Villa Torres, Scicli, Italy

Set on a hillside looking out over the deep blue Mediterranean Sea, this stunning villa is a magical holiday retreat for a family or group of friends.

The house is surrounded by well-kept, walled gardens, with a private pool and sleeps 8 people. On one level, a raised ground floor, with 3 bedrooms and charming terraces overlooking the pool and gardens, is full of light and colour. The villa is modern but with a nod to local Sicilian architecture. There are cool, terracotta floors throughout.

The entrance, via a wide stone terrace, takes you straight into the heart of the house. To the right is the bright sitting room, which has a large sofa and coffee table, plus a traditional corner fireplace for chillier winter evenings. Wide glass doors lead out onto the terrace. To the left is a room for relaxing, with a pool table and a deep red sofa. A short flight of stairs leads from the pool table room to the spacious kitchen/dining room, which has high, beamed ceilings and glass doors on either side of the room leading out to a courtyard on one side and a loggia on the other. There is a large dining table in the kitchen, which can seat up to 10 people and a Satellite TV in the corner. It is a classic, Italian family kitchen, perfect for people who want to enjoy delicious food with friends. The kitchen is well-equipped with a cooker hob, microwave, oven, dishwasher, fridge, freezer and a drip coffee machine.

Double French windows lead out to a shaded terrace with another dining table for guests to dine al fresco.

Outside, the villa has a second loggia, by the pool, with another large dining table with 8 chairs. The private swimming pool is close by with four sun-loungers, some chairs and parasols where guests can relax. The pool is fully lit for safe night swimming.

Sleeping

Bedroom 1: The master bedroom is traditionally furnished with a wrought iron double bed, chest of drawers, air conditioning and a large wardrobe.
Bedroom 2: This brightly painted bedroom has 2 single beds which can be joined to make a double bed. It looks out onto the loggia and the swimming pool. It has a wardrobe, chest of drawers and air conditioning.
Bedroom 3: A peaceful bedroom with 2 single beds and a chest of drawers.
Extra: The sofa in the sitting room converts into a double bed.

Bathrooms

Bathroom 1: A large bathroom with a full bath, shower, basin and WC
Bathroom 2: A smaller bathroom with a shower, basin and WC.

Additional

• Sea views • Outside dining areas • BBQ • Pool table • Air conditioning • Central heating & open fireplace • Child-friendly • Pets allowed • Free Wifi • Suitable for elderly • Private swimming pool • Private gardens • Washing machine • Parking spaces, car essential for your visit • Waste disposal • Smoking permitted

Electricity needs to be paid at the property at €0.50 kw/h. Gas also needs to be paid at the property, as per usage at €5.00 mc. There is a local tax of €1.50 /day per person (over 12 years) for the first 10 days of your stay. A Refundable Security Deposit of € 300 needs to be paid in cash at the time of check-in.

Please note that check-in time is from 4 pm-8 pm and check-out time is 8 am to 10 am. Any other check-in/out time has to be previously agreed upon. Also, please note that a local train line runs through the back of the property with 3 small, local trains per day.

Location

Just a 10-minute drive from the beautiful beach at Sampieri, but set in quiet countryside, this villa is perfectly placed for an action-packed or very relaxed holiday. Scicli (10-minute drive) is a fascinating, less-visited jewel of a town, packed with Scillian Baroque architecture.

There are many festivals throughout the year in Scicli, but the two most famous are “Uomo Vivo” (Man Alive) at Easter – a procession which finishes at the beach of Donnalucata and the Madonna Al Cavallo at the end of May to celebrate the town’s defeat of the Saracens.

If you are inspired by the delicious local cuisine and want to try to recreate it yourself, Scicli’s weekly market takes place on Tuesday in Via Saffi. There is a larger market every Wednesday in the football stadium in Ragusa (a 40-minute drive). Ragusa is certainly worth a visit. It hosts a prestigious music competition and festival, which takes place every July. As well as being home to some of the finest Baroque palaces on the island of Sicily.

For a real treat, visit the Azienda Agricola COS (1-hour drive) and take a tour of the vineyard and olive groves. Here you can sample some excellent wines and olive oils and take away your favourites to enjoy at home.

Catania’s international airport is a 1-hour 40-minute drive from the villa.