Syracuse boat tour with lunch: Ortigia and Plemmirio

Lunch is cooked on board while you float past Maniace Castle and the Arethusa spring.

A half-day boat tour along the Syracuse coast with a skipper guide, covering Ortigia island, the Plemmirio marine protected area and the Porto Grande. The tour includes a four-course Sicilian lunch prepared in the boat's kitchen, fresh drinks and seasonal fruit throughout, plus swimming stops in the protected area. The itinerary may shift with weather, and food allergies must be noted at booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Ortigia2h
2. Plemmirio Marine Protected Area1h

Boat tour and sightseeing in Syracuse

• Board modern motor boat with skipper
• See monuments and buildings in Ortigia
• Sail towards Plemmirio marine protected area
• Swim at suggestive points in Plemmirio
• Enjoy lunch with Sicilian specialties onboard

The experience

You board a modern motor boat in Syracuse and spend the morning and early afternoon on the water with a live guide in English or Italian. The boat moves slowly past Ortigia, the historic island at Syracuse's heart, where you'll see the Maniace Castle, the Cathedral, the Church of Santa Lucia, the Arethusa spring and the Spanish Walls from the water. The route then heads toward Plemmirio, a marine protected area where the boat stops for swimming in the clearest spots along the coast.

Lunch happens on board, cooked in the boat's kitchen while you're underway or anchored. The meal is a reinforced appetizer and a main course (either homemade or fish-based, chosen by the staff) with wine and drinks included. Fresh seasonal fruit and drinks stay available throughout the tour. If you have food allergies, you'll need to flag them when you book so the kitchen can plan around them.

The 4-hour tour holds together without planning on your end: the skipper handles navigation, the kitchen handles the meal, and the stops are timed into the schedule. Marine weather can shift the exact route or which parts of Ortigia you see from the water, but the core of the day (the boat, the coast, the protected area and the lunch) stays intact.

What’s included

• Modern motor boat with skipper guide in English or Italian.
• Sicilian lunch with appetizer and main course cooked on board.
• wine and drinks with lunch.
• fresh seasonal fruit and drinks throughout the tour.
• swimming stops in the Plemmirio marine protected area.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 11:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (14 to 17 years) · Child (7 to 13 years) · Infant (under 7): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Escursioni in barca Siracusa | Excursion Boat Ortigia | Tour en bateau by Dolci Escursioni

Is this one for you?You're on a shared boat with other travelers, so the pace and stops are set by the group and the skipper: good if you want the coast and the lunch without building the day yourself, and the swimming stops mean you're not just watching from the deck. If you prefer to control the route or swim on your own schedule, a private rental boat would give you that freedom instead.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (14 to 17 years); Child (7 to 13 years); Infant (under 7): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Plemmirio marine protected area like when we get there?

Plemmirio is a coastal zone off Syracuse where the water stays clear and the seabed holds rock formations and marine life. The boat stops there for swimming in the most scenic spots, so you get time in the water rather than just viewing from the deck.

Is the lunch included in the price, or do we pay extra?

Lunch is included: a reinforced appetizer and main course cooked on board, with wine and drinks. The kitchen prepares it while you're on the water, and it arrives hot.

Can we swim during the tour, or is it just sightseeing from the boat?

You stop for swimming in the Plemmirio area, so there is time in the water. Bring a swimsuit if you want to use it. Swimming is optional.

What happens if the weather is rough on the day of the tour?

The itinerary can shift based on marine weather: the exact sections you visit or the stops you make may change to keep the boat safe. The core tour (the boat, the coast, the lunch) still happens, but the route adapts.

How long is the tour, and what time does it start?

The tour runs 4 hours total. The specific start time is set at booking and depends on the departure you choose.