Where to Stay in Syracuse? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay

Syracuse was once one of the largest cities in the Greek world, and today you get ancient ruins, baroque palazzi and crystal-clear water for swimming all in one city. If you’re wondering where to stay in Syracuse, it helps to know the layout: the Old Town sits on the small island of Ortigia, linked to the mainland by two short bridges, while the large Neapolis archaeological park lies a couple of kilometres further into the city.

Planning a last minute trip to Sicily? 🇮🇹
Here are some of my favourite places to stay & things to do:

🛌 Places to Stay:
1. San Domenico Palace (one of the best hotels in Europe, known from the White Lotus show)
2. Blue Bay (hidden gem hotel in Cefalu)
3. Palazzo Artemide (surprisingly affordable hotel in the heart of stunning Syracuse)

🎟️ Top Activities & Tours:
1. You need to take a boat tour and experience the beautiful sea around Sicily
2. Take a volcano tour to Mount Etna for a truly unique experience
3. Go on a day trip to the Valley of the Temples
🚘 If you want to rent a car, I recommend getting an overview on this website.

That’s why your choice of area matters so much. On Ortigia you can walk everywhere, but if you have a car, you’ll need to deal with the restricted traffic zone and parking. Here are my six suggestions for where to stay in Syracuse, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Syracuse: The Best Areas

• Ortigia - best area for first-time visitors
• Umbertino by the bridges - best area for drivers and arriving by bus
• Borgata Santa Lucia - best area for local atmosphere and good prices
• Neapolis by the archaeological park - best area for history lovers
• The beaches south of the city - best area for a beach holiday
• The countryside towards Noto - best area for road trips and a pool

Ortigia, Umbertino and Borgata sit side by side, so you can do most things on foot there, while Neapolis is about a 20-minute walk from the bridges. For the beaches and the countryside towards Noto, you’ll need a car. Below I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, and in July and August they’re quite a bit higher.

1. Ortigia - best area for first-time visitors 🏛️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the Old Town. The island is about a kilometre long, and from Piazza Duomo it’s a five to ten-minute walk to either end.
• 🚶 Transport: You walk everywhere. The bus terminal and the railway station are on the mainland, roughly a 20 to 30-minute walk from Piazza Duomo, so take a taxi if you have a heavy suitcase.
• ✈️ Time from Catania Airport: About 70 minutes on Interbus to Corso Umberto followed by a 15-minute walk over the bridge, or about an hour by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below ranged from about 87 to 757 euros (around £75 to £635) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and busy with people until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds at the market and on Piazza Duomo.

Ortigia is Syracuse’s Old Town, and the city has stood here ever since the Greeks founded it in the 8th century BC. You can see it everywhere. At the entrance to the island stand the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, and the cathedral on Piazza Duomo is built into a Greek temple to Athena, so the old Doric columns still stand in the church walls. Together with Neapolis, Ortigia is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica.

By the water on the west side is the Fonte Aretusa spring, where papyrus grows in a pool right next to the sea, and at the southern tip of the island stands the Castello Maniace fortress. In the mornings there’s a market in the streets by the Temple of Apollo selling fish, fruit and cheese, and in the evenings the restaurants fill the little squares. If you’d like to see the island from the water, you can take a boat trip around Ortigia and into the sea caves from around 20 euros (around £17).

See hotels on Ortigia here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Syracuse, or if you only have two or three nights. You can step out of the door in the morning before the day-trippers arrive, swim from the rocks along the island’s coast in summer and walk home from dinner without thinking about buses or taxis.

The downside is the car. Ortigia is a restricted traffic zone, a ZTL, with cameras at the bridges, and the rules on when and who may drive in change regularly. If you drive in without a permit, the fine arrives via the hire company months later. So ask your hotel before you arrive whether it can register your number plate. Otherwise you can park in the Talete car park at the entrance to the island or on the large Molo Sant’Antonio car park by the bridges, where 24 hours costs around 15 euros (around £13), according to guests. Bear in mind too that many B&Bs are in old buildings without a lift.

