Villa Cipollazzo

My Family (4) stayed here for a week at the end of August. It’s a great place in a great location. The inside was big enough for us. The aircon works well, but the sea breeze keeps the apartment cool enough in the day. We put on the aircon for just an hour before bed – that was enough. The outside balcony space was more than enough, as big as the flat itself and great for sitting out in the warm evenings. It has a great view in land. It is east facing so can get warm in the morning; no worries, there is another, smaller balcony at the back of the apartment. For us the location was all about the beach – fabulous. A 400m walk gets you to the beach. The Lido Fiori is about 5 miles long, and mostly just 10 metres wide. Along much of its length it forms an ankle-deep sandbank just 5 metres out that traps a strip of warm water between. This is heaven for small kids play in and the sandbank itself was our preferred way to walk along it. If the sea-breeze is backed by the prevailing wind, by late afternoon the sea can get choppy and limit access to parts of the beach at the narrower points, and the sand can blow about. Check the forecast. The area is sparsely populated and there are no restaurants within walking distance. The closer restaurants are popular so need to be booked (in the evening for sure). Francesco, your host, will do this for you. A little further (20 mins drive) is Selinute, which has many restaurants, and booking was not necessary. Be aware: Sicilian’s start their evenings a little later than many other places so you will be hard pushed to have food in front of you before 8. The nearest supermarkets are in Menfi (15 mins) but there is an excellent “alimentation” on the road to Porto Palo – amazing olives. Selinute is also home to the local tourist attraction – the Greek Ruins. We had intended to take a trip to the Temples near Agrigento, but this was not necessary as what was at Selinute was amazing and according to the guidebooks better. Its covers a big area. Take the golf cart circuit, else you will cook. Palermo is an hour and a half away. There is plenty to see there, especially the Norman Palace. If you like visiting Italian churches, Roger’s chapel will blow you mind. Has anyone warned you about the driving? Catania is mental, but Palermo and the west are more manageable. Lastly – Francesco, get some tea-towels.