Self Catering Farm Stays: Sicilia (2023)

Tenuta Santa Tecla is a serene organic agriturismo in a wonderful location outside the town of Acireale, near to both Taormina and Catania, Sicily, and close too to the Mt. Etna National Park. It sits on a hillside just 2km from the Mediterranean and has some stunning sea views. The farm itself produces a huge range of certified organic fruits and vegetables, including mandarin oranges, lemons and grapefruit and it also makes its own very good brand of extra virgin olive oil. They also have farm animals which guests are welcome to meet including hens, geese, donkeys and a few rare, in this part of the world anyway, Tibetan goats. THE ACCOMMODATION: There is a choice self catering apartments and B&B rooms and suites, all of which are boutique hotel standard in terms of style, comfort, cleanliness, as well as facilities which include air con, mini bar, satellite LCD TV’s, and stylish bathrooms with walk in showers. One room, the ‘deluxe room’ also comes with its own whirlpool spa bath. The apartments can sleep up to four people and have all the above plus a spacious lounge area and a fully equipped kitchen. There is also a wellness centre at the property which includes a sauna/Turkish bath, a yoga area and massage services. Out in the beautifully tended traditional Mediterranean gardens there is a swimming pool, plenty of sun loungers and seating, a children’s play area and an archery range. The breakfast at the agriturismo is top class, much of their organic ingredients come fresh from the farm, and they are always happy to cater for dietary restrictions and special requests. THE FARM: Originally the agriturismo’s main focus was their extensive lemon orchards, this they extended in later years to include many other types of citrus fruits, and vegetables. All of their produce is certified organic and being keen gardeners, as well as farmers, the owners also have a botanic garden where you can see a huge variety of native and non native plant species, all of which are carefully marked and described individually. There are animals on site too; donkeys, goats, hens and geese, with a mini petting zoo which READ MORE

Agriturismo Villa Cefalà, near Palermo, Sicily, is just a stone’s throw from the beach and its hillside location allows some really stunning views over the Mediterranean and some nice sea breezes too. The farmhouse is a classic old Sicilian mansion, in this case from the 18th century, and a place where the nobility of Palermo used to spend long leisurely summers. The building has an aristocratic, elegant feel, and the grounds are gorgeous too, there is a swimming pool and some lovingly maintained garden areas surrounded by rows and rows of citrus and olive trees. They also have a great restaurant on site where you can enjoy a generous, fresh, breakfast each morning and some thoroughly enjoyable evening meals on the outdoor terrace. THE ACCOMMODATION: Agriturismo Villa Cefalà has both B&B rooms and apartments. All have a nicely traditional Sicilian feel to them, with wrought iron bed frames, tiled floors, wood beamed ceilings and antique furniture, but they are modern hotel standard in terms of comfort and facilities; en-suite bathrooms, WiFi, Satellite TV, mini bar and safe, plus some nice little touches like a complimentary beauty kit in each of the bathrooms. The rooms are all double rooms and have plenty of space with a separate seating area included. The apartments have also one double bedroom though are slightly larger with a small kitchenette and lounge area included. In the grounds there is an outdoor swimming pool and various terraces and extensive gardens where you’ll also find a small children’s playground. The food is fantastic at this agriturismo, their traditional breakfast is large and tasty, and has a very nice selection of home made delicacies for you to try; pastries, breads, cakes, cheeses and yoghurts, washed down with freshly squeezed orange juice straight from the farm and of course some great coffee. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner too, where the quality of the food & wine, and the beautiful surrounds, attract many local visitors too, which is always a good indication. They have excellent cooking classes at the agriturismo, in case you would like to try your hand at making some of their dishes yourself at home, READ MORE

A family run vineyard & agriturismo, Baglio Vecchio offers peace, tranquility and rustic old world charm in the wilds of North West Sicily. The property is an 18th century baglio, a traditional Sicilian farmhouse, which has been respectively restored and retains the atmosphere of a bygone era without sacrificing modern comforts. The food here is consistently excellent, you can sample some fine Sicilian traditional dishes with most of the ingredients coming from the farm, and all accompanied by the agriturismo’s very own wine. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have ten rooms in total, two quadruples, one triple, six doubles and one single, in the main farmhouse building and six self catering apartments in the nearby renovated storehouse to sleep up to four people each. They all have a rustic vibe with soothing pastel coloured walls and and some nice antique furniture, but they also have air-con, satellite TV, private bathrooms and WiFi for example, and you’ll generally find the accommodation super comfortable, and clean. The 50 seat restaurant, as mentioned above, has some terrific traditional Sicilian food & wine on offer and they are happy to cater for guests with dietary restrictions. Outside in the grounds there is a swimming pool and the whole property is surrounded by olive groves, grape vines and a beautifully peaceful, nearly 30 acre, stretch of old woodland that is lovely to wander around. You are also welcome to join in some of the activities around the farm such as, in season, harvesting the olives or grapes, and you can also try your hand at the ancient lawn bowling sport of bocce, play ping pong, go horse riding or take one of the farm’s bikes to explore the surrounding area. THE LOCATION: Tucked away near the coast of north west Sicily, the journey from Palermo should take less than an hour and a half, from Trapani less than an hour and from Marsala, less again. Rural Sicily has a wealth of ancient ruins and the area surrounding the agriturismo is no different. The ruins of the ancient Greek city of Selinunte, are just 10 km away on the coast with Segesta too being just 40km away. Both are READ MORE

This very cute, pet friendly, agriturismo B&B near Catania, Sicily, Italy, grows 100% organic citrus fruits and vegetables in a beautifully rural setting with Mt. Etna towering above. All their comfortable rooms and suites have a private bathroom and a terrace or balcony, some come with a kitchenette, but guests are also free to cook in the well equipped shared kitchen. Outside they have barbecue facilities in the garden and the surrounding area is really nice to explore by hiking or biking, especially the nearby Mt. Etna National Park, and the farm can offer free bike rental to do just that. WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY: “Everything: accommodation (perfect rustic design), very friendly owner, excellent breakfast, good location (in the nature and at the same time close to the city)….” “We truly loved our stay here. Cesare was a very kind and relaxed host. The atmosphere was extremely relaxing and the whole place just beautiful. We will come again!….” >> CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS & TO BOOK YOUR STAY AT LA CASA DI PIPPINITTO:   READ MORE