Hotels on Ortigia

Grand Hotel Des Etrangers - five-star hotel with a spa and pool by Fonte Aretusa

Grand Hotel Des Etrangers is on Passeggio Adorno right by Fonte Aretusa and is an official five-star hotel with a spa, a restaurant and an outdoor pool with a view, which is open in season. It scores 9.1 and is the most expensive hotel in this guide. Breakfast isn’t always included in the price, valet parking costs 50 euros (around £40) a day, and one guest felt the spa didn’t live up to the rest of the hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about our stay was absolutely perfect.”

See photos and book Grand Hotel Des Etrangers here.

Aretusa Vacanze B&B - highly rated B&B with a lift and breakfast

Aretusa Vacanze is on a small side street in the southern part of Ortigia, a few minutes from both Fonte Aretusa and Castello Maniace. It’s a B&B with a lift, soundproofed rooms and breakfast included, and with a score of 9.5 from over 1,200 reviews it’s one of the best-rated places on the island. Parking costs 15 euros (around £13) a day, and one guest thought the room was a little small for the price.

From one review: “Very welcoming hosts, excellent breakfast, we loved our stay.”

See photos and book Aretusa Vacanze B&B here.

Camere A’ Marina - small guesthouse with a shared kitchen near Fonte Aretusa

Camere A’ Marina is on Via delle Carceri Vecchie on the west side of Ortigia, a couple of minutes from Fonte Aretusa and the waterfront. It’s a small guesthouse with a shared kitchen and a score of 9.3, and it was the cheapest of my three picks on the island when I searched. There’s no lift, breakfast isn’t included, and one guest heard noise from a water pump in the attic.

One guest highlights: “Perfect location, lovely view and a wonderful host, Laura.”

See photos and book Camere A’ Marina here.

2. Umbertino by the bridges - best area for drivers and arriving by bus 🚌

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay on the mainland directly opposite Ortigia. From the bridges, it’s a five-minute walk to the Temple of Apollo and around a quarter of an hour to Piazza Duomo.
• 🚌 Transport: The bus from Catania Airport terminates on Corso Umberto, and the railway station is just a few minutes away. The large Molo Sant’Antonio car park is by Porto Grande, right next to the bridges.
• ✈️ Time from Catania Airport: Around 70 minutes with Interbus, which stops in the middle of the neighbourhood, or about an hour by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €84 to €378 (around £70 to £315) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but quieter in the evening than Ortigia. Don’t give money to people offering to help you in the car parks; pay at the machine or with an app instead.

Umbertino is the neighbourhood on the mainland directly opposite Ortigia, built in the late 19th century around Corso Umberto I, which is named after King Umberto I. The street runs from the Ponte Umbertino bridge towards Foro Siracusano, a large square with the remains of the city’s ancient forum, and the railway station is just a few minutes from there. Yachts and fishing boats line Porto Grande, and small boats are moored close together in the channel between the mainland and Ortigia.

It isn’t the most romantic part of town, but it is the most practical. The bus from the airport terminates on Corso Umberto, and if you need help with the journey, you can read my guide to getting from Catania Airport to the city and your hotel. You’ll find the timetable on the website of the bus company Interbus, and you can check trains towards Catania and Taormina with Trenitalia.

See hotels in Umbertino here.

I’d stay here if you’re arriving by car and want to be close to Ortigia. Several hotels have their own parking or valet service, and from the Molo Sant’Antonio car park you can walk across to Ortigia in five minutes. It’s also a good choice if you’re travelling on by train, and if you’d like to see more of the country by rail, I’ve written about trains in Italy.

The downside is that the streets are busier and less charming than on Ortigia, and there isn’t much going on along Corso Umberto in the evening. You’ll need to cross the bridge to find the good restaurants, but that only takes five to ten minutes. Choose a room away from the road if you’re a light sleeper, as the traffic by the harbour and on Corso Umberto starts early.

Hotels in Umbertino

Caportigia Boutique Hotel - five-star hotel five minutes from the bridge

Caportigia is on Viale Montedoro in Umbertino, about a five-minute walk from the bridges to Ortigia. It’s an officially five-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, sun terrace and valet parking, and the breakfast buffet is included in the price. It scores 8.7 from almost 700 reviews, although one guest missed having shelf space in the bathroom and felt the mirror was hung too high.

