Today’s article is a guest blog on the best places to stay in Sicily by our fabulous apprentice Raffaella Bonaccorso.
I’m here to introduce you to the best places to stay in Sicily. Perfectly placed in the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has seduced travellers since the time of legends. It is worth visiting for several reasons. Sicily is full of architectural and artistic gems: from Byzantine to Baroque. It has a varied landscape: a mix of sea, volcano, and mountain scenery. Its cuisine, made of cannoli, arancini, and pasta alla norma, just to name a few, is famous worldwide.
While exploring this outstanding island, you can stay at one of these 5-star, luxury hotels and resorts, each one located in a different city.
Taormina – The Ashbee Hotel
We will start our journey in Taormina (in the city of Messina), in the northeast part of the island. It is probably Sicily’s most popular summer destination and one of the best places to visit in Sicily, known for being a chic resort town with many different 5 stars hotels.
One of the best is The Ashbee Hotel. In a quiet location with a stunning sea view, you will experience the Mediterranean world in one of the 24 luxury rooms and suites, each one with its unique decoration and furniture inspired by impeccable British design.
If you wish to dine in-house, you can experience St George Restaurant by Heinz Beck, the perfect venue for those who want to taste local food in style.
Check availability and best price guaranteed at Agoda.com
Linguaglossa (Mt Etna) – Hotel Villa Neri Resort and Spa
Our journey continues towards Catania where Mt Etna dominates the landscape. This volcano at 3326m is Italy’s highest mountain south of the Alps and the largest active volcano in Europe. On its slopes, you will find the Hotel Villa Neri Resort and Spa in Linguaglossa which is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. In its rooms and suites, you will find murals on the walls that evoke the rich history of Sicily and Southern Italy.
In order to nourish your body and mind, it is also worth visiting the hotel spa and health center as it features an array of facilities and treatments for relaxation and pure enjoyment.
Check availability and best price guaranteed at Agoda.com
Syracuse – Principe di Fitalia Hotel
Going south we will arrive in Syracuse which encapsulates Sicily’s beauty: ancient Greek ruins, baroque architecture and sparkling blue sea.
If you are into wellness and spa hotels, in Syracuse you should stay at the Principe di Fitalia Hotel that provides guests with an exclusive and luxury retreat.
In its 2,000 square meters of surroundings, you will find a spa with a wide range of relaxing and revitalizing health and beauty treatments, two outdoor pools, one indoor heated pool, a fitness area, a children’s playground, a tennis court and a private beach with solarium. What else?!
Check availability and best price guaranteed at Hotels.com
Ragusa – Eremo della Giubiliana
Proceeding southwest, there is Ragusa: a town of two faces. Sitting on the top of the hill is Ragusa Superiore, a busy town with grid-pattern streets and all the features of a modern provincial capital, while further down into the hillside is Ragusa Ibla: the historic center, a sloping area of tiny alleyways, grey stone houses and baroque buildings.
Close to Ragusa, you can relax at the Eremo della Giubiliana: a charming, ancient hermitage where friars’ cells were converted into guestrooms and suites elegantly refurbished in Sicilian style.
This unique hotel offers several tours to explore nature in the surroundings, Sicilian baroque, the sparkling nearby sea and even an air tour.
Check availability and best price guaranteed at Agoda.com
Sciacca (Agrigento) – Verdura Resort
Going up on that side of the island you will arrive in Agrigento, famous for its Valley of the Temples and good beaches. While there you should stay at the Verdura Resort in Sciacca (a town in the city of Agrigento).
It is an oasis, a centre of wellbeing and indulgence which consists of 230 hectares of sun-kissed Mediterranean coastline, countryside, spa, and golf.
Its key bragging rights include white-sand beaches, tennis courts, water sports, championship golf, infinity pools, thalassotherapy and the flagship Rocco Forte Spa; but also: fine dining, healthy eating, world-famous local wine, luxurious eco-architecture, and organic ingredients. How does that sound?
Check availability and best price guaranteed at Agoda.com
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Pantelleria – Sikelia Luxury Retreat
Heading up North, between Sicily and Tunisia, there is the small island of Pantelleria (part of the city of Trapani). The black pearl of the Mediterranean will strike you with dark rocks carved by the wind, sharp forms softened by the roundness of the white dammusi (traditional local homes), natural hot springs and rejuvenating mud: gifts of the volcano from which the island originated.
Gem of the island is the Sikelia Luxury Retreat: an exclusive, timeless place, synonymous with luxury and tranquillity. Its stylish rooms and suites, housed in ancient dammusi, bring together strict monastic interior architecture and refined contemporary elegance. While there you can dine at the Themà Restaurant and Lounge, where the executive Chef Diego Battaglia skilfully combines Sicilian traditional recipes with an Arab and African twist. Our recommendation: get lost in the Arabic garden and its ancient rituals of grape therapy, rediscover the slow rhythms of the earth and enjoy the island’s sea, an intense blue that will make you dream with open eyes.
Book your stay at Sikelia Luxury Retreat through Agoda.com
Cefalù – Calette N 5
Last but not least: we will finally get to Cefalù (part of Palermo, Sicily’s main city) in the North of the island.
Beautiful Cefalù is certainly one of my favourite places in Sicily as offers a rare combination of tourist attractions: one of Sicily’s finest beaches side-by-side with one of its greatest Arab-Norman architectural masterpieces. The squares, streets, and churches of this medieval town are postcard-pretty!
While there you should stay in Calette N 5 which offers guestrooms and suites, 4 restaurants and bars and a variety of services including swimming pool, Jacuzzi, wellness area, tennis court, and a disco club open every Saturday night during the whole summer.
As you can see this precious island offers a variety of luxury hotels and resorts that won’t certainly disappoint you!
Check availability and best price guaranteed at Agoda.com
You might also consider hiring a car for a Sicily Road Trip.
To make your life easier, we prepared the below Packing Checklist for your Europe’s travels of some essential items, you should include in your luggage.
- Suitcase/travel backpack
- 1 lightweight jacket
- 1 pair of tennis shoes
- 1 pair of sandals
- 1 pair of flip flops
- 1 theft-proof backpack
- 1 crossbody bag
- 1 scarf
- 1 pair of sunglasses
- Camera
- 1 e-Reader
- 1 plug converter
- Money bag
- Vitamins
- Hanging toiletry bag
- Stain remover liquid pen
Further Reading
If you enjoyed this post on the best places to stay in Sicily, you might also like to read about 5-star Hotels in Venice and Best Boutique Hotels in Rome.