying they do guided tours of the underground levels. went along the next day, and were really impressed. It's free (just leave a donation) and you see 3 levels including a Jewish Mikvah at the bottom. Fascinating if you like subterranean sights (Or sites..).
2. La Piazza Duomo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 985 reviews
Reviewed By O9598WGtonyl
This is a spectacular wide open piazza with lots happening, we were lucky it was Epiphany and they had drummers and flag twirlers in the square, The surrounding buildings especially the Duomo are breathtaking. Sometimes quiet often busy you can sit and drink a coffee and watch the world go by.
3. Chiesa di San Giovanni Alle Catacombe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 790 reviews
Descend into this maze of eerie tunnels niched with early Christian tombs hidden beneath the roofless, flower-filled ruins of a Norman church.
Reviewed By sad_its_over - Croydon, United Kingdom
You have to go on a tour but the tour was really good. The catacombes go on for a long way and it is interesting to hear their history.
4. Ortigia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,488 reviews
This offshore island was occupied by the Greek colonists who fortified it and constructed the earliest structures, including the temples of Athena and Apollo, whose remains can still be seen today.
Reviewed By pedrol366 - Madrid, Spain
This is a really beautiful island next to Siracusa (you can access it by car) with really beautiful streets, a magnificent Piazza del Duomo with beautiful buildings and where you can enjoy Sicilian gastronomy. Its streets are full of wonderful corners, shops and restaurantes... it is worth a visit if you are in the eastern part of Sicily
5. Museo del Papiro "Corrado Basile"
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 170 reviews
Reviewed By RodBush - Barwon Heads, Australia
This sounds a fairly banal reason to have a museum but it was really enjoyable and informative museum. It detailed the history, production and use of papyrus over the generations as well as efforts to redevelop the skills used to make papyrus sheets. Great displays, excellent video presentation and in a lovely building.
6. Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio di Dionisio)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,107 reviews
Reviewed By venedom - Hallandale Beach, United States
Visit the amphitheater which is unbelievable and step into Dionysius Ear, a natural cave with a natural echo. If one of the guides sing is beatiful
7. L'Angolo del Papiro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 152 reviews
8. Puppet Theatre - Siracusa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 391 reviews
Reviewed By veronica59
If you're on holiday in Sicily, especially the Syracuse area, the "Opera dei Pupi" of Ortigia is not to be missed. For over a hundred years the same puppeteer family have been making their beautiful puppets (over 2 feet high), producing fascinating marionette plays which adapt medieval legends from Charlemagne to Crusaders, enacting battles between Saracens and Christians, giants and dragons, fair maidens and chivalrous knights. The magical charm of these plays is mesmerising. Though in Italian with some Sicilian dialect, the plays can be understood clearly by the action and are suitable for any age, including young children who will be swept into the fantastical kingdoms of long ago. (Each play is less than an hour long.) The adjoining puppet museum is also well worth visiting, a treasure-trove of beautiful workmanship and historical tradition.
9. Riserva Naturale Orientata Cavagrande del Cassibile
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 821 reviews
Reviewed By Timthetravelled - Brighton, United Kingdom
It was due to be a very hot day so we decided to get up early and go out. As it happened we slept in and so when I and 2 teenage boys got tot the gorge it was about 1ish and 42 degrees. Not the best timing but the walk down so fine if very hot. The entrance gate is locked and so someone has put out some milk crate steps to help you climb over the fence. Uneven steps and a bit slippy in places. At the bottom (20 mins later quick walk) is a river and various pools to leapt in to. The water is cool but not icy and the area is absolutely beautiful. We messed about until about 4 when we thought the walk up would be OK. I consider myself to relatively fit and go to the gym at least once or twice a week. The walk up is hard. Probably a bit of overheating and possible dehydration although we had several litres of water between us but it was not easy at all. We needed several stops to get the heart rate down to sensible levels. Don't be put off as this is a great place. Don't be an idiot and go at 1 on the hottest day for a fortnight like I did Early morning probably best and I would recommend it.
10. Tecnoparco Museo di Archimede
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 516 reviews
Archimedes Museum with display of reproductions of the most famous machines and ideas of the great archimedes mathematician. Inside the museum park there is an area dedicated to virtual reality. The museum's path is open-air
Reviewed By jessicafE4140FZ
Our 5 year old just loved the guided help to try the machines. Lucia, the guide, was great and patient and soon understood what a small boy would enjoy most about the machines and principles. They give you a digital tablet to take around which explains everything in many languages, but the guides made something that could have been quite academic into something really fun. Our boy said that he would really miss Lucia and she was really great.
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