One guest writes: “The staff were excellent, polite, friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating.”

See photos and book Caportigia Boutique Hotel here.

Fortaleza Charme House - apartments right by the bridge with private parking

Fortaleza Charme House is on Via Eritrea near the harbour, about a four-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s an aparthotel with a lift and a score of 9.7 from almost 600 reviews, and private parking costs €25 (around £20) per night but must be booked in advance. Breakfast isn’t included, but there’s a coffee machine and kettle in the room, and one guest could hear noise from the neighbouring room.

From one review: “Fantastic location just across the bridge from Ortigia.”

See photos and book Fortaleza Charme House here.

B&B Nike - affordable rooms in an apartment near the harbour

B&B Nike is on Via Malta, a side street off Corso Umberto, about a five-minute walk from Ortigia. It offers rooms in a large apartment with a score of 8.5, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the neighbourhood when I searched. Breakfast isn’t served, and one guest found it hard to find a space on the street, but mentions that a large car park nearby costs €15 (around £13) for 24 hours.

One guest says: “Lovely rooms in a beautiful apartment.”

See photos and book B&B Nike here.

3. Borgata Santa Lucia - best area for local atmosphere and good prices 🐟

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying north of Umbertino, out by the sea. From Piazza Santa Lucia it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk to the bridge over to Ortigia and around 20 minutes to Piazza Duomo.
• 🚶 Transport: You walk into Ortigia along the waterfront. It’s easier to find a space on the street than in Umbertino, and several B&Bs have free parking.
• ✈️ Time from Catania Airport: Around 70 minutes on the Interbus to Corso Umberto, followed by a 15-minute walk or a short taxi ride, or about an hour by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly 85 to 392 euros (around £70 to £330) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. It’s an ordinary residential area, and some of the side streets are quiet and dark in the evening.

Borgata Santa Lucia is the old working-class and fishing quarter north of Umbertino. At its heart is the large Piazza Santa Lucia with trees and benches and the Basilica di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro. According to tradition, the city’s patron saint, Santa Lucia, was buried here, and there are catacombs beneath the church. Caravaggio painted his picture of her burial for this very church, and on 13 December her silver statue is carried in procession from the cathedral on Ortigia out to the square.

The Riviera Dionisio il Grande promenade runs along the sea with views across the bay, and at its southern end is the small harbour of Porto Piccolo with its fishing boats. The area has bakeries, small supermarkets and trattorias where the locals eat, and prices are lower than across the bridge. Further north lies the old quarry of Latomia dei Cappuccini, where the Greeks extracted stone for the city.

See hotels in Borgata here.

I’d stay here if you’re staying four nights or more, arriving by car and would like a bit more space for your money. Several B&Bs have free parking, and you can walk into Ortigia in 15 minutes along the water. In the evening you can eat on Ortigia and walk home, or stay in the neighbourhood, where the atmosphere is more local.

The downside is that Borgata is an ordinary residential area without any major sights, and some of the buildings and streets are a bit run-down. It’s about 20 minutes to Piazza Duomo, so if you walk back and forth several times a day, you’ll feel it in your legs in summer. At many places breakfast is a voucher for a nearby bar, so check what’s included in the price.

Hotels in Borgata

Re Dionisio Luxury Suites - suites with a spa on the seafront promenade

Re Dionisio is on Riviera Dionisio il Grande, the seafront promenade in Borgata, around a 15-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s a guesthouse with suites, a spa with sauna and hot tub, and breakfast included, and it scores 8.4. There’s free parking on the road outside, but one guest writes that finding a space can be tricky.

One guest says: “What a lovely team on reception and in the breakfast room. They couldn’t have been more helpful.”

See photos and book Re Dionisio Luxury Suites here.

B&B Il Moro Luxury Rooms - new rooms and free parking in the middle of the neighbourhood

Il Moro is on Via Milano in the middle of Borgata, around a ten-minute walk from Ortigia. The rooms are new, there’s a lift and free parking nearby, and it scores 9.0. Breakfast is served at a bar a couple of hundred metres away, and one guest felt it was too meagre, with just coffee and something sweet.

