Day 5: Syracuse Archaeological Park and Noto
On your fifth day in Sicily, I’d recommend exploring some of the area around Syracuse, before taking a half-day trip to the pretty town of Noto.
Syracuse Archaeological Park
I’m the morning, you can visit the Syracuse archaeological Park. It costs 10 euros to go in. Check out the latest prices and opening times here.
The archaeological Park is fascinating, with ancient ruins dating back thousands of years. But be aware that there aren’t many signposts in the park to read. It’s best to have a map and/or guidebook with you so you can read about the ancient sites here, otherwise you’ll miss out on a lot of information.
My favourite part of the archaeological zone was the Greek theatre. It was huge, and just as impressive as the Greek theatre in Taormina.
The quarry and caves were also interesting. And the slaughter table was fascinating too.
I really enjoyed visiting here. There wasn’t any shade, so I was glad I visited in the morning before it got too hot. There’s also an archaeological museum here too, where you can see some of the old Greek and Roman artefacts that they found here.
There’s a cafe in the archaeological zone, but I’d recommend walking a few minutes outside of the tourist-y area to find a cafe back on the main street. Cafes were only a 5-10 minute walk away and did amazing paninis, with the Sicilian pistachio pesto which I loved. And also granita – a refreshing icy drink, flavoured with things such as almond or lime.
Noto
I then got the train to Noto for the afternoon. I got the 13.30 train and it only took about half an hour. The train station in Syracuse is near the archaeological zone, so it makes sense to do both things on the same day. The train station in Noto is about a 10-15 minute walk to the main streets and Duomo.
Unfortunately, I visited Noto during a torrential thunderstorm. The rain was insanely heavy, with really loud thunder and flashes of lightning. It meant that I did spend some of my visit sheltering in nearby buildings! But the town of Noto was still really pretty despite the weather.
The duomo was my favourite sight, including going inside the impressive cathedral.
And I also enjoyed just walking around the streets, enjoying the baroque architecture.
Back in Ortigia for the evening, luckily the weather cleared enough to be able to enjoy an apperetif while watching the sun setting into the clouds.
For dinner in Ortigia, I decided to have a change from pasta and have pizza instead. I just love Italian pizza! Another great ending to another great day.
Keep reading for the final day of my ultimate itinerary for one week in Sicily without a car.
Would like to know where you landed? Any suggestions for B& B – or small hostel/hotels?
I flew into Catania. It worked well to stay in Catania for a few days – it’s a great base for doing day trips around the region. There are lots of accommodation choices in Catania, I’d recommend staying in the centre near the market and cathedral. And my second base was Syracuse, staying on the small island of Ortigia. It was easy to get from Syracuse/Ortigia back to Catania for the flight home. Hope that helps, and hope you have an amazing trip!