Hotels near Syracuse and Ortigia

Syracuse was, in Cicero's words, the largest and most beautiful Greek city in the Mediterranean - and the archaeological park together with the offshore island of Ortigia have formed a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. The Parco Archeologico della Neapolis on the modern town's north side holds the 5th-century BC Greek theatre, still used for the annual classical drama festival in May and June, plus the Roman amphitheatre and the dramatic limestone quarry known as the Ear of Dionysius.

Ortigia, the historic island linked by two short bridges, is where you actually spend evenings. The Piazza del Duomo is built around a 7th-century cathedral that incorporates the standing Doric columns of a Greek Temple of Athena. The Fonte Aretusa freshwater spring on the western shore is a working papyrus marsh in central Italy. Combined Neapolis and Paolo Orsi Museum tickets cost 17 EUR. The Mercato di Ortigia (closed Sundays) is the best fish and produce market in eastern Sicily.

Pro Tip: Buy the Neapolis park plus Paolo Orsi Museum combined ticket and use it across two days - the museum is overwhelming after a hot morning at the Greek theatre and quarry. Stay in Ortigia rather than the modern town; B&Bs around Via della Maestranza put you 5 minutes from the cathedral, the market, and aperitivo on the seafront.