From a review: “Everything is brand new. The room is nicely furnished and the bed is comfortable.”

See photos and book B&B Il Moro here.

Porticciolo House - adults-only apartment by the little harbour

Porticciolo House is on Via Gaetano Fuggetta close to Porto Piccolo at the southern end of the neighbourhood, around a ten-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s an adults-only apartment with free parking and a score of 9.2, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Borgata when I searched. Breakfast is a voucher for a nearby café, and according to one guest you get a small coffee and a pastry.

One guest highlights: “The place itself and the location very close to Ortigia. The host had left a welcome pack with wine and snacks, which we really appreciated.”

See photos and book Porticciolo House here.

4. Neapolis by the archaeological site - best area for history lovers 🎭

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’ll be staying about two kilometres north of Ortigia. Allow 20 to 30 minutes on foot to the bridges and a bit longer to Piazza Duomo.
• 🚗 Transport: Parking is easiest here, and several hotels offer free parking. To get into Ortigia, you walk or take a taxi.
• ✈️ Time from Catania Airport: About an hour by car, or about 70 minutes on the Interbus to Corso Umberto followed by a short taxi ride.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€. The three places below cost around 70 to 157 euros (roughly £60 to £130) a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Viale Teocrito is a big, busy road, but the side streets are quiet residential areas.

Neapolis was the new town of ancient Syracuse, and today it’s home to one of the largest archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. In the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis you’ll see the Greek Theatre, carved straight out of the rock, and the old quarry Latomia del Paradiso with the cave known as the Orecchio di Dionisio, named after its ear-like shape. The same park also contains a Roman amphitheatre.

In early summer, usually in May and June, INDA stages Greek tragedies and comedies in the theatre in the evenings, and then the hotels in the area are full. Along Viale Teocrito you’ll find the large Paolo Orsi archaeological museum and the cone-shaped church Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime, which you can see from most of the city. If you’d like the history explained, you can take a guided tour of Neapolis and the Greek Theatre for around 30 euros (about £25).

See hotels near Neapolis here.

I’d stay here if the ancient sites are the reason you’re coming, or if you have a car and want to avoid the ZTL and paid parking. You can walk into the park as soon as it opens, before the coaches of day-trippers arrive, and the hotels are generally cheaper and more spacious than on Ortigia. It’s also a good compromise for families who want free parking and still be able to walk into town.

The downside is the distance to Ortigia, where most of the restaurants and bars are. In the evening you’ll walk 20 to 30 minutes home along main roads, or take a taxi, and the area itself has little going on after dark. If you stay here, plan your day so you see Neapolis in the morning and spend the afternoon and evening on Ortigia.

Hotels near Neapolis

Dimora Archimedea - B&B with a garden and free parking close to the park

Dimora Archimedea is on Via Necropoli Grotticelle, about 600 metres from Neapolis and roughly a 20-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s a B&B with a garden, a terrace, breakfast included and free parking subject to availability, and with a score of 9.5 it was the most expensive of my three picks in the area. One guest could hear the neighbours through the thin walls.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “We had a fantastic stay at Dimora Archimedea. The whole staff did everything to make our stay as comfortable and lovely as possible.”

See photos and book Dimora Archimedea here.

Hotel Teocrito - spacious hotel with a breakfast buffet and free street parking

Hotel Teocrito is on Viale Teocrito near the archaeological museum, about a ten-minute walk from Neapolis and 20 minutes from Ortigia. It’s an official three-star hotel with a lift, a bar and a breakfast buffet, and with a score of 9.1 from almost 2,300 reviews it’s a safe choice. There’s free public parking around the hotel, though one guest found the décor a little old-fashioned.

From a review: “It really is a good hotel, as the other reviews say. The rooms are spacious and incredibly clean. The breakfast is lovely!”

See photos and book Hotel Teocrito here.

Interno 10 - budget-friendly B&B five minutes from the park

Interno 10 is on the fourth floor on Viale Teracati, about a five-minute walk from Neapolis and 20 minutes from Ortigia. It’s a small B&B with a lift, breakfast with home baking and free street parking, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area when I searched. It scores 8.0, and one guest felt the shower could have been cleaner.

