Sicily has gained a rep for being a favorite destination among many of the rich and famous, as well as featuring in popular films and TV series, such as The White Lotus, and Ocean’s Twelve. This magical Italian outpost has become a popular spot for honeymooners and luxury seekers alike, too.
And it’s easy to see why. This gorgeous island all the way down off the tip of Italy’s boot is what the dream luxury holiday looks like: pristine blonde-sand beaches surrounded by Mediterranean shrub, rocky white cliffs, and crystalline waters, sweeping landscapes, delicious foods, great wine, friendly locals, and the list goes on and on.
With the Covid pandemic seemingly coming to an end, there’s nothing quite like leaving the everyday behind and discovering a new exclusive, luxury destination that’s been on your travel wish list for some time.
Sicily now offers the latest in high-end comfort, excellence, innovation, and five-star facilities, not just in accommodation. The deluxe profile of the shopping, dining, and boating is equally impressive, ensuring it is bespoke for those looking for the utmost luxury.
Treat your loved ones to a luxury holiday, then, and make memories that last a lifetime. Here are some suggestions for luxury activities that can guarantee your trip is fun, engaging, and full of excitement and joyful emotions.
Wine tours for sipping and sightseeing
If you love wine-tasting and vineyard-hopping, Sicily, a storied wine region with some of the world’s finest vineyards and wineries, should definitely be on your travel list. The island’s Mediterranean climate, copious sunshine, and volcanic soil make it an ideal home to over 98.000 hectares of vineyards.
Boasting one of Italy’s most dynamic wine industries, Sicily is home to its own ancient grape varietals, such as Inzolia, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Grillo, Frappato, and Perricone, with a distinct style and unique character not found anywhere else. Whether it’s easy drinkability, food-friendliness, or the ability to express a particular vineyard site with idiosyncrasy, Sicilian wines offer everything that oenophiles and casual consumers look for.
Most vineyards in Sicily are open to the public, and have cellar door sales, guided tours and tastings. A vineyard tour usually includes an in-depth look at the production cycle, from harvest and grape selection to bottling.
Fine dining
Sicilian cuisine is so diverse, unique, and forever interesting, with lots of Arab, Greek, Turkish, and Spanish influences. The ingredients are some of the best in the world because of the island’s largely volcanic soil. Everything that’s grown here is just bigger, yummier, and stronger.
With everything from elegant, Michelin-starred restaurants where you can expect a gourmet experience with all the bells and whistles, to traditional, family-run trattorias serving the freshest seafood and traditional delights, and food trucks selling spleen sandwiches and crunchy arancini di riso, Sicily’s dining scene is one to watch. If your taste buds are now watering, perhaps you should think about a holiday in Italy’s largest and most captivating island.
Exploring open waters aboard a yacht charter
What else says freedom like a day on the water, with five-star services at your beck and call? Those with really big budgets looking to experience something akin to millionaire’s lifestyle will have the time of their lives going on a boat trip, an exciting way to explore the open waters, and experience something truly, truly unique.
Most yacht rental companies in Sicily come with full-service packages to help you set up for a day at sea or a full weekend away. Depending on your needs and preferences, choose from an ample selection of sporty motor yachts for casual outings, luxurious catamarans, and traditional ships with excellent amenities.
Designer-name shopping
There is a top level of shopping to be done in the picture-perfect southern Italian island of Sicily, which sits just off the toe of the boot-shaped country. From Via della Libertà in Palermo, with names like Gucci, Prada, and Chanel, to swanky Corso Umberto in Taormina, where the designer boutiques include Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana, this is an exercise in ultimate extravagance and high-class indulgence. And there are plenty of others.
Did you know that designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana met in Sicily in the Eighties, and decided to put an “&” between their names, creating what would grow into one of the world’s premier fashion brands? Indeed, for the finest things in life, Sicily never disappoints.
A luxury Sicilian villa all to yourself
As if that sumptuous array is not enough, Sicily has a growing offer of top-end properties available to rent. There are dozens of deluxe villas scattered across this sunny island in the middle of the Mediterranean, that if you look hard enough you can actually rent and stay at.
One of the island’s leading luxury vacation rental agencies is Select Sicily, based in Palermo. Since its debut in the mid-2000s, the company’s portfolio has steadily grown to include stunning holiday rental properties across this gorgeous triangle of land looking like it’s about to be kicked by the toe of the mainland further into the Mediterranean. From super luxe mansions to tastefully-restored baglios, these luxury villas in Sicily are made for discerning travelers, and they can now be rented.
If you’re after a celeb-worthy trip, then Prestige, a luxuriously finished villa with seaside tennis court, telescope, and infinity pool with jacuzzi located some 5 miles south-east of Siracusa, might be a bit of you. If glamor is what you’re after, then a stay in Essence, a modernist, four-bedroom villa in Menfi offering impeccable views and modern-style luxury, won’t disappoint.
For a larger group, you can head to Villa Sciutìa, in the picturesque village of Scordia, with the holy trinity of the perfect location, grand interiors, and a host of luxuries, including a 50-foot-long swimming pool, a wine cellar, a tennis court, a wooden sauna, vibrant gardens, concierge service and in-house private chef. What could be more luxurious than that?
To find out more and to book these abodes, visit the company’s website Selectsicilyvillas.com.
