Just Sicily were delighted to be featured in Liz Bird's Top Places to Stay in Sicily to book now for the Saturday Times http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/travel/destinations/italy/article4714676.ece
Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina>
It’s hard to beat the panoramas from this elegant 19th-century hotel, where most of the 70 rooms overlook the five-acre terraced garden, sea or have views towards Mount Etna. All have marble bathrooms and many have terraces or balconies. A free shuttle bus whisks guests to the sister hotel, with its private beach and children’s club. Tours of the town’s well-preserved Greek theatre, complimentary boat trips and visits to Mount Etna are on offer. After a day’s sightseeing return for dinner on the terrace.
Details B&B doubles cost from £184 a night (01202 489040, justsicily.co.uk). Catania is the nearest airport.
Mangiabove, Marina di Ragusa>
Choose from chic self-catering apartments or B&B rooms at this family-run 19th-century converted farmhouse on the southwest coast. It’s all very relaxed, with a high-ceilinged common room where you can relax by the fire and help yourself to local wine from the honesty bar. The eight rooms and apartments are decked out in cooling blues and whites, some with their own terraces. A vegetable garden is at guests’ disposal, along with a shop selling basic supplies and local products. A furnished terrace leads to a lovely heated infinity pool with sunbeds overlooking the sea. The owners, Michele and Emilia, can arrange wine and food tasting, cookery courses and boat and fishing trips.
Details B&B doubles cost from £82 a night, self-catering studios for two from £651 a week (01202 489040, justsicily.co.uk). Comiso is the nearest airport.
Other hotels mentioned that can be booked with Just Sicily 01202 484858 or online www.justsicily.co.uk :
Monaci Delle Terre Nere, Zafferana Etnea>
This grand 19th-century mansion is on a 40-acre organic estate on the lower slopes of Mount Etna. The 20 rooms, some rustic with lava rock walls, some more luxurious with hot tubs on the terrace, feature contemporary art, Italian designer furniture and sleek en suites. Hike or take the cable car up Mount Etna, then relax by the infinity pool and enjoy the incredible vistas. Breakfast is a treat: local cheeses, fresh bread and home-produced eggs, all laid out beneath the wooden shaft in the wine-pressing room.
Details B&B doubles cost from £362pp per week (01202 489040, justsicily.co.uk). Catania is the nearest airport.
La Foresteria, Menfi>
Learn how to make classic Sicilian dishes, such as caponata, cannoli and cassata, at this rural hotel overlooking vineyards towards the sea. The talented chef Angelo Pumilia also teaches guests how to make fresh pasta, cook with wine and prepare seafood in the spacious blue-and-white tiled kitchen. The 14 bedrooms are decorated in a traditional Mediterranean style, with colourful geometric carpets and ceramic tiles. There’s a pool, a gym and complimentary membership of a nearby beach club that’s surrounded by pines and overlooks the sand dunes.
Details B&B doubles cost from £511pp per week (01202 489040, justsicily.co.uk). Palermo is the nearest airport.
Relais Torre Marabino, Ispica>
Set on an organic wine estate, this small hotel is only a short drive from the south coast’s sandy beaches. Converted from a fortified grain store, it has seven traditional rooms named after wines produced on the estate, all of which can be sampled at a wine tasting. The legendary breakfasts include organic juice, home-made cakes, and honey and jam from the estate, all served on the terrace. Take a dip in the pool, wallow in the hot tub, or hire a bike and explore the surrounding countryside.
Details B&B doubles cost from £475pp per week (01202 489040, justsicily.co.uk). Comiso is the nearest airport.
Verdura Resort, Agrigento>
This swish five-star resort has everything from a sleek spa to a football pitch, tennis courts and three golf courses. The 203 rooms are decorated in a fresh and contemporary Sicilian style, the best with their own pools and hot tubs, and some with interconnecting rooms. If you tire of the resort, explore the nearby Valley of the Temples or visit the wine estate of Planeta for a tour and tastings. The on-site vegetable garden supplies much of the fresh produce for the hotel’s four restaurants.
Details B&B doubles cost from £622pp per week (01202 489040, justsicily.co.uk). Palermo is the nearest airport.
British Airways flies from Gatwick to Catania with returns from £105 and from Heathrow to Palermo from £161. Ryanair flies from Stansted to Palermo from £39.98 and to Comiso from £39.98. EasyJet flies from Gatwick to Palermo and from Gatwick, Luton, Bristol and Manchester to Catania, from £71.98. Norwegian (norwegian.com/uk) flies from Gatwick to Catania with returns from £70.
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