THE TRAVEL EDIT - SIRACUSA & ORTIGIA INSIDER
Inspired by Stuart’s A Sicilian Summer series, this edition of The Travel Edit hands the map to the people who know Sicily’s south-east intimately. Sicily Productions is a full-service photo and film production house spanning Sicily, Sardinia and Milan - founded by Ruggero, Messina-born, with two decades between Cape Town and Copenhagen sharpening his eye for fashion and campaign work, and Karna, a French-Danish photographer with a gift for interiors, food and finding the perfect location. They are joined by Anna, a German-Austrian marketeer with more than twenty years in Italy and a background in luxury hospitality.Across 25 years they have scouted, produced and shot for the world’s leading brands, learning that the difference between good and unforgettable lives in the last two per cent. For us, they have chosen one of their favourite cities: Siracusa, and in particular its ancient heart, Ortigia.
“We’ve shot here countless times and never tire of it. Below, our favourite spots.”
DINE
LUNCH
Caseificio Borderi - The street market is one of our most-loved shoot locations, and lunch is just steps away. Each towering sandwich is layered with Italian meats and cheeses alongside local delicacies - pistachio pesto, artichoke cream, sun-dried tomatoes, Sicilian caponata. Snag an outdoor table at the deli, or carry yours to the water’s edge.
La Putia - A little Shop & Kitchen run by a close-knit family, furnished with pieces from the owners’ former home. Colour spills across the dining room and the plates alike, where traditional recipes arrive in their most authentic, homely form: eggplant parmigiana, fish-sauce pastas, octopus and potatoes. A deli and shop, too.
DINNER
Chiodo, Showroom con Cucina - A favourite for client wrap-up dinners. Step through the small courtyard off Via Roma and Chiodo unfolds like an atelier of wonders, where design, food and wine are all proudly made in Sicily. Traditional recipes, reimagined with a modern hand.
APERITIVO
Almeyda - A pretty café beside the Teatro di Ortigia: a good espresso by day, an unhurried Italian aperitivo by night.
Cortile Verga - Set in a beautiful 18th-century courtyard with an ambience that’s hard to beat. Classic and creative cocktails - Americano, Negroni, Campari Spritz - meet inventive small bites.
La Barca Ortigia - A party boat bobbing offshore, where the aperitivo comes with good music and the open sea.
SHOPPING
Malamore - Beer and vinyl in equal measure: a fabulous array of new and vintage records, and a cool crowd to match.
Monica Castiglioni - For a singular piece of silver or bronze jewellery. Rings, bangles, earrings - a wearable memento of the trip.
Chiodo Showroom - The daytime companion to the restaurant, stocked with design and objects from across Sicily. Well worth a browse.
EXPLORE
Ortigia Street Market - Monday to Saturday, stalls spill across the island’s northern edge with colourful textiles, spices, nuts, produce and glistening seafood. It feels like the cultural heart of the city, neighbours greeting one another, vendors bartering across the aisles.
The Greek Theatre Festival - Time your visit for the annual festival and watch an ancient Greek play staged in Siracusa’s original Greek theatre.
The Neighbouring Towns - Ortigia is the perfect base for Sicily’s east coast. We love UNESCO-listed Noto and Ragusa for their late-Baroque splendour, and the little fishing village of Marzamemi, where the boats nod on the harbour mole and seafood restaurants line the water.
Pantalica Nature Reserve - Escape the beach for a day in this beautiful canyon, threaded with freshwater streams. It’s a hike down, but the cool waters reward you - pack water, snacks and a towel, and drift between swims on the warm rocks.
Palazzolo Acreide - Off the beaten track and all the better for it: a lovely Baroque town with handsome sights and fine tables (Da Andrea is a favourite). Spend an afternoon and evening here before heading back to Siracusa.
STAY
Hotel Gutkowski - An eclectic little boutique and Siracusa’s best-kept secret: modestly priced and pared-back, with modern rooms — the finest opening to glorious sea views. Two 19th-century palazzi with faded pastel façades sit on the romantic Lungomare Levante, facing open sea and sky. The style is all its own — an easy fusion of urban minimalism, beachcomber chic and upcycled retro — and there’s a lovely roof terrace.
Ortea Palace - Our go-to for shoot teams in Ortigia. A magnificent Mussolini-era post office reborn as a light-flooded palace, commanding the bridge from Siracusa to the island. At its heart, a luminous glass-roofed salon, bar and restaurant fill the courtyard where postal vans once loaded.
TREAT
After Ortigia, make for nearby Noto. At Sergio Fiorentino’s atelier, the sculptor turns water, stone and the human form into quietly compelling work — an immersive afternoon in itself. In the historic centre, photographer and art director Rosita Gia’s Archivio is a gallery-boutique hybrid inside Palazzo Rau della Ferla, a curated space for art, design and fashion with unconventional labels Orocrudo, Malaga4 and Laross.
Also in News
THE INTERIOR EDIT
THE TRAVEL EDIT - LAKE COMO INSIDER
