Exploring Sicily: The Underrated Travel Destination – A Guide To The Best Of Sicily

With everything from five-star resorts and luxury villas to informal beach motels, you’ll be able to discover the perfect accommodation for your Sicily vacation. Select Sicily rental services offer excellent vacation rentals, including family villas with private pools, classic country hideaways, and luxurious city-center apartments. From their locations by the crystal-clear Mediterranean Sea to their places on the top of a vineyard-covered hill to their areas nestled within lush olive groves, our hand-picked villas provide the ideal setting for a wonderful visit with friends and family. When visiting Sicily, one of the things you want to secure is accommodation, and Select Sicily Villas makes the process easier.

Reasons to visit Sicily

With everything from five-star resorts and luxury villas to informal beach motels, you’ll be able to discover the perfect accommodation for your Sicily vacation. To avoid staying in places that will leave you disadvantaged when it comes to transport, visit Select Sicily Villas and choose a luxurious villa that will be your home from home.

Best local places to visit

1. Noto, Sicily with Villa Orizzonte

One of Sicily’s most prestigious and affluent regions, Val di Noto, is home to Villa Orizzonte, subtle but elegantly expressive praise to regional traditions.

The best way to get away from the city’s hustle and bustle and unite with Sicily’s most authentic culture is to visit this unique location. The combination of steel, iron, resin, wood, and local rock dominates the large open spaces, creating an elegant and modern atmosphere.

We are taken back in time to the Sicilian countryside, where dry stone walls, carob and olive trees, and the summer breeze gently lull us into a peaceful state of mind.

2. Menfi, Sicily with Villa Essence

In an elevated position overlooking the stunning Portopalo seascape, Essence is a modern luxury villa with the warmth of this Sicilian angle’s Mediterranean countryside and sandy beaches. ‘Open-plan living areas and a swimming pool can get enjoyed from the comfort of your own home thanks to large picture windows.

A large open-space living area with a contemporary, well-furnished kitchen separated from a comfortable seating area by a stylish fireplace at its center, whether you enter the house through its rear door or the adjacent kitchen patio doors. Large picture windows have replaced the walls, which bring the property’s stunning surroundings into the interior.

3. Marsala, Sicily with villa Seven Islands

Located in the coastal province of Trapani, this opulent contemporary Villa Seven Islands is tucked away on a hillside. From the ancient cities of Marsala and Erice, you can see for miles along the coast. The Seven Islands, the Egadi Islands, Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo Islands, and the Islands of the Lagoon, which included the ancient Punic site of Mothia, inspired the villa’s name.

This luxurious villa’s heated pool, terraces, and spa complex are stunning. It has all you could desire for a holiday to remember. One of the best luxury lodging options for kitesurfing enthusiasts is also available.

4. Taormina, Sicily with villa Seashore 

You’re greeted by a bright and airy open living space with an impressive wooden staircase as you enter the villa through the principal entrance.

Modern touches got wisely incorporated into a lightened and reimagined interpretation of the original style.

The three-story mansion is arranged symmetrically.

An elegant and spacious lounge with light colors and relaxing sea view terraces are located at the pool level. When you don’t want to go out to eat, you can enjoy a quiet dinner in the comfort of your residence, complete with a large dining room and fully equipped kitchen. A guest bathroom rounds out this level.

5. Siracusa, with villa Prestige

Prestige, a luxurious villa situated in an awe-inspiring natural setting, is a modern architectural marvel. Natural colors and modern furnishings combined with the gardens and pools’ water and sea will transport you to another experience where you’ll feel like a protagonist in a dream in which all your senses will get enchanted.

Prestige is located in Sicily’s most beautiful and fascinating headlands, a Marine Protected Area like the Plemmirio, and is just 20 minutes from Syracuse.

A villa with a unique flair that has everything you could want for a relaxing vacation.

Located right on the beach, the hotel features a natural seawater pool and an infinity pool with a jacuzzi, as well as a tennis court situated right next to the sea.

• Rich traditions and culture

The well-known Sicilian culture and tradition icon is the two-wheeled, horse-drawn cart, painted in vibrant colors and meticulous detail to portray religious scenes, flowers, and ornate designs. The carts were drawn by horses decked out with ribbons, bells, and feathers used as modes of transportation. The carts were made and painted by skilled craftsmen, and they may now be seen at festivals, museums, and in tiny versions as souvenirs.

Sicily’s cities and towns host various festive events throughout the year, many dedicated to patron saints, holidays, or seasons. This festival, held in Agrigento during the spring season, lasts ten days and is marked by traditional costumes, music, and parades. The Sagra della Ricotta, held in late April in Vizzini, one of Sicily’s oldest cities, commemorates the cheese used in sweet and savory dishes alike, including cannoli and cassata. The Feast of Santa Rosalia in Palermo is a prominent celebration in mid-July marked by music, processions, and spectacular fireworks displays. In addition, Carnival and Holy Week processions and various other activities are held across Sicily throughout the Easter season. Visitors who are lucky enough to come during one of these events will be able to experience the true Essence of Sicily’s customs firsthand.

• Wine galore

Sicilian wines have gained popularity and appreciation in recent years, even though the Greeks were the first to cultivate grapes on the island thousands of years ago. Marsala produces fortified wines of the same name, classified according to their age and residual sugar content. Wines like Carricante (white) and Etna Rosso (red), mainly made from Nerello Mascalese grapes, are produced in the Mt. Etna region of eastern Sicily, where volcanic soil and a suitable climate result in exceptional wines like Carricante (white) and Etna Rosso (red). In addition, Nero d’Avola, a native grape widely grown in this region, creates black, powerful, and complex wines.

Wines made from the Carricante grape, often known as Etna Bianco (white), are Italy’s most popular white wines. A dry white wine made from the Catarratto grape (the most widely planted) and a medium-bodied dry white wine made from the Grillo grape (which is also widely planted) is an excellent match for shellfish. Try to get Sicilian wines at your local wine store, and when you visit the island, make sure to try the local variety to find the appropriate pairing for your dinner.

• Beautiful Archaeological Sites

Geographically surrounded by the Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas, Sicily offers visitors miles of diverse and gorgeous coastline. Isola Bella, a beautiful beach near Taormina, is frequently served by a lido (beach club), which provides umbrellas, seats, refreshments, and eating. Mazzaro’s beaches are accessible through a cable car that runs from the hills. The water is crystal clear, and the sand is pebbly in texture (beach shoes are suggested). You’ll find both lidos and public spots nearby Giardini Naxos to relax.

Palermo’s northern coast beaches, including Mondello, Magaggiari, and Cefalu, have a sandy shoreline and are popular with tourists. Cefalu, a former fishing community about 40 miles east of Palermo, now has many beaches, cafes, restaurants, hotels, and vibrant nightlife. Fontane Bianche, San Lorenzo, and Marina di Ragusa are some of the most popular beaches in Ragusa, located on the island’s southeastern shore. Whether you are seeking a peaceful cove or a busy lido, visitors to Sicily will discover a beach that they will like.

The takeaway

Sicily is the perfect destination for a vacation in Italy’s boot-shaped country with idyllic beaches, delicious food, superb wines, and a rich and varied past. A self-catering holiday villa in sunny Sicily is the ideal choice for high-profile visitors searching for a serene haven to relax and enjoy a fantastic vacation. With Select Sicily, you can start arranging your next journey right now and stay in some of the most luxurious villas and luxury apartments in Sicily.

Written in partnership with Aggrandize