The Ortigia walking route

One route, designed well: from the island's entrance to the tip on the sea, in the order in which Ortigia tells its story best.

Ortigia is explored on foot, and you do not need ten different routes: you need the right order. This itinerary crosses the island from north to south following the thread of its history — first Greece, then the market and the Arabs, the baroque of Piazza Duomo, the myth of the Arethusa Spring, Frederick II's fortress and the Giudecca.

It is the same route as the audio guide: every stop has its track, and between stops you will find the "stories" — deep dives to listen to while walking, from Archimedes to Saint Paul.

Stops12 places + stories
Duration2–3 hours at your pace
StartUmbertino Bridge / Temple of Apollo
EndSeafront, tip of the island

The stops along the route

  1. Welcome to Ortigia
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. The Arabs in Ortigia: what remainedStory
  5. 3
  6. Archimedes: the genius of SyracuseStory
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
    Porta Marina: the gate on the sea
  10. 7
  11. The Great Harbour and the end of AthensStory
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. Saint Paul in Syracuse: three days that changed everythingStory
  15. 10
    Via della Maestranza: the noble palaces
  16. 11
    Palazzo Bellomo and Antonello da Messina
  17. 12
  18. Conclusion: leaving Ortigia without closing it

The audio guide is free: sign up with your email, activate the link you receive and listen to every track.

Short on time? Stop halfway

If you only have an hour and a half, follow the route as far as the Arethusa Spring: you will have seen the heart of the island. The rest — castle, Giudecca, seafront — will wait for your next visit.

19 audio tracks

Visit Ortigia with the audio guide

Short, curated stories for every stop, at your own pace, straight from your phone. No app to install.

Discover the audio guideFree with sign-up · works offline
Ortigia audio guideFree with sign-upListen