Syracuse, Ortigia and Noto Day Trip with lunch

Syracuse is one of the oldest Greek colonies, founded in 734 BC and boasts the fame of the largest and most beautiful city of the Ancient Magna Graecia. Birthplace of Archimedes and Santa Lucia, the city of Syracuse was declared by UNESCO in 2005, together with the Rock Necropolis of Pantalica, world heritage site.

The town stands partly on the island of Ortygia and partly on the mainland; considering that the whole area is located within Sicily, precisely because of its geographical location, Syracuse is often appealed as an island in the island. In addition, its geographical location makes it particularly attractive for its sunsets.

The archaeological area of ​​Siracusa is very large, from the necropolis to the archaeological park of the Neapolis, where there are many of the most significant and historically evocative monuments of the city: the Greek theater, the Nympheus cave, the Sepulchres boulevard, the Ear of Dionysius, Galermi Aqueduct, Iero’s Altar, Roman Amphitheater, Augustus’ Triumphal Arch, Archimede’s (supposed) tomb.

The architecture of the city is an imprint of the history of the peoples that followed: after the violent earthquake of 1693, much of the city was rebuilt in Baroque style, which is why Siracusa and other cities of Val di Noto, are examples of Sicilian baroque style.

The most popular religious celebration of Syracuse is Santa Lucia’s celebration, which begins on 13 December, with a huge procession of the statue of the Blessed Sacrament along the streets of the city.

The city of Noto is 31 km far from Siracusa and it is considered the capital of the Baroque: there are so many churches, including the most important, the Cathedral “Basilica of San Nicolò”.

The archaeological site of ancient Noto is 9 km north of the present-day town, on Mount Alveria. The ancient city was destroyed by the earthquake of 1693. It is also worth noting the archaeological site of Eloro, a Greek colony: it is located on a promontory overlooking the Ionian Sea, near the mouth of the River Tellaro.

Particularly fascinating is the Tellaro villa, a rich extra-urban residence of the late Roman imperial age, whose archaeological remains have been found since 1971.

Halfway between Noto and Pachino lies the natural reserve – Vendicari Faunistic Oasis; in addition to being an area of naturalistic interest, in the nature reserve you can admire various archaeological remains, including a Byzantine necropolis and the eighteenth-century tuna fishery. There are many beautiful beaches, including “Calamosche” beach.

Another important reserve is “Cavagrande del Cassibile”. In this place defended from the steep walls of the cave and the proximity of the water, the Siculi (the first inhabitants we know about this place) have built a necropolis, still difficult to reach today. What makes the caves spectacular is the morphology of the great canyon of Cavagrande, the Kakyparis of the Greeks. On the north side there are rock houses, while in the south there is a complex system of houses excavated in the rock, arranged next to each other on six different parallel levels, linked together by a series of tunnels.