Villa Santa Rosalia

BFB's Overview

Tucked amongst the vineyards of Western Sicily and less than 10 minutes drive from the beach, Santa Rosalia is a gloriously pink stuccoed country villa for families to drop and flop by a lovely private pool or discover all the delicious and historic delights that make Sicily so enthralling.

The enclosed garden is a Mediterranean paradise for frazzled parents to unwind, dotted with shady palms and jacarandas, as well as orange, pomegranate and fig trees for families to plunder when the fruits are season. In the middle of it all is the safely gated, 11x6 metre pool with Roman steps into the shallow end and surrounded by smooth terracotta tiles set out with sun loungers and a parasol, while gnarly olive trees provide more welcome shade for little ones. An inflatable paddling pool, lilos and balls are provided by the owners and parents can keep an eye on older children playing in the pool from the al fresco dining terrace and the kitchen.

Santa Rosalia has been recently renovated, redecorated and furnished in a relaxed, cool and comfortable style, with eclectic pictures and ornaments picked up by owners on their travels. The large sunny living room is equipped with Sky TV, a DVD player and CD system, with a wide choice of movies and music, plus the villa has wi fi to keep digital natives happy. New appliances have been fitted in the farmhouse-style kitchen, ensuring that parents have all the essential mod cons for preparing family dinners including lots of inspiring cookery books and all-important air conditioning. The kitchen has a breakfast table for 8 and there is a separate dining room but the outdoor terrace is where most mealtimes are sure to take place, in the cool dappled shade of a grapevine pergola and with a portable barbecue for sizzling up freshly caught fish and Sicilian sausages from the local market.

Up the switchback stairs, with a safety gate across the top, all four bedrooms have pretty views over the garden, air conditioning and mosquito nets on the windows. All three bathrooms are very spacious and newly renovated, comprising one with a large tub and powerful overhead shower, and two with walk in shower units. If required, perhaps for grandparents or a nanny, the villa has a studio with a large, comfortable sofa bed and adjacent bathroom adjoining the villa on the ground floor.

Accommodation Overview

Santa Rosalia sleeps up to 8 people plus 2 babies in travel cots provided and 2 additional guests on a sofa bed in the adjoining studio. Two of the bedrooms have queen sized beds and two have twin single beds. The main bathroom has a large bath and powerful overhead shower and the villa has two other walk-in shower rooms.

Location Information

Santa Rosalia has a peaceful, countryside setting in Western Sicilian just 2 miles from the nearest beaches and the fishing port of Mazara del Vallo.

Mazara boasts an elegant promenade and pretty piazzas, a wide range of shops and excellent trattorias serving fantastic fresh caught fish and seafood among the Sicilian specialities. In the past, local fisherman also pulled out an incredible bronze statue from Ancient Greece of a dancing satyr which is now the jewel in the town’s crown and proudly displayed in a dedicated museum.

To the east of Mazara lies the long sandy beach of Tonnarella with lidos, rows of sun loungers and beach umbrellas to provide much needed shade from the midday rays. To the west, the shore is fringed with rocky coves and smaller beaches where the water is a glittering turquoise and popular for snorkelling and scuba diving.

Sicily is steeped in a turbulent history of foreign invaders and conquerors that have left a fascinating cultural and archaeological legacy to uncover all across the island. The largest Ancient Greek archaeological site in Italy, Selinunte, is just a 30 minute drive from Santa Rosalia and after exploring the temples, families will be ready for a cool dip in the beach below and welcome refreshments in the bars and restaurants in the nearby village of Marinella.

Perhaps the best legacy of all the foreign occupiers is the delicious Sicilian cuisine that’s renowned as a mouth-watering melting pot of influences from Italy, Greece, Spain, Arabia and beyond. Sicilian ice cream is accepted to be among the best in the world and the refreshing flavoured granita is a super lush slush puppy. Fantastic fresh pasta dishes come with every taste-sensation sauce under the sun and Mazara specialises in aromatic fish cous-cous. For those with a sweet tooth, Sicilian cakes and desserts are dangerously irresistible such as sticky almond pastries and the elaborately decorated cassata made with ricotta, marzipan, sponge cake and candied peel. Western Sicily is also a major wine region. There are several wineries nearby while Florio and Pellegrino in neighbouring Marsala are open for tours and tastings. Marsala, of course, is world famous for its sweet dessert wines.

Getting there: British Airways, Ryanair, Airone and Easyjet provide direct flights from the UK to Sicily. Both Trapani and Palermo are international airports and are1 hrs drive to Santa Rosalia. British airways provides flights to Catania airport, which is 3 ½ hrs drive.

Nearest Medical Services (GP & A&E): Mazara del Vallo 4 kms away.