Planning a trip to Sicily, Italy’s largest island? Just 2 miles from the Italian mainland across the Straits of Messina, Sicily offers everything from stunning beaches to mountain peaks. Open roads wind through a sunbaked rural idyll, taking you to cliff-top towns and villages with an abundance of history to be discovered. Sicily’s fascinating culture extends to its food, the cuisine of the Mediterranean with an emphasis on seafood and the island’s natural produce – not to mention Cannolo, the national dessert of deep-fried folds of wafer-thin pastry filled with Ricotta, chocolate, pistachios and orange.

Palermo, the Sicilian capital and its largest city, sits at the top of the island on the north coast facing the Italian mainland, while Syracuse (also commonly spelt as Siracusa), Sicily’s fourth largest city, is in the southeast on the Ionian sea coast.

This stunning and ancient city has held an attraction for travelers through the ages - it was even described by the Roman poet and writer Cicero as the ‘greatest Greek city and most beautiful of them all’. His words ring true today, this warm, honey-toned city is rich in history with ancient ruins, a 5th century Greek theatre, narrow alleys with vistas onto the sparkling turquoise sea, fine Baroque architecture and vibrant piazzas lined with cafes, restaurants and bars.

If you are planning a trip to the south of Sicily and the province of Syracuse, our friendly Avis team will be on hand to offer advice and provide the perfect rental car for your trip.

You’ll find our Avis rental office in Syracuse at Syracuse Central Station. The office is located in the station square - Piazzale Della Stazione Centrale - directly opposite the station entrance.

From the Avis car park at Syracuse Central Station, Syracuse city centre is a 5min, 2.6km drive. As you leave the rental location outside the station, turn left and continue onto Viale Ermocrate. At the roundabout take the first exit and then turn right onto Viale Paolo Orsi. Merge onto Corso Gelone and take a right turn at Viale Teocrito into the centre of the city.

With a history going back 2,700 years, Syracuse was one of the most important cities of the ancient world. It’s not surprisingly a melting pot of civilisations, with both a Roman and Greek architectural heritage. There is plenty to see in and around this coastal region and you’ll need a couple of days to explore Syracuse and its old island city, Ortigia.

Head across the water over the bridge connecting Ortigia to the mainland and soak up the atmosphere in its narrow, winding streets catching glimpses of the Ionian Sea at every corner. Seek out the Piazza Del Duomo and explore Syracuse Cathedral, the Palazzo Beneventano and the town hall. Stop off in one of the island’s pretty waterfront cafes or bars and catch the sunset from the promenade.

In Syracuse itself you’ll find both ancient history along with a real sense of modern Sicilian culture. This includes the remarkable Mediterranean cuisine and no trip to Syracuse would be complete without a tour of the outdoor market to sample the fresh produce of the island.

Once inspired by the flavours of the island, you’ll be ready to experience one of its most captivating sights – Syracuse is home to one of Sicily’s most important archeological wonders, the grand Roman amphitheatre at the Neapolis Archeological Park. It’s a short walk from the centre but a huge leap back in time to the remarkable past of this extraordinary city.

Syracuse is a great base for exploring southeastern Sicily and its many beautiful beaches, but it’s also well placed within easy reach of some of the island’s main attractions.

Mount Etna

Follow the E45 coastal highway from Syracuse for around an hour and then head inland into the mountains towards Mount Etna, Europe’s highest volcano. You can catch a cable car at Rifugio Sapienza to reach the lower slopes where you can join guided walking tours or 4X4 experiences. Watching the sunset from the viewing areas in the Etna national park is on many bucket lists.

Taormina

After spending time in the Etna National Park, drop back down to the E45 coast road and drive on for a further hour to the stunning hilltop town of Taormina. Famed for its historic centre as much as for its beautiful beaches, Taormina’s narrow medieval streets, are in contrast to its ancient Greco-Roman theatre, the Teatro Antico di Taormina.

Catania

Just a 45min drive north along the E45 coast road from Syracuse takes you to Catania, the second largest city in Sicily. This lively, ancient port city offers a taste of modern Sicily along with glimpses of its historic past. Head for the Piazza Duomo and spot the Liotru, the elephant sculpted from black basalt whose fountain sits in front of the cathedral. Check out the beautiful Baroque buildings in Palazzo Biscari, a world heritage site and while you are in the area, stop off at the La Pescheria di Catania, the fish market, to pick up the daily catch.

Val di Noto

Head south from Syracuse and you can explore the area made famous by the Italian TV series featuring the Sicilian detective, Inspector Montalbano. Drive along the E45 and southwest to Noto and begin a tour of the region’s beautiful baroque towns which featured in the series, Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Scicli, and Ispica. You can even walk along the beach at Punta Secca, the fictional village of Marinella in the show and spot the beach house that featured as Inspector Montalbano’s home.

While Syracuse is a walkable city and you can catch an airport bus from Catania Airport to the centre of the town, but with so much to explore on the island and to get the most out of your trip, you’ll need a hire car to discover the wider southeast of Sicily.

The Avis team in Syracuse are experts on the region and ready to advise you on the best places to go and help make your trip a magical one from the moment you arrive. If you are feeling inspired and want to explore mainland Italy too, check out our guide to great Italian road trips.

Hiring a car is a wonderful way to explore Sicily. The local roads on the island are quiet and the main highways and coastal routes are easy to navigate. Be aware that as in the rest of Italy and mainland Europe, you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road as you leave our rental location.

If you have not driven in this part of the world before and want advice on everything thing from guidance what to carry in your car to national speed limits or latest news on congestion zones, we’d advise checking the road rules for driving in Italy before you set off.

As a popular destination, Syracuse can get busy but there is generally a good level of parking available from on-street to secure car parking facilities. For on-street parking, a colour coding system is in place; white is for free parking; blue areas are chargeable normally by the hour and yellow is for residents. A ZTL (traffic limited zone) operates in parts of the city at certain times of day.