Planning to go to Sicily? Then Syracuse certainly belongs to your list. Syracuse was once a very rich and influential city and you still notice that when you walk through the old centre of this beautiful city. Syracuse has been the largest and most important city in Greek antiquity for some time and for a long time it was also the capital of Sicily. The city lies partly on the small island of Ortygia, which can be reached by some bridges.
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Our stay here was Sleep in Syracuse. This is a great apartment in the middle of the city. Nice lady and she took more than half an hour to explain everything about the sights and where we needed to go. Everything can be reached within 15 minutes, which is nice because parking is a drama. You can also rent a bike anywhere in the city.
Useful: Sleep in Syracuse
Parco Archeologico Neapolis
The first day we were there we really played the tourist. We visited the Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime. You cannot go around this building. Kind of looks like a badminton shuttle. The residents say that the statue of Mary on top of August 29, 1953 left a tear and that lasted until September 1st. What does this mean? These tears speak of what they say of pain and tenderness, of consolation and divine mercy. We then continue walking to Parco Archeologico Neapolis. This is an archaeological park that includes a ruin of an ancient Greek theatre. Every 5 to 10 minutes, new tour buses arrive here so it is not quiet. Advice is to visit this in the morning.
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Ortygia
In fact, every night we moved ourselves to the island of Ortygia. Here you can find the historical centre of Syracuse. Many typical narrow streets with balconies and lots of laundry. A few “beaches” or yes, beach bars with beds and a ladder to entertain yourself in the sea. Not really a beach, but it does have its charm. They also have typical “Instagram” locations on Ortygia, as you can see more nowadays, an alley with coloured umbrellas. This street is nicely hidden and is called Via Mario Minniti. If you type this in on Google Maps, you will find it easily. What is also very nice are the “gardens” where you can walk freely. You have to see it as someone’s front yard but publicly. So at some spots there are signs with “A Garden is a friend”.
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Shopping
What you can also do well in the historic centre is shopping. Besides the more famous chains you will also find a lot of local shops here. With this you not only support the local entrepreneurs, but you also find traditional products and true Italian fashion.
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Food, food and more food
You cannot do it often enough in Sicily, eat! We ate one evening at the square Ipogeo di Piazzo Duomo. View of the cathedral and street artists that alternate with nice Italian songs. Spot cheap but delicious pastas and wines. The second evening we ate at Kantunera. This is on the outskirts of Ortygia. Slightly quieter and there are no tourists at this restaurant. Delicious local food straight out of the sea. Tip: eat the octopus!
Useful: Restaurant Kantunera
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There is something you have to pay attention to, in almost all of Sicily. They have a siesta from 2pm to 4pm. This means that many stores (yes, also the supermarket) are closed. They eat on the late side. You can often only have dinner from 7pm. They do have antipasti before that time. These are actually just tapas such as melon with Parma ham. We can continue to eat this indefinitely!
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