← Catania Marathon·1 night

Siracusa: A Night on Ortigia

One night on Ortigia, a small island joined to the mainland by a bridge, with a cathedral built inside a Greek temple and a promenade round the edge of the water.

Duration1 night
TransitTrain, about 1 hr 15 min from Catania
DepartsCatania

After the Catania Marathon: Siracusa

The Route: Catania → Siracusa → Ortigia Logistics: Regional train from Catania Centrale to Siracusa, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Ortigia is about 1.5 km from the station, reached on foot or by a short bus or taxi ride. Marathon Month: December Duration: 1 night

Catania Centrale ──(1 hr 15 train)──> Siracusa station ──(walk/bus/taxi)──> Ortigia

Siracusa was once the largest city in the Greek world, larger than Athens in the fifth century BC. It has shrunk since, and what remains is a small island town with a great deal of archaeology on top of it. Ortigia is flat and compact, and the walk around its edge is as good a post-marathon exercise as Sicily offers.

December in Siracusa: mild and often sunny, with daytime temperatures around 14 to 17 °C. Rain can come in showers. The tourist season is over, the streets are quiet and many restaurants operate reduced hours.

Trains run from Catania Centrale to Siracusa along the coast, and the journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Check trenitalia.com for the Monday timetable. A bus from the station to Ortigia also runs, or you can walk the flat 1.5 km.

Night one: Ortigia

The Piazza Duomo is the heart of the island, an elongated square of pale limestone. The cathedral on it was built into the walls of a fifth-century BC Greek temple to Athena, and the original Doric columns are visible along the side of the building and inside the nave. Check the opening hours and any entry fee.

The Fountain of Arethusa, a freshwater spring with papyrus growing in it, sits at the edge of the sea on the island's western side. According to myth, the nymph Arethusa fled here from a river god. It is a flat five-minute stroll from the square.

The promenade around the island, the Lungomare di Levante, is paved, level and about 2 km long. Walk it at sunset. Do not attempt the whole loop if your legs are heavy. A section is enough.

The Ortigia market, in the morning, sells fish, cheese and vegetables, and is the place to find a picnic or a snack. It operates on a morning schedule, so check the days.

Two hotels appear in Ortigia listings. Look for one on or near the Piazza Duomo, and check that it is open in December. Choose a room within a short walk of the bridge if you want an easy return to the station.

For dinner, Ortigia is known for fish, pasta with sea urchin, and the citrus and almond desserts of eastern Sicily. Book ahead for a Monday night, when some restaurants close.

Getting back

In the morning, walk or take the bus back to the station and the train to Catania. If you are flying home, Catania Fontanarossa is the nearest airport, and the train from Siracusa arrives at the central station in the city, from where an airport bus runs. Check the timetables and allow extra time.