Exploring Sicily staying in Agriturismi

Since 1850, the Tenuta San Michele has been devoted to the cultivation of vines and the production of the famous Etna wine, thanks to its favourable position on the slopes of Mount Etna (500m above sea level), which rises to the south east of the property. It belongs to the baronial family of Scammacca del Murgo, an ancient and noble family of Angevin origin, who arrived in Sicily in the 12th century. Today, the Scammacca family, and in particular the sons of the former Italian Ambassador Barone Emanuele Scammacca del Murgo (Michele, Pietro, Matteo and Costantino), dedicate themselves to all the activities associated with the production of wine and, for more than 10 years, have opened the doors of the Tenuta San Michele to rural tourism. San Michele has spectacular views in all directions, from Etna to the Ionian coast, which guests can enjoy daily.

Accommodation

• 15 units including standard rooms and 1-bedroom apartments
• All rooms have a bathroom (bath and/or shower), hairdryer, minibar, satellite TV, telephone and most with complimentary WiFi
• 3 rooms are air-conditioned, the remainder have ceiling fans
• 3 rooms are located in an annexe, 100m from the main building
• One room has a mezzanine level
• Most rooms will accommodate extra beds for one or two children
• The apartments have a double bedroom, separate living room with sofa beds suitable for two children and a corner kitchenette (2 electric hobs and fridge)
• Some standard rooms have a small balcony.

Amenities/Leisure

• Buffet breakfast - served on the panoramic veranda May-Sept
• Restaurant serving traditional Sicilian cuisine. The average cost of a 3-course buffet meal (excluding drinks) is 20 Euros per person
• Complimentary WiFi in the main house
• Outdoor swimming pool (16 x 8m) with deck chairs and sun umbrellas (May-Sept)
• Guided tours of the cellar and wine tasting (payable locally)
• A 10-minute drive brings you to the traditional Sicilian bakery of ‘Lucio Russo’ which has been baking traditional Sicilian pastries since 1880. The bakery is located in its original building and furnished in the old ‘Liberty Style’
• 6km to ‘Etna Adventure Park’ with its canopy of zip wires suitable for all ages
• Cooking lessons available in Sicilian and Mediterranean cuisine at ‘La Cucina del Sole’ (13km) with Eleonora Consoli – a journalist and food writer of international renown (payable locally)
• Closest beach (pebble – blue flag) at Marina di Cottone, Fiumefreddo 15km and Letojanni (sand) 34km
• Free parking
• Products: DOP and IGP wines, sparkling wine, brandy, olive oil, extra virgin olive oils flavoured with hot pepper, basil, garlic or lemon juice, black mulberry and prickly pear jam, blood orange marmalade, lemons and mandarins and orange flavoured honey
• Places of Interest: Nelson’s Castle, Maniace (18km), Mount Etna – Rifugio Sapienza (22km), Alcantara Gorge (22km), Catania (32km), Nebrodi Park – Santa Domenica di Vittoria (35km), Taormina (35km), Randazzo (42km) and Syracuse (97km)

Sunvil notes

• Check in: 12:00
• Check out: 10:30

The Antica Tindari is a family-run, rural property surrounded by a vineyard and situated on the rolling hills of Tindari. The property has four rooms which are romantic and charming, with full terraces from which you can enjoy the stunning scenery. Guests will delight in tasting the locally produced wines, and enjoy a host of healthy dishes, featuring locally grown, organic products. The owner, Pina, is a warm and friendly host who has great knowledge and passion for producing excellent food and wines. The property’s vineyard and winery overlook the Gulf of Patti and the Aeolian Islands beyond.

The town of Tindari, with its location on a rock-face, high above the sea, was an almost impenetrable fortress, founded in 396BC by the Greeks from Syracuse, as an advanced defence against the many attacks by the Carthaginians. As you travel up the mountain, you can still see the ruins of the monumental city wall. But if you want to get a really good idea of how it looked a couple of thousand years ago, you should visit the archaeological sites in the old town centre (17km) and the Greek Theatre (6km).

Accommodation:

• 4 air-conditioned rooms including a single room, standard rooms and a triple room
• All rooms have a bathroom (shower & hairdryer), minibar, satellite TV, complimentary WiFi and terrace.

Amenities/Leisure:

• Buffet breakfast
• À la carte restaurant ‘Antica Tindari’ - 3-course meal is c.27 Euros per person excluding drinks
• Complimentary WiFi in the public areas
• Garden and sun terrace
• Outdoor swimming pool (11 x 5m)
• Winery with wine tasting
• Produce grown on the property: vegetables, grapes, wild herbs, wild asparagus, mushrooms, fruit, hazelnuts, almonds and olives (extra virgin olive oil)
• Free parking
• Local activities include table tennis, darts, hiking and cycling
• The closest pebble beach is at Patti Marina (6km) and a sandy beach at Mangiove (7km) – beach towels are provided by the property
• 33km to Milazzo with frequent boat crossings to the Aeolian Islands; 109km to Taormina; and 111km to Cefalù
• Closest towns are Patti (10 minutes' drive) and Tindari (15 minutes' drive).

Note: 8th September is the festival of the Black Madonna in Tindari. During this festival the Black Madonna is taken out of her sanctuary for an evening procession, and at midnight there is a fireworks display.

