Summer holidays in Siracusa / Ortigia pt.1 - Sunbathing at the beach and exploring the Castle.
By Italians on the move - 06:01
“ To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything. ”
Goethe
Ortigia, Ὀρτυγία
, the most ancient, magnificent part of the city of Siracusa, an island
diverging from an island.
I just came back from my short holidays in this incredible place and my mind is still savouring all
the beauty I got to see, smell and taste in these few days in Sicily.
Being half sicilian, I was ashamed to
not have visited this city before, so, when my friends from Siracusa
invited me, I had to get there and enjoy the last days of my summer
holidays.
The entire car ride and ferryboat
crossing of the Straits of Messina, I was
anticipating the Almond granitas that I'd be eating, so of course, as
soon as we arrived, we didn't even go home to unpack, we went
straight to the nearest patisserie and we had... 4!
Yes, I admit it: I spent half of my time there just eating, the other half I explored every part of Ortigia or I sunbathed at the beach.
First stop of my wondering was the lower part of the island, the Marina, or the seaside. Here, historical buildings overlook a huge promenade alongside the harbor, as quiet and peaceful in the morning as loud and lively during the evening.
Of course, when I saw this amazing little beach and solarium I had to book a spot for the whole morning, so I could work on my tan while observing the landscape.
On the day we arrived, I almost immediatly fell in love with this little solarium right in the city center, next to the Fonte Arethusa, one of the oldest and most important greek fountains in the city, that still runs sweet cold water from the underground. Such a sweet spot!
I spent the morning bathing in the turquoise clear water, drinking cold coffee and looking at the harbour.
If you happen to stop by Siracusa on a warm day, make sure to come here at Zefiro and ask for a cold coffee, you won't be disappointed.
Even if we were right in the center of the city and right nex to the harbour, the water is amazingly clear and it's full of little fishes that feed of the seaweed growing on the rocks.
With my energies completely recharged by the sun, I could walk through the whole island for hours, starting from one of the most important buildings: the Maniace Castle.
This fortress, dating the early 1200, was built, assaulted, rebuilted and has had many uses, from a military barracks to residency of queens and nobles, to prison and walking through its corridors and crossing its little woden bridges, you can feel hundreds of years of history surrounding you.
Ortigia has always been a strategic and magical place, for every population that has ever lived or conquered or colonized it, the reason is visibile right here.
From the tunnels inside the castle, which at first sight might actually look like a prison antechamber, you'd be surprised with one of the best views on the sea. Of course, from this fortress, the armies used to watch the bay to protect the island from enemies, but they didn't have to be on top of the walls or the towers to do that, since every tunnel ends with a window on the sea.
Extra tip for the travellers: make sure to wear confy and not slippery shoes and to have a crossbody bag where to store your camera while you're going up and down the stairs: most of them are very narrow and worn out by the time, so you might need to hang on to the walls or the handrail!
The sun is really starting to burn, time to look for a place in the shade, better if in a nice restaurant.
Stay tuned for the next post where I'll show you some of the best dishes I had the pleasure to eat and a tour of the cathedral and historical buildings of the city center.
See you soon!!
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