I didn’t quite realize, when I had booked our flat in Ortigia, Sicily, exactly where we would be staying. I knew we were near the water, I knew we were in the old town of Syracuse (that’s the Ortigia part), but never in my wildest dreams did I realize that we were literally across the street from this:

Must Do: Swimming & Cliff-Jumping In Ortigia

I don’t even know how to best describe this place — swimming platform? Natural swimming hole? Cliff-jumping spot? It’s all of those things, really. And this spot became the central point for our entire week in Sicily. We’d wake up late, grab breakfast (or lunch, really), wander around…and the second we became too hot, or if we got sick of crowds, we’d return home, change into swimsuits, and head on over.

Pax eventually convinced all of us to go cliff jumping, and as the week went on, we got braver and braver. Despite the heat, we never really had a tough time finding a space for our towel, and there’s no doubt this is one of the things we miss the most about Sicily.

Part of the ease of this place was the fact that we were staying literally across the street. So there was no need to “pack” for the outing, we’d just head on over. If anything was forgotten at home, it was quickly remedied. I didn’t even bother rinsing the saltwater off at the one (cold) spigots….we’d just head home for showers.

However, if you like your swimming spots with a bit more convenience, there was another place (down the street, closer to the Syracuse bridge) that had both a restaurant and bathroom facilities, called Solarium Ortigia Nettuno. Like ours, it had natural rock cliffs for jumping, and amazing swimming holes.but the man-made platform was covered in fancy beach chairs and umbrellas, and there was a bar/restaurant on-site.

And even at night…the swimming platforms have a gorgeous view.

Such a cool way to spend the week. Highly recommend.

Staying….

Casa A Ortigia via Wish Sicily

Featured….

leopard print swimsuit (s) | navy lounge top (xs) and pants (s) | Mike’s swim trunks | Raines swim trunks | Striped Towels (quick dry, super-thin — we bring these everywhere) | Full-Face Snorkel Mask

xo,

S

And for the pinners: