Stay
About the accommodation
Located on the first floor of the Villa, this large double room with its cosy atmosphere offers a comfy bed and an ensuite bathroom with shower. Air Conditioning and heating are included. You also have direct access to a kettle in the corridor outside the room for tea and coffee.
Up to 2 people
Perfect for couple or single.
Breakfast included
Property
Located in the heart of Sicily, on the Iblei Mountains, a few miles away from the Unesco Heritage Village, Palazzolo Acreide, this beautiful villa and yoga retreat center is a traditional Mediterranean house, nested on a top of a gorge with terraces covered by olive tree, fruits tree and wild Sicilian flowers and pants.
SHARED SPACES
The shared areas include a spacious living room and dining room where you can get your work done, as well as a fully-furnished kitchen. The Veranda at the North-East side of the house is a perfect place to enjoy your breakfast with other remote workers in the morning or share a delicious dinner with the hosts. During summer it can also be used as a secondary kitchen, with a sink, small fridge, kettle, microwave and toaster. They also have an outdoor barbecue!
With two hectares of land around you is almost like having a private park all for you. There are 63 centennial olive trees, carrube trees, several fruits trees, typical Mediterranean plants and wild herbs. The entire villa has been rebuilt on the foundations of a 1856 residence, used by monks of the diocese of Noto.
COMMUNITY & ACTIVITIES
From the villa you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Iblei mountains and the valley. If you are a cat lover, they have 5 sweet cats ( 4 from Cambodia and 1 Sicilian) and a nice and quiet dog, all looking for new friends and cuddles.
The Villa is close enough to the main village and main commodities (groceries and restaurants), only 5 minutes drive, but far enough to feel that you are far away from everything!
During spring they offer cooking class, based on simple recipes made with wild Sicilian herbs that are growing spontaneously on their land.
GOOD TO KNOW
Important:
- Your can get your meals cooked for you for extra charge
- Fully-furnished indoor kitchen only available for guests who stay a week or longer
Work features
- Good WiFi (10-25 Mbps down)
- Both shared and private workspaces
Home features
- Shared kitchen
- A/C
- Vegetarian friendly
- Swimming pool
- Vegan friendly
Activities available onsite
- Yoga classes
- Meditation
- Excursion with private tours
Area
Activities in the area
- Hiking
- Biking
Flora and fauna
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the most diverse in terms of geography, flora and fauna. There is a diverse amount of flora in Sicily, mostly thanks to a geology and climate that encourage plant life. In mountainous areas you will find broom, lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, wild olive trees, dwarf palms, lentisks, cork oaks, oleanders, carob trees and tamarisks.
FLORA
The largest forest tracts include oaks, holm oaks, cork oaks, chestnut trees and beech trees. Other local fauna includes the agave, palm, plane trees, ficus, cedar, mulberry and eucalyptus. Parks and reserves have been created to protect these last vestiges of forest.
FAUNA
There are populations of hedgehogs, rabbits, squirrels, beavers, foxes, wild cats and wild boar. You can also find birds like dalcom, pilgrim hawk, windhover, eagle, rock partridge and imperial crow. Migratory birds that still use Sicily as a pit stop include the common wader, pink seagull, grater sea swallow and the spoonbill. You can also find insects and invertebrates here such as the spotted grass snake, a rather large toad and varieties of frog and gecko.
Social ecosystem
EXPERIENCE THE LOCAL LIFE
The accommodation is located in the heart of Sicily, on the Iblei Mountains, only a few kilometers away from the Unesco Heritage Village, Palazzo Acreide. It is an ideal destination for those who want to visit a place suspended in time, away from mass tourism.
On top of the city you will find the archaeological area of Akrai, founded by the people from Siracuse in 664 BC, there is also a small Greek theater (that hosts classical performances) and other remains of places of worship, tombs, quarries and a decumanus.
Starting from Piazza del Popolo you will be fascinated by the immensity of the church of San Sebastiano, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. The Town Hall dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century and it was built in neoclassical and Liberty style. Along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the baroque Palaces remind that many noble families lived in Palazzolo. Among them, there are the eighteenth-century Palace of the archaeologist Iudica and the seventeenth-century Palazzo Pizzo.
When visiting Palazzo Acreide don’t forget to stop at one (or more!) pastry shop, for a taste of flavor of the centuries-old.
Practical
How to get there
Closest international airport: Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA)
To get to the accommodation from the airport:
By car: around 1h
By public transport: take a bus from the Catania airport to Siracusa - Corso Umberto (1,5h 5-7€), then change for a bus to Palazzolo Acreide (40 min, 4-5€), then walk around 15 min to the accommodation.
Property guidelines
1. No smoking (possible outside in the garden)
2. Check in time: from 2.00 pm
3. Check out time: 11.00 am
Strict (30-days)
