Alternative Family Holiday: Siracusa, Sicily

A family holiday in Siracusa offers a wide choice of sea, nature, charming towns and splendid archaeological and artistic heritage.

 

Siracusa loves to wear many masks. She disguises herself as ancient Greece, then as a Roman Empire, and then becomes a joker when she wears baroque masks, grotesque and fascinating at the same time.

Siracusa Greek Ruins

Greek Ruins

The first “playground” is the Greek Theater, an acoustic masterpiece, completely carved out of the rock and among the largest in the Greek world. It still hosts theatrical performances and shows during the Greek Festival in May and June.

From Greek tragedies to the Sicilian Puppet Opera

Did you know that the first Italian tradition entered in the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage that UNESCO created in 2001 is Sicilian? It is the Opera dei Pupi, now a world heritage site: in Siracusa you can also visit the museum and witness the creation of the historic puppet company Vaccaro and Mauceri.

 

Sons of art, heirs of a long tradition of Syracusan puppeteers, the Vaccaro-Mauceri brothers bring to the stage, in the Teatro dei Pupi in Siracusa, ancient rites, gestures and stories, narrating the exploits of the paladins of Charlemagne, together with references to ancient Eastern Mediterranean stories (Teatro dei Pupi Siracusa).

Archimede Tecno park

For children (and adults …) who prefer inventions to stories, there is an entire theme park named after the most illustrious citizen of Siracusa: the scientist Archimedes!

 

In the Archimede Tecnoparco you can indulge yourself in levers, water clocks, war machines and … the Stomachion, the ancestor of puzzles! Fun for all ages with demonstrations and experiments that really rub your eyes! (Tecnoparco Archimede – Museo Leonardo and Archimede)

Siracusa with children: Sea, Reserves and ... Pink Flamingos!

Siracusa is also seaside. And here, throughout the province, there are some excellent choices.

 

From the soft white sand beaches of Fontane Bianche to the crystal clear waters of Ortigia, from the shores of Ognina and Arenella to the southernmost tip of Italy: the Correnti island.

 

And many, many nature reserves: the Marine Reserve of Plemmirio, can be reached by mountain bike or riding a quad bike. And how not to give children the amazement of seeing the Pink Flamingo standing on one leg and hiding the other under its rosy plumage, and again herons, gulls, storks … is the Vendicari Wildlife Oasis, one of the most fascinating locations for birdwatching!

Vendicari Nature Reserve

Aretusa park – Melilli

7 relaxation areas, 17 attractions, 5 children’s attractions and 4 dining areas. This park a few kilometers from Siracusa offers fun for the young ones and downtime for the adults (Aretusa Aquapark).

Aretusa Water Park – Melilli
Photo credit Aretusa Water Park

Stay Here

La Giuggiulena is a chic but family-friendly B&B in a cliff-top villa right by the sea of Siracusa and only a 15-minute stroll to Siracusa. Families up to 5 members will love the two-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms and a large terrace sea view. Bring your water shoes and you can dive directly from the B&B.

 

5 nights on a BB basis starts at £ 1890 including private airport transfers from Catania.