Siracusa tourist information

Siracusa is an ancient town on the sea, which was of immense importance as Greek Syracuse. It has a superb archaeological zone and a lovely historic centre on the island of Ortigia.

Siracusa (or Syracuse, as it is still often known in English) is a pleasant town, with plenty to occupy tourists for at least a couple of days. It's also a good base for seeing the south-eastern corner of Sicily, including the Baroque towns of Ragusa and Noto, several archaeological sites, and the lively city of Catania.

> Find a hotel or B&B in Siracusa

Travel to Siracusa

Siracusa is served by direct trains from Rome (a ten-and-a-half-hour journey). There are frequent trains from Catania (a couple of hours away), as well as a direct bus service from Catania Airport. From Palermo train travel is less easy; you will need to change at least once (usually at Messina), and the journey will take 6-7 hours. The railway station is located on Via Crispi, a twenty-minute walk from Ortigia.

The centre of town is easily visitable on foot - the island of Ortigia (English spelling is Ortygia) contains most of the sights, and is compact and pleasant for strolling. The archaeological area is about 25 minutes' walk away from the island. Siracusa is served by orange urban buses run by AST, whose bus station is just across the bridge into Ortygia, at Riva della Posta.

Siracusa tourist information

There is a tourist information office on Ortigia at Via Maestranza 33. Another office which covers the whole area is on Via San Sebastiano, near the archaeological museum. For more information on what there is to see and do in Siracusa, see our special Siracusa tourist attractions page.

On a budget

You don't need to spend a lot of money to stay in comfortable accommodation in Siracusa; the town's not a glitzy or expensive destination.

The town has plenty of fast-food options, as well as groceries where you can buy food to make picnics. Delicious sweet delicacies from one of the town's many pasticcerie will be cheaper and probably better than a dessert in a restaurant.

Siracusa restaurants

For friendly service and multi-lingual menus, you are spoiled for choice on Ortigia. Below are three places we tried; but why not explore and find your own favourites?

La Siciliana, Via Savoia: A good, local pizzeria, with a wide range of pizzas and a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. The small interior is lined with old photos of the town.

Archimede, Via Gemmellaro 8 (off Via Cavour): This trattoria-pizzeria is recommended by the guidebooks, and you can tell it from the clientele. There's not a huge amount of atmosphere but the food is good (fish is the speciality) and prices are reasonable.

Il Cenacolo, Via del Consiglio Reginale 9/10: This busy trattoria-pizzeria has an outdoor terrace and a cosy interior, and offers a wide range of pizzas and other dishes, including excellent risotto, sea food and couscous.

> Read on: Siracusa tourist attractions.