One guest says: “Clean and well-equipped B&B. A really good host who helped with tips on what’s nearby.”

See photos and book Interno 10 here.

5. The beaches south of the city - best area for a beach holiday 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Arenella is about a quarter of an hour’s drive south of Ortigia, and Fontane Bianche is about 20 to 25 minutes by car.
• 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car. A city bus runs from Corso Umberto to Arenella, but only a few times a day.
• ✈️ Time from Catania Airport: About an hour by car on the motorway.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around €112 to €362 (roughly £95 to £305) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Don’t leave valuables visible in the car when you park by the beaches.

South of Syracuse you’ll find the city’s beaches. First comes the Plemmirio peninsula, where the protected marine area Area Marina Protetta del Plemmirio has rocks, small coves and clear water for snorkelling. Water shoes are a good idea on the rocks. A little further south is the sandy beach at Arenella, and further still is Fontane Bianche, with a long stretch of pale sand, beach clubs and holiday homes.

This is where to stay in Syracuse if your beach holiday comes first and the city is somewhere you drive into in the afternoon or evening. In summer, Fontane Bianche is buzzing with beach bars and restaurants, while Arenella is smaller and quieter, with a free beach next to a beach club. If you’d like to see the coast from the water, you can take a boat trip to Plemmirio and the sea caves around Ortigia for around €40 (about £35).

See hotels by the beaches south of Syracuse here.

The easiest place to pick up a car is Catania Airport, and you can compare prices on hire cars at Booking.com. From the beaches you can drive into Syracuse in 15 to 25 minutes and park by the bridges, and you’re also not far from Noto and the baroque towns further south.

The downside is that you depend on the car the whole time, and it can be a long way to a restaurant in the evening. Out of season, many beach clubs and restaurants close, and Fontane Bianche can feel like an empty holiday-home village. So only come out here in the warmer months, and choose a hotel with a restaurant if you don’t want to drive out to eat every evening.

Hotels by the beaches south of Syracuse

Dimora Caiammari Luxury Hotel & Spa - five-star hotel with two pools and a spa

Dimora Caiammari is in Fanusa between Plemmirio and Arenella, about 15 minutes by car from Ortigia and just under three kilometres from the beach at Arenella. It’s an official five-star hotel with two outdoor pools, a spa, a bar, breakfast included and free parking, and it scores 9.4. One guest missed having places to eat nearby and had to drive into Syracuse every evening.

One guest writes: “Beautiful room, fantastic pool, attentive staff.”

See photos and book Dimora Caiammari here.

Hotel Villamare - four-star hotel 150 metres from the beach in Fontane Bianche

Hotel Villamare is on Viale dei Lidi in Fontane Bianche, about 150 metres from the beach and 20 minutes by car from Ortigia. It’s an official four-star hotel with a pool, breakfast included and free parking, and it scores 8.9. Neither lunch nor dinner is served, so you’ll need to eat out.

From a review: “The location so close to the beach was fantastic.”

See photos and book Hotel Villamare here.

Addauro Resort - resort with a pool and playground near Arenella

Addauro Resort is out in the countryside near Arenella, about 1.3 kilometres from the beach at Fanusa and a quarter of an hour by car from Ortigia. It’s an official four-star hotel with a pool, a playground, breakfast included and free parking, and it scores 8.8. It was the cheapest of my three beach suggestions when I searched, but one guest felt the resort was rather isolated.

One guest highlights: “Breakfast was plentiful, and the staff were really good.”

See photos and book Addauro Resort here.

6. The countryside towards Noto - best area for road trips and a pool 🌿

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Cassibile is about 20 minutes’ drive south of Syracuse, and from Noto the journey takes about half an hour.
• 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car. Many of the places are at the end of a narrow country road, and only a few buses run.
• ✈️ Time from Catania Airport: About an hour to an hour and a quarter by car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost around €138 to €361 (around £115 to £300) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet. Drive carefully on the narrow, winding roads after dark.

