Enjoying life like a true Sicilian with Villatravellers

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to experience a destination is to really immerse yourself in it; to swerve the relative ‘sameness’ of an international hotel chain for accommodation that’s more boutique, or local. When we arrived in Catania, Sicily, our aim was to make the most of our long weekend on Italy’s largest island; to feel that we were somehow part of it.

Thanks to Villatravellers, a Sicilian villa company established in Palermo in 2006, we had high hopes of achieving this aim. The company names its USPs as, firstly, a genuine desire to share their passion for the island and its culture, as well as to provide high-quality villa accommodation and outstanding customer service.

casale degli erei terrace — Casale degli Erei enjoys a tranquil rural setting near Ragusa

Within minutes of arriving at Casale degli Erei Villa, near Ragusa, we had no doubts as to the second of these being nailed. Our wheeled suitcase, clattering over the central courtyard, broke the tranquillity of the surrounding vineyards and countryside, and we excitedly explored the nine bedrooms and communal areas of the property, as well as looking longingly at the pool – over which palms towered – and poking about in the enticing outdoor kitchen.

The hard work had been done for us – as much as going to a Sicilian supermarket may have been a pleasure, the concierge service offered by Villatravellers meant that the fridge was already fully stocked. Even with over 70 properties in its portfolio, the team at Villatravellers are minutely acquainted with each one and are thus able to offer on-the-ground advice about local attractions, events, and activities. They are, essentially, the only crib notes you’ll ever need on ‘being a local’ in Sicily, even with only a few days at your disposal. We were inordinately pleased with ourselves as we sipped on aperitivos in a local square, accompanied only by the occasional stray dog and a gaggle of smiling elderly gentlemen, gathering for an afternoon gossip.

casale degli erei room — Casale degli Erei boasts nine spacious and comfortable bedrooms

In the knowledge that we’d had an early start, Villatravellers had arranged a chef to visit the house and prepare us a traditional Sicilian repast. Every dish was presented with details, significance, and history, allowing us to imbibe information with our food – and infusing it with a flavour even more satisfying, as a result.

So fascinated and intrigued were we by all we had learned over the course of the evening, that Villatravellers arranged a private cooking lesson for us. In the peace, space, and privacy of our villa’s kitchen, we were instructed by a local expert in the art of making, from scratch, authentic Sicilian food. All of us had enjoyed hands-on culinary instruction in the past, but agreed that there was something so much better, relaxing, and enjoyable about it in the informal space that we had already come to think of as ‘our’ kitchen, with wine and conversation both flowing. Wine being, of course, a key component in the enduring appeal of Italy.

casale degli erei kitchen — The villa’s kitchen is an informal and welcoming space

On this island, where viticulture techniques have been honed since 400BC and where – as the landscape surrounding the villa bears witness to – the conditions are ideal for wine production, we were eager to learn more about what we were drinking. Fortunately for us, the villa’s owner is a winemaker and hosted us at a poolside wine-tasting.

The health-giving properties of wine are frequently celebrated, accompanied by a cautionary ‘in moderation’ footnote – at least when the wine is being consumed. External treatment brings different rules, and no such restraint exists at Casale degli Erei’s wine spa which, quite literally, doused each one of us in litres of warmed wine as we relaxed in a tub. As well as the fact that wine is known to contain polyphenols, which boost skin radiance and texture, this vinotherapy also makes use of end-of-season and surplus product, which ticked a big sustainability box, as well as a self-care one.

casale degli erei wine spa — Guest can enjoy a dose of vinotherapy at Casale degli Erei’s wine spa

Given that Sicily is, despite being the largest Italian island, relatively small when compared to the United Kingdom, its terrain is varied and endlessly captivating. When, after two nights at Casale degli Erei, we moved on to the Sicily’s northern side, there was no end of spectacle, thanks to the landscape – all loomed over by Mt Etna, active as recently as February 2022.

Our next stop was Cefalù, a fishing village with a striking Normal cathedral – its twin towers spiking the gorgeously blue, cloudless sky – and backed by La Rocca Mountain. We hiked these steep paths, taking in a ruined temple and Norman castle, feasting on views over traditional architecture, curious alleyways, and the wide expanse of sea, before feasting on a seafood lunch of epic proportions at ITTICO, a waterside restaurant.

Il Borgo de Barone olive press — A seamless marriage of antiquity and modernity has been achieved at Il Borgo de Barone

Stuffed to the (no pun intended) gills, we made our way to our next Villatravellers property, Il Borgo de Barone, where a seamless marriage of antiquity and modernity has been achieved. Originally constructed in the 17^th century, the villa is built over three floors and where the olive press once stood is now a communal space for which the original stone forms a striking feature.

Even after the excesses of lunch, the in-villa dining arranged by Villatravellers was irresistible, after which we each retired to one of the property’s seven bedrooms. The location, while not being as bucolic as that surrounding Casale degli Erei – headlights and a distant hum of engines were vaguely perceptible – had its own charm: as cushioned as we were, we were also right there in Sicily, with real people living their everyday lives in our vicinity.