About 2km — a 20 to 25 minute walk down Corso Gelone, or a five-minute drive or taxi. Local buses also run the route regularly from Foro Siracusano.
Discover Authentic Siracusa: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Siracusa, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as Ortigia, the Cathedral and the Ear of Dionysius, alongside our Mercure hotel.
Top 5 Things to Do in Siracusa
Piazza del Duomo, by lamplight
The cathedral was built straight into a fifth-century-BC Doric temple to Athena — you can still see the fluted columns embedded in the outer wall on Via Minerva. Go around 9pm when the piazza empties out and the floodlights turn the limestone gold; that's when locals actually sit at the café tables instead of tourists.
Ortigia's morning market
Tucked behind Via Trento, the fish and produce stalls open at 7am and wind down by early afternoon, closed Sundays. Stop at Caseificio Borderi for an overstuffed sandwich built while you watch, and look for the stand shucking oysters for a euro apiece with a plastic cup of prosecco thrown in.
Fonte Aretusa
A freshwater spring bubbling up meters from the sea, ringed with papyrus plants that grow almost nowhere else in Europe outside Egypt. It's a five-minute walk from the market and a good spot to sit on the wall with a granita before the afternoon heat sets in.
Parco Archeologico della Neapolis
The Greek Theater, the Ear of Dionysius cave, and the Roman amphitheater are all inside one site a short walk from the hotel. Arrive at opening, 8:30am in summer — by 11am the limestone quarry paths have zero shade and the tour buses arrive.
Castello Maniace
A squat Norman fortress at the very tip of Ortigia's peninsula, with the Ionian Sea on three sides. It's less crowded than the Duomo end of the island, and the walk down Via Capodieci to get there passes some of the best-preserved baroque palazzo façades in town.
Explore Siracusa's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Syracuse
We've mapped local spots in Syracuse, from Greek temples to an ancient mikveh.
Ortigia
Ortigia
Syracuse's oldest quarter: an island joined to the mainland by three bridges. Its name may come from the ancient Greek for quail – can you see the bird in its outline?
Ortigia · Historic island · Perfect for strolling
Syracuse Cathedral
Behind a Baroque façade, the Doric columns of the 5th-century BC Temple of Athena, which survived the 1693 earthquake. Touch history.
Ortigia · Cathedral · Ideal for history
Fountain of Arethusa
A freshwater spring beside the sea, filling a round pool of fish, ducks and Europe's only wild papyrus. Come at sunset.
Ortigia seafront · Spring · Made for a sunset walk
Syracuse mikveh
Almost 18 metres below a building in the Giudecca, a 6th-century ritual bath said to be Europe's oldest, with three pools where water still flows.
Giudecca, Ortigia · Archaeological site · Perfect for history
Villa Reimann and Syracuse lemons
An exotic garden and citrus grove celebrating Syracuse's protected-origin lemons. Breathe in.
Syracuse · Garden · Great for a quiet walk
Pasticceria Alfio Neri
A family pastry shop for over 60 years, famous for cannoli, almond pastries and granita. Granita for breakfast, Sicilian-style.
Syracuse · Pastry shop · Perfect for granita
Locanda Maniace
Sicilian land-and-sea cooking with fresh local ingredients, in Ortigia.
Ortigia · Restaurant · Ideal for dinner
Neapolis
Ear of Dionysius
An artificial limestone cave below the Greek theatre, with acoustics that amplify sound up to 16 times. Caravaggio likened its shape to an ear – fuelling the legend of a tyrant eavesdropping on prisoners. Whisper and listen.
Neapolis archaeological park · Cave · Made for history
Grotta dei Cordari
In the Latomia del Paradiso, rope makers once worked hemp in this humid cave. Today its walls glow with moss and light.
Neapolis · Cave · Great for photos
FAQ
Stalls open around 7am and start closing by early afternoon. It's closed on Sundays, so plan a Saturday visit if you want the full spread of fish, produce, and cheese vendors.
Yes — Mercure Siracusa Prometeo is directly opposite the Neapolis Archaeological Park, so the Greek Theater, the Ear of Dionysius, and the Roman amphitheater are all within a two-minute walk.
An artificial cave in Syracuse's Neapolis park with remarkable acoustics; Caravaggio named it for its ear-like shape.
It incorporates the Doric columns of the ancient Temple of Athena within its Baroque structure.
In the Giudecca district of Ortigia, Syracuse, dating from the 6th century.
Where to Sleep in Siracusa
See Mercure hotels in Siracusa, all within reach of these picks.