Ortigia Island and Sea Caves Boat Tour Syracuse

Ortigia and the Umbertino Bridge

Ortigia is the small island where Syracuse was founded by Greek settlers from Corinth in the eighth century BC, and it is still the historic centre of the city. Joined to the mainland by two bridges, it is a maze of baroque palaces, churches and narrow lanes, and together with the rest of ancient Syracuse it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its cathedral is famous for being built into an ancient Greek temple whose Doric columns are still visible in the walls.

The tour boards on the Foro Vittorio Emanuele II, on the side of the Porto Grande, and soon passes under the Umbertino Bridge into the small harbour. This is one of the best things to do in Syracuse to understand the shape of the island, as you see its sea walls, harbours and palaces from the water in a single loop.

The eastern seafront, the Spanish walls and Castello Maniace

On the open-sea side of Ortigia the boat follows the old Spanish walls and the eastern seafront, where the houses of the old Jewish quarter, the Giudecca, rise above the rocks. You pass the bastion of Forte Vigliena, built in the seventeenth century and now a favourite sunbathing terrace, and the small belvederes where locals swim in summer.

At the southern tip of the island stands Castello Maniace, a square fortress of the thirteenth century with round corner towers, built to guard the entrance to the Porto Grande. Seen from the sea, with the waves breaking at its foot, it is one of the most impressive views of Syracuse. Many visitors also take a Castello Maniace tour on foot; from the boat you see the fortress from the angle that its builders intended.

The Arethusa Spring and the Alfeo seafront

Rounding the tip of the island, the boat sails along the Alfeo seafront on the western side of Ortigia, lined with palaces and restaurant terraces under ficus trees. Here lies the Arethusa Spring, a pool of fresh water a few steps from the sea, where papyrus plants grow and ducks swim among the reeds. It is one of the few places in Europe where papyrus grows wild.

According to Greek legend, the nymph Arethusa escaped from the river god Alpheus by turning into a spring and travelling under the sea from Greece to Ortigia. Your guide tells this story and points out the cathedral, the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia and Porta Marina above the seafront. It is one of the most romantic corners of the city.

The sea caves of Syracuse

After the loop around Ortigia, the boat continues along the limestone coast to the sea caves, the highlight of this Syracuse sea caves boat trip. Small and manoeuvrable, it enters the caves so that you can admire stalactites, stalagmites and red and orange corals clinging to the rock just above the water. The light reflected from the sea gives the water a bright turquoise glow.

Several caves have shapes that give them their names: the Grotta del Corallo with its colourful walls, the heart-shaped Lovers' cave, the Doves' cave where wild pigeons nest, and the cave known as Dionysius's Ear for its tall, narrow opening. Along the way you also pass Elephant Rock, a rock formation whose shape looks like an elephant dipping its trunk into the sea.

The swim stop and the return to Porto Grande

On the complete tour, the boat anchors in a sheltered spot with crystal-clear water for a swim stop of about thirty minutes. You can dive from the boat, float above the rocky sea floor and use the shower on board afterwards; snorkelling masks can be hired directly on board. On the one-hour option there is no long swim stop.

The boat then heads back towards the Porto Grande, the wide natural harbour where the ancient fleets of Syracuse once fought, before returning to the Foro Vittorio Emanuele II. The best time for an Ortigia island cruise is from May to October, when the sea is warm; morning and late-afternoon departures have the softest light for photos of the island and the caves.