Gianluca Nicastro
- Feb 2, 2020
- 2 min read

Instagrammable Ortigia. No Filters Needed. Coffee With A View.

Sometimes no plan is THE best plan.

A potter round the island of Ortigia will leave you and your camera lens in love...

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Sicily this year and happen to be in Ortigia, the small island of Siracusa then you best get some extra memory for your phone or camera.

We are all aware of the extraordinary delights for the eyes, the relentless visual feast that leaves us not knowing where to look or go first, but this island goes beyond the imaginable.

This way, that way, from every corner turned, from the corner itself, gazing up or down, there are vistas of indescribable splendour. Scenes beyond words that we then try to capture on camera leave us feeling somewhat frustrated - the photos are beautiful, but not half as impressive as the real thing. From landscape panoramas to the small details dotted around, it is a photographers playground.

Ortigia is a small island of only a couple of km squared yet 95% of it 'instagrammable' With the number of Instagram 'picture agents' who kindly snap away and share picturesque places for those who can not travel and only dream or be inspired.

Apart from the glorious food, Ortigia offers photo opportunities from baroque crumbling buildings, to brightly and succulent cacti, cobbled paths, laundered white linen hung high up on 'nona's' washing lines, vespas, apes (small trucks), Fiat 500s, sunsets & sunrises over the enchanting deep emerald green Ionian Sea, greek temples, fountains dedicated to mythological creatures & gods, and not to mention an abundance of handsome & beautiful residence.

The list is exhaustive...

Michelle Vaid Life Work In progress Instagram Meme.da.siracusa

A myriad of picture choices: The sunset, the statue, the building or the ambiance? It is challenging to decide what to capture. A local Instagrammer '@Meme.Da.Siracusa' passionately snaps & shares images of his beloved Siracusa & Sicily.

A little 20 minute walk in or around this film set of an island can take up to an hour and a camera battery recharge stop. It is everything Italian, the 6th gear of Italy. A condensed version of the architectural and environmental beauty that is Italy, with everything just a stones throw away - both detail and landscapes on your doorstep.