If you’re visiting eastern Sicily, make Ortigia part of your itinerary. It’s filled with history, a bustling market, and sunny, scenic views.
The island of Ortigia is just a little under one square kilometer but packed with plenty to see. It’s part of the city of Siracusa and considered Siracusa’s “Old Town.”
It’s south of Catania–home to Mount Etna and the Catania Airport–but north of the Baroque-style town of Noto.
In English, the names Ortigia (or-tee-ja) and Siracusa are Ortygia and Syracuse, but we’ll stick with the Italian names for these cities in our story.
A Little Ortigia History for Starters
Ortigia’s history traces back more than 3,000 years. The area was considered part of ancient Greece, and mathematician and inventor Archimedes was born there in 287 BCE–and subsequently died there helping to protect the city against Roman conquerors.
The name Ortigia comes from Greek–“ortyx” means quail in Greek.
The Romans conquered Siracusa in 212 BCE, and, like the rest of Sicily, the area went on to be conquered by Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and the Spanish.
A major earthquake affected the area in 1693 (we’ve written about it before in our stories about Noto and Val di Noto). As tragic as that was, the subsequent Baroque rebuild gave the area its current classic, historical look.
5 Things to Do in Ortigia, Sicily
There’s a lot you can do in Ortigia, and we share here our highlights from an early 2026 visit. This was before high tourist season, but it was a sunny, mild day with decent foot traffic.
We didn’t have a chance to explore other parts of Siracusa.
Note that I was traveling solo throughout the trip but I use “we” in the article just to avoid overusing “I”.
Andiamo/let’s go!
Ortigia Market/Mercato di Ortigia
In our home state of Florida, we visit and write about a lot of farmers markets. We also love to write about food because….well, do we need to explain why?!
So, it makes sense that the Ortigia Market (Mercato di Ortigia) was a big highlight of our visit to Ortigia. This outdoors market is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 or 2 p.m. and spans several blocks.
You’ll find a mix of tourist-geared items like olive oil, souvenirs, and sweet treats along with daily staples like fish, cheese, spices, and produce. It’s a market frequented by locals and visitors alike.
It was terrific to get a mini-culinary, self-guided tour of Sicily’s produce through the market, with fresh oranges, tomatoes from Pachino, strawberries, and other freshly-grown items. It’s funny how much the produce grown in Sicily parallels what’s grown where we live in Florida.
I’ve read how some markets in Sicily have an Arabic-type feel, with vendors singing to beckon visitors to their stands. There was at least one fish/seafood vendor who did this, and we have since seen videos of him on Instagram.
Right beside the market is the historical Graziella Fishermen District/Graziella Quartiere dei Pescatori. It once housed the fishermen who worked in the area. Today, the homes along its alleyways still are well-lived in.
Strolling around the district was another highlight of our Ortigia time and gave us a real sense of daily life as they cleaned, watched TV, or talked to each other. We could hear it all from outside their doors.
Just be respectful if you go. We saw an angry sign in Italian and English from a resident reminding visitors to pick up their “fithy rubbish” instead of letting it dirty their community.
Walk Along the Water
If you’d rather wander and see where it takes you, you can absolutely do that in Ortigia.
There’s a walking path that will take you somewhat consistently around the island, and you can admire the island’s homes, people, and the beauty of the Ionian Sea.
Ortigia also has steep stairs that will take you to crevice-like beach areas. There were some people enjoying the sun in those areas during our visit, which was a mild day for late February. The water was inviting, but it was too early in the year for beach-day vibes.
Cathedral of Siracusa/Duomo di Siracusa
The Duomo di Siracusa/Cathedral of Siracusa, located right in the heart of Ortigia, reflects Ortigia’s ancient Greek heritage as it was originally built as a Greek temple.
It now has a Baroque-style facade and is definitely worth of a visit when you’re in Ortigia.
The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site, just like the whole city of Ortigia.
Expect to pay 3 Euros to enter the cathedral.
Maniace Castle/Castello Maniace
Maniace Castle was a cool, unexpected place during our Ortigia visit.
We know that Europe has many castles, but we never thought much about seeing them while in Sicily.
Turns out, right at the tip of Ortigia and on the water, you’ll find Maniace Castle/Castello Maniace.
The early days of Castello Maniace began as a fort built by the Greeks in 1038. It then was expanded between 1232 and 1240 and was named for George Maniakes, a Byzantine general who took the city in 1038.
In Sicilian history, someone new was always taking over the region. You can see all of those influences in the architecture of Castello Maniace. Online sites describe it as “Swabian Gothic military architecture,” which reflects a type of Gothic architecture from the Swabia region of Germany. The Swabian dynasty ruled parts of southern Italy in the Middle Ages, hence this unique style.
Yet the castle also has clear Norman and Arabic styles as well, leaving us to feel like we were on an archaeological tour in the Middle East.
Our time in the castle, which is mostly outdoors, made for a good adventure walk and unique pictures.
Admission to Castello Maniace is 6 Euros; no cash accepted.
If you look up info online, don’t confuse Castello Maniace with Castello di Maniace, a manor house located near Mount Etna.
Here’s a short YouTube video posted by a visitor if you want a preview of what the castle looks like.
The Greek Ruins/Temple of Apollo
In Florida, you can’t exactly take a walk and say to someone, “Oh yeah, there are some Greek ruins over there.”
But you can say that when you’re in Ortigia.
The ruins date back to 6th century BCE, and they’re located in front of Piazza Piacali, not far from the market.
The area is fenced off but you can walk the perimeter around the fenced area to fully see the ruins. With the piazza nearby, you could also potentially sit on a bench and contemplate all of the history that’s there.
Plus, you can see more Greek ruins in the city of Siracusa, including the Greek theatre.
A One-Day Itinerary for Ortigia
Now that we’ve outlined some things you can enjoy in Ortigia, we’ll share what we did during our one-day visit.
After driving through Siracusa morning traffic, we easily found parking toward the right of the island. Some of the most stressful driving of our Sicily trip was in those few morning minutes in Siracusa because there were many cars. We drove in a circle about three times before finally feeling safe enough to make the turn onto the island.
Just like in the U.S., we paid for parking online using an app.
Next, we used our GPS to walk toward the market but stopped along the way for un cornetto e un succo d’aranchia (croissaint and orange juice), sitting outside in the sun and enjoying a view of nearby cats lounging on chairs.
Although the market was open, it was a little early, so we pivoted to check out the Greek ruins and then walk towards the water. This was a great way to get our bearings and see daily life. The water was gorgeous but being late February, we weren’t planning a swim. We also stopped by the cathedral.
Next we walked a kind of long way to Maniace Castle–see our earlier description. Then we made our way to the beloved market, enjoying many sights, smells, and tastes, including fresh strawberries.
We meandered between the market and the nearby historical Graziella district, always looking out for another picture to take.
That led us back to the market, which naturally made us hungry. The restaurants near the market were busy but also the easiest option. We sat down to people watch and ordered a caprese sandwich and an Italian soda and listened to the various customers speaking in English and Italian.
Here’s a summary of our Ortigia one-day itinerary, which you could follow exactly or mix up the order:
–Grab a small breakfast at a cafe.
–Walk toward the water for a scenic view, and make sure to stop by the Greek ruins/Temple of Apollo.
–Visit the cathedral.
–Visit Maniace Castle.
–Take your time wandering around the Ortigia Market and the Graziella Fishermen District
–Get some lunch.
A Few Tips for Your Visit to Ortigia, Sicily
—Consider using Ortigia or Siracusa as your base to explore southeastern Sicily. I stayed in Noto during the trip, and I don’t regret that. It was a great base town. Yet if you’re really keen on getting to know Ortigia/Siracusa, you could stay there instead and explore other nearby cities as you want.
Siracusa may be better for your stay than Ortigia if you’re renting a car or you want better hotel prices. After all, Ortigia is popular and quite small. Yet if you can find something that suits your budget, go for Ortigia.
As mentioned, you can do Ortigia in a day trip but if I had more time, I definitely could have turned Ortigia and Siracusa into a three-day exploration.
—Support the market vendors. Learning about market products is so interesting, and that applies in Italy as well. Even if your Italian is basic or nonexistent, do your best to chat up a couple of vendors and ask for a sample (they may already have samples available) or buy something.
Our market haul included strawberries, oregano that we’re still using, and a scarf for a family member.
—Wear comfortable shoes. We walked a lot around all of the towns, but we probably did the most walking in Ortigia. That included stairs at several points. Plus, exploring a castle that’s pretty much outdoors may be hard to do in rubber flip-flops.
—Don’t worry about Mount Etna’s rumbles. We’ve seen people on Sicily social media travel sites fret over their stay in Ortigia and how Mount Etna’s recent eruptions may affect them. Could they affect your flight into or out of Catania airport? Sure. But in terms of your time around Ortigia itself, no, as the two areas are more than 60 miles apart.
—Explore the restaurants. Although we had the perfunctory sandwich during our lunch, we didn’t get a chance to explore restaurants in Ortigia due to timing. Yet we hear there are lots of fabulous places to eat, so take your time to explore.
After all, you’re in Italy, AND you’re in Sicily.
Buon viaggio!
