If you are looking for a house by the sea in Sicily, you will find them both in Lido di Noto, near the Nature Reserve of Vendicari, and in Avola and several other seaside resorts.

Would you like a vacation in Sicily in close contact with nature? The villas for rent in the Ciane River and Saline di Siracusa Nature Reserve or near the Cassibile River are the right choice for you.

By booking your home rentals vacation in Sicily via Fairbnb.coop you will support the Save the Queen campaign of Legambiente, which aims to save the queen bees and donate a home to thousands of bees at risk of extinction: half of our commission will be donated to this campaign.

Your vacation in Sicily, in Syracuse will be protected by Artemis

When you arrive at your vacation home for rent in the province of Syracuse, you will find yourself immersed in history, surrounded by numerous traces of the Mediterranean civilization process. After the Greek colonization, Syracuse prospered until it became one of the most important centers of the ancient world in the field of philosophy and science: it was here that Archimedes was born. The Greek historian Thucydides fixes in 734 BC the foundation of Syrakousai by the Corinthians. The territory of Syracuse, however, was already inhabited for a long time by Sicilian peoples, as evidenced by the remains of the village of Stentinello, dating back to the Neolithic, and the Bronze Age rocky necropolis at Pantalica.
The name Syracuse probably derives from the term Syraka, which in ancient Sicilian would mean abundance of water. This territory is in fact rich in sources and some of them are located on the island of Ortigia, the original nucleus and beating heart of the Sicilian city that, precisely because of the abundance of resources, has been inhabited since the Bronze Age.
One of these sources is dedicated to Arethusa, a nymph who, according to legend, was madly beloved by the god Alphaeus. The feeling, however, was not reciprocated, and to escape the courtship Arethusa asked for help to Artemis. The goddess then transformed her into a source, but Alphaeus did not resign himself and in turn took the form of a river that, after being born in Greece and having traveled underground throughout the Ionian Sea, flowed near the beloved nymph.

When you will be in your vacation home you will find the Fountain Arethusa overlooking the Porto Grande of Syracuse: it is here that the mythical river Alphaeus flows and continues to lap the waters of the source.

Home rentals vacation in Sicily in Syracuse: things to see

Choosing Syracuse for your vacation home in Sicily, you will admire architectural styles from different eras, from the Greek and Roman ones of the extensive Neapolis Archaeological Park to the Baroque style of the Cathedral.
In fact, if romantic myths flow from the springs of Syracuse, the walls of its buildings exude centuries of history. The Temple of Apollo, the oldest in Sicily, was erected as early as the sixth century BC, while a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, from the next century, was converted into a church at the advent of Christianity: today it is the foundation of the Cathedral of Syracuse, whose facade was rebuilt in Baroque style after the earthquake of 1693.
From your holiday home in Sicily it will be worthwhile to reach Palazzo Bellomo in Syracuse to visit its rich Gallery of medieval and modern art, which includes the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina of 1474, and to go as far as the southern tip of the island of Ortigia to admire the imposing bulk of the thirteenth-century Castello Maniace, today the site of numerous cultural events.

The famous Ear of Dionysius is instead a cave located at the base of the Greek Theatre that, according to legend, would have been used by the tyrant Syracuse to listen to the speeches of his prisoners.

Things to do in Syracuse and its province

Do not limit your visit to the attractions of the capital: inland you can, for example, explore the wonders of the nature reserve Cavagrande del Cassibile. Its paths, wrapped in a lush vegetation also composed of wild orchids, will allow you to admire many colorful dragonflies and discover a series of picturesque lakes and canyons on whose monumental walls open the ddieri, caves dating back to the Byzantine period excavated on several levels.
Little more to south rises Avola, known as the “pearl of the Ionian”. Its historic center, destroyed in 1693 by a disastrous earthquake, was completely rebuilt on a hexagonal plan with the exact center Piazza Umberto I, today the heart of city life. You’ll just have to walk along the tree-lined Avenue Lido to reach one of the most crystal clear seas of Sicily. At the end of the avenue you will find the Rotunda, a floating platform where you can embrace with your eyes the more than 10 kilometers of coastline of Avolese. Not far away, in the village of Mare Vecchio, you can visit the seventeenth-century Tonnara, with the stone arch entrance remained almost intact.
Just 10 kilometers from Avola stands Noto, the Sicilian capital of Baroque. Just cross the Royal Gate, the main entrance to the city, to be fascinated by the so-called Garden of Stone, formed by monumental palaces, religious buildings and narrow streets that climb the hill. A walk along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, a real treasure chest of architectural treasures, will give you the opportunity to admire churches with spectacular facades such as those of San Francesco, Santa Chiara and Santissimo Salvatore, while Piazza Duomo overlooks the imposing Cathedral of San Nicolò.

During your vacation in Sicily many delights await you

To start your day in Syracuse on the right foot, choose a typical breakfast: a croissant, perhaps to be enjoyed fresh out of the oven, and a glass of almond milk. Do you love sweets? The province of Syracuse is the place for you: from Martorana fruit, prepared with almond paste, to cannoli filled with ricotta cheese, the choice is really wide.
One of the most romantic places in Syracuse is the Lungomare Alfeo (Alfeo promenade), overlooking the Porto Grande and full of typical restaurants: book a table here to admire the spectacle of the sunset and taste the delicious dishes of fresh tuna and other gastronomic specialties.
To stock up on fresh products to be consumed in your vacation home in Syracuse, you could take a trip to one of the markets spread throughout the province: In the fish markets, for example in Portopalo di Capo Passero, you will find swordfish, tuna, shrimps and other freshly caught delicacies, while among the stalls of the mixed ones, for example the market on the Island of Ortigia in the capital, you can buy all kinds of specialties of land and sea: among its stalls you will also find excellent street food, which you can taste directly on the spot, sitting at a table, like a true Syracusan.

Vacation in Sicily: useful info

Bus and bike: in the province of Syracuse the mobility is ecological

Landing at the airport of Catania-Fontanarossa, about fifty kilometers from Syracuse, you can use the regional public transport service to reach your vacation rentals in the capital as well as other places in the province, from Avola to Noto up to Portopalo di Capo Passero, at the southeastern tip of Sicily.
To move around Syracuse you will also have at your disposal some electric bus lines that touch the main tourist attractions as well as a bicycle sharing service, called Go Bike, which will allow you to rent a traditional bike or a pedal-assisted bike, with the possibility of returning it to a different station from the one where it was picked up.
Almost the entire island of Ortigia, with the exception of the northern end, is a restricted traffic zone. The buses of the urban public transport service connect the island to the rest of the city and the mainland through the historic Umbertino Bridge.

Weather in Syracuse and Eastern Sicily

Thanks to the warm air currents coming from Africa and the braking action of the Iblei Mountains on the cold north and mistral winds, in Syracuse you can enjoy favorable weather for most of the year. The influence of the Ionian Sea makes the winters particularly mild and short, so that in February the spring climate begins to awaken the flowering of the almond trees, while the summer heat arrives already in May. If in winter it can happen to run into some rapid downpour, from February until late autumn rainfall is an almost extraordinary event.

Peculiarities
Even before arriving in your vacation home you can subscribe to the WhatsApp Siracusa service: you will thus receive timely information of public utility, such as pharmacies on duty and cultural events scheduled.