Ortygia is a small island separated from Syracuse by a narrow canal. It was the site of the original ancient Greek settlement which later became the bustling trading and fishing port of Syracuse. In fact the population of Syracuse around the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans was far in excess of the population now.

The island is a fantastic place to visit with everything you expect from an historic Italian town – large piazzas, narrow alleys, churches, ruins, fresh produce markets and a vast array of places to eat. The added bonus is that the sea is only ever a few streets away.

We spent the day exploring this lovely place.

(Something to note – all the photos in this post were taken on my iPhone. I’d like to say this was an intentional challenge but in reality I’d simply forgotten to take my DSLR.)