Between Syracuse and Noto lies a landscape of olive and almond groves, citrus plantations and old farmhouses, known as masserie, many of which are now hotels with a pool. Noto is one of Sicily’s most beautiful baroque towns, rebuilt in pale sandstone after the earthquake of 1693, and it belongs to the Val di Noto, where eight baroque towns are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Noto you walk up the wide staircase to San Nicolò Cathedral and down the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, lined with baroque palaces on both sides.

South of Noto you’ll find the Vendicari nature reserve, with beaches and lagoons where you can spot migrating birds, and the fishing village of Marzamemi, while Modica and Ragusa Ibla lie further west. If you don’t have a car, you can get around on a day trip to Noto, Ragusa and Modica from Syracuse from around €115 (around £95).

See agriturismi and country hotels towards Noto here.

This is the right choice if you’re travelling with children in summer, want a pool and some peace and quiet, or are doing a tour of south-eastern Sicily. You drive into Syracuse in the morning, park by the bridges and walk over to Ortigia, and by the afternoon you’re back by the pool. You can compare car hire prices with Booking.com’s car rental, and if you’d like to see more of the island, I’ve gathered the best bases in my guide to where to stay in Sicily.

The downside is that you can’t walk home after dinner in Syracuse, and it’s often a long way to the nearest restaurant if the place doesn’t have its own. So don’t stay in the countryside if you only have one or two nights, as you’ll miss Ortigia in the evening, once the day-trippers have gone home.

Hotels in the countryside towards Noto

IUTA Farm - farm with lodges, saltwater pool and restaurant near Noto

IUTA Farm is in the countryside a few minutes’ drive from Noto and about half an hour from Syracuse. You stay in lodges or junior suites, some with their own pool, and there’s a saltwater pool, a restaurant and breakfast included. With a score of 9.7 it’s one of the highest-rated places in this guide, but one guest experienced a party with loud music outside the rooms on a Saturday evening without having been warned.

One guest writes: “The food was lovely and fresh, and the breakfast is the best I’ve had on my travels.”

See photos and book IUTA Farm here.

Casa di Melo - adults-only organic country hotel near Cassibile

Casa di Melo is near Cassibile, about 20 minutes’ drive from both Syracuse and Noto. It’s an adults-only organic country hotel with a pool with a view, a restaurant and breakfast included, and it scores 9.3. One guest felt the room was too small and that there was a smell from the bathroom drain.

From a review: “What a fantastic stay! I’d recommend it to everyone.”

See photos and book Casa di Melo here.

Hotel Villa Favorita - four-star hotel with a pool two kilometres from Noto

Villa Favorita is about two kilometres from Noto and half an hour’s drive from Syracuse. It’s an official four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, a restaurant serving local food and a breakfast buffet, and with a score of 9.3 from over 650 reviews it was the cheapest of my three countryside suggestions when I searched. One guest complains about noise from other guests in the morning and poor soundproofing.

One guest says: “Beautiful hotel. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly.”

See photos and book Hotel Villa Favorita here.

Where not to stay in Syracuse?

Many cheap flats on booking sites are listed as Syracuse but are actually in the modern districts far to the north and west, three to five kilometres from Ortigia and with little to do in the evening. Also be wary of places on the coast north of the city around Priolo and Augusta, where there’s a large industrial area with refineries. If you’re driving, don’t stay on Ortigia without arranging parking and access to the limited traffic zone with your hotel, or you’ll end up with a fine or carrying your suitcase a long way. And don’t choose the beach hotels at Fontane Bianche out of season, when most things around them are closed.

If it’s your first trip to Syracuse, I’d stay on Ortigia. If you’re arriving by car, Umbertino by the bridges is the easiest choice, and if you want more space and lower prices, go for Borgata or Neapolis. For a beach holiday, stay by the beaches south of the city, and if you’re doing a road trip, you’ll get the most peace and pool for your money in the countryside towards Noto.

Give Syracuse at least two nights so you have time for both Neapolis and an evening on Ortigia. If you’re heading on up the east coast, you can read about where to stay in Taormina, and if you’re flying home early from Catania, a last night there may be easier, so see my guide to where to stay in Catania. I’ve covered the rest of the country in my guide to where to stay in Italy.

Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇

• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers

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