Miscellaneous Tips, Siracusa, Italy - Reviews and Hotel Information

We'd been told the only place to stay in Syracuse was on the island of Ortygia, the ancient heart of the city. A search on the internet found an apartment - two bedrooms, kitchen/living room and bathroom on the ground floor of an old house in a quiet little side street, so we went ahead and booked, crossing our fingers and hoping it would not turn out to be a dud. It wasn't, in fact it was just what we had hoped for. All mellow old stone and fresh white paint, a domed and frescoed ceiling in the living room and typically Sicilian mosaic stone floors, with room to spread out and to be cool and comfortable. Not that we spent a great deal of time in the apartment - with the old city to explore, its piazzas, squares, waterside walkways, cafes, restaurants and wonderful market all within walking distance, not to mention the Greek theatre, the Roman amphitheatre, sea caves and other points of interest further afield .....

Massimo, the owner, was on hand to greet us with maps and plenty of friendly and helpful suggestions. (and to send a cheating taxi driver on his way with a flea in his ear when we first arrived from the station). He provided us with the number for a most obliging taxi driver, Peppe, whose ready availability meant we had a car and driver whenever we needed him - a much better arrangement than having a car of our own there - parking is at a premium and you'd need to be a born and bred Ortygian to feel confident tackling the island's maze of narrow streets. Not that we needed a car often but with hot days and the long hill up to the Archaeological park and over to the museum and the catacombs saw up make use of Peppe's services on more than one occasion.

The young owners of the apartment, Massimo and Lilla, have done a great job restoring the house, making the most of the original traditional features and setting it up for holiday lets.

Comfortable beds and bedrooms big enough to accommodate luggage as well as beds, wardrobes, chairs and people; sufficient kitchen equipment for preparing holiday meals (in my case, simply setting out cold cuts, cheeses, salads, olives and fruit from the market, but there is a good oven, a microwave, fridge/freezer and pots and cooking utensils for more domestic souls); lots of hot water; a washing machine, iron and ironing board; the BBC on television (an essential for news tragics such as MrL) - we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would certainly stay there again.

Miscellaneous Tips, Siracusa

Siracusa Hotels

Siracusa Hotels