A few kilometres from Castelbuono, an ancient village of the Madonie with a strong medieval flavour, and on the road to Geraci, this rural property stands in the Vallone Saraceno, an archaeological site dating back to Greek and Roman times. The remains of the village’s Saracen origins can today be seen in the museum of Castelbuono. Originally a vegetable plot of the old Bergi fiefdom, with the passage of the years its agricultural activities have grown and, for the last ten years, it has added hospitality to these activities.

The property covers about 8 hectares, planted with fruit orchards, olives and vegetables, a rich vegetation which contrasts with the golden stone of which the house is built and evokes the simple rural life of the past. The owners, the Di Garbo family, uses its own organic products as the principal ingredients for its cooking, based on traditional dishes of the Madonie countryside.

Accommodation:

• 16 air-conditioned rooms including standard rooms and 2 two-bedroom suites furnished in a simple manner that reflects the agricultural tradition
• All rooms have a bathroom (shower), hairdryer and complimentary WiFi
• Six standard rooms will accommodate an extra bed for adult or child
• Seven rooms have a balcony
• Most rooms have countryside views
• Suites consist of two bedrooms separated by a hallway
• Some rooms have a shared terrace.

Amenities/Leisure:

• Continental buffet breakfast
• Restaurant serving regional dishes - reservations required
• Complimentary WiFi in the main building
• Large outdoor areas, with views to the surrounding countryside, shaded by trees and pergolas
• Children’s playground
• Outdoor swimming pool (25 x 6m) with sun terrace, deck chairs and umbrellas
• Free parking
• Mountain bikes (payable locally)
• The farm sometimes organises small group tours of the premises to view honey production and the vegetable and fruit canning processes (payable locally)
• Cooking classes (midweek) for groups of a minimum of 8 people, with recipes from the Madonie and using home grown farm produce (payable locally)
• Activities can be arranged in the Madonie, such as hiking, mountain biking, donkey trekking, quad biking and Nordic walking (all payable locally)
• From the farm, there is a path leading to the ancient giant Holly trees (3.5km)
• 37km to the Madonie adventure park
• 2km to the museum of rural life in Castelbuono
• Organic products: Olive oil, olives, honey (thistle, chestnut, eucalyptus, blackberry, honeysuckle and wildflowers), jam (oranges, tangerines, lemons) and jam (prickly pears, figs and pears). Canned chilli sauce, vegetables, fruits (citrus, apricots, pears and figs). Fresh produce available seasonally

Places of interest nearby:

• Castelbuono (3km)
• Cefalù (22km)
• Madonie Park (40km)
• Antiquarium Himera, Termini Imerese (48km)
• Sperlinga (50km)
• Nicosia (56km)
• Altesina Mountain Nature Reserve (60km)
• Palermo (80km)
• Sambughetti Campanito Nature Reserve (81km)
• Monreale (96km)
• Nebrodi National Park (102km).

This ancient fortified farm, built in the 17th century, lies in typical Sicilian countryside. In the old days it was the centre of a self-sufficient organisation, within which was situated everything necessary for the running of an estate, such as the stables, the hay barns, the store-rooms, the granary, as well as the workers’ lodgings. The upper floors were reserved for the owner. Thanks to sensitive restoration, it is still possible today, as you come in through the entrance, to breathe the atmosphere of the original farm.

The rooms are furnished with care, in Sicilian style, with antique family furniture, which blends perfectly with “recovered” pieces, such as the cobbler’s bench which serves as a bedside table, the bed head made from an old gate, or the cupboard, once part of a window. The swimming pool is shaped like a horse trough, surrounded by aromatic plants and fig trees, from which a panoramic view stretches as far as the Madonie mountains. At midday you might run into the geese and chickens which run loose in the courtyard, or perhaps see some tomatoes left in the sun to dry for preservation. A small museum of country life has been created in the stables, with old working tools on show.

Accommodation

• 6 air-conditioned rooms including 2 standard rooms (Stalletta and Selleria) and 4 superior rooms (Cammelli, Campiere, Giare and Carretteria)
• All rooms have a private bathroom (shower), hairdryer (on request), fridge and outdoor area
• Giare and Carretteria will accommodate extra beds in the living room for two adults or two children
• Two superior rooms (Campiere and Giare) interconnect
• One superior room (Cammelli) will accommodate an extra bed for a child (2-11yrs)
• Three superior rooms (Campiere, Giare and Carretteria) are duplex-units and have a double bed on a mezzanine level

Amenities/Leisure

• Buffet breakfast using home-grown products
• Lounge
• Bocce (Italian bowls) and archery range (free of charge)
• Participation in the harvesting of fruit and vegetables on the estate is possible
• Wine cellar
• Wine and olive oil tastings on request (payable locally)
• Outdoor swimming pool (14 x 6m) open Apr-Oct and sun terrace with deck chairs and sun loungers
• Organic products grown: Wheat, olive oil, wine, vegetables and seasonal fruits
• Bicycles (no charge)
• Sardinian donkeys stabled at the rear of the property
• Laundry service (payable locally)
• Complimentary WiFi in the public areas
• 2km to the nearest restaurant ‘Osteria al Canale’ in Valguarnera
• Free parking
• Places of interest: Necropoli di Rossomanno (3km), Ronza Park (4km), La Selva Pergusina (10km), Archeological site of Cozzo Matrice (13km), Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza Armerina (16km), Aidone and Morgantina (20km), Enna (22km), Catania (78km), Agrigento – Valley of the Temples (97km), Modica (120km), Syracuse (131km) and Taormina (133km)