Sicily Villas For Rent
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Sicily Villas For Rent
The old rhyme “Long legged Italy kicked little Sicily into the Sea” was a school chant to help educate children on the location of this island. It sits at the very toe of the boot of Italy and at over 25,000sq km is the largest of all the Mediterranean islands.
With Exceptional Villas incredible array of Sicily villas for rent, you will need to take a much closer look at this island to decide where and how you will experience your dream vacation.
Separated from mainland Italy by the narrow Strait of Messina, Sicily is one of the 20 regions of Italy and probably Italy’s most unique.
Like a lot of the Mediterranean islands, it has been the focus of many invasions by everyone from the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Normans … it’s pretty safe to say that any of the influential empire-building nations left an indelible footprint on this remarkable island. Within a very manageable drive from any of the villas in Sicily that we represent, there are thousands of years of history just waiting to be explored.
Heritage Sites
As you can imagine with all of this invasion, there are numerous remarkable sites or archaeological importance to visit. Agrigento’s Valle dei Templi is a UNESCO protected site of ancient Greek ruins. Piazza Armerina’s Villa Romana della Castale is a fourth-century Roman villa with intricately detailed mosaics. Just stunning.
For those who like a little bit of spooky touring, the Necropolis of Pantalica features thousands of tombs that date back to tenth century BC.
There are hundreds of castle and coastal towers to be explored too. These fortresses provided refuge and look-outs for centuries but have now become an exciting destination for children who like the adventures these conjure up.
And let’s not forget churches. As with all Mediterranean countries steeped in their Catholic roots, there are cathedrals, churches and shrines all over the island. Every little hamlet boasts its own little church that is as perfect and pretty as the huge city Cathedrals are grand and imposing.
Beaches
With its distinctive triangular shape, Sicily has over 1,500km of coastline. From your luxury villas Sicily you can start your day with a calm stroll along some of the many secluded sandy beaches. With dramatic cliffs and plenty to enjoy both on and off the water, the long coastal sweeps of Sicily attract visitors from mainland Italy each year.
The mountainous hinterland, made up of rocky hills and rolling farmland, ensures that driving in Sicily is endlessly surprising – with little towns and villages, dazzling in creamy white perfection, perched on scenic hills around every winding bend.
The impressive Mt Etna – the largest active European volcano dominates the Eastern horizon as do the other mountains that flow across the island.
These mountains are the tail end of the Apennine mountain range of mainland Italy and bring a lovely diverse view to the Sicilian countryside and offers trails and forests for exploration on foot or by bike.
Italy but different
There are common themes as you move from one province to another on mainland Italy, but Sicily deviates from most of these themes. For one thing, the locals speak Italian with a pronounced Sicilian accent and incorporate many words from a local dialect.
You may pride yourself on your high-grade school Italian, but all bets are off in Sicily. You’ll easily get by though because of the magnificent welcome by the locals who want, more than anything, for you to enjoy a memorable visit to their island!
Food and Wine
As with all Italian regions, the produce that is grown and harvested locally forms the basis of all the delicious local speciality dishes. Sometimes known as God’s kitchen for the vast array of divine ingredients, Sicily has many dishes that originate at specific areas within the island.
Caponata a flavourful mix of aubergine and olives is rich and tasty. Sweet Cannoli, with varying fillings, can be found throughout the island. Fish, meats, pasta, rice … it’s easy to find something on any menu for the vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian or meat lover.
When you stay in one of our Sicily villas, one of the loveliest aspects of your vacation are the trips to the local markets where you can pick up the freshest and most delicious ingredients. Fresh morning bread or pastries with good Italian coffee, bowls of luscious fruit, cheeses, olives, fish and more fish …. The list is endless.
Stopping or a quick drink or coffee while you browse the markets is all part of the theatre of Sicilian life.
And to accompany all of this glorious fare are the local wines. Novello is a fruity red that is found at all good tables. Catarratto Bianco a fresh white marries well with fish. The heavenly sweet wine Malvasia is enjoyed with desserts – of which Sicily has numerous.
Conclusion
The mild conditions year-round and the blue-sky splendour of Summer ensures plenty of visitors to the Sicilian shores. The lively cities of Palermo, Syracuse and Taormina, offer a nice balance to the beauty of the hillside towns and villages that dazzle white in the Summer sun.
There are plenty of quiet beaches and hills on which to find some space to walk in the footsteps of all those invaders who came to Sicily many centuries ago. It’s easy to see why each of these nations or peoples did their utmost to remain forever in this island paradise. Your trip will be the first of many.
With so much to explore, so much to experience, the warmth of the locals, the history, the culture, the fierce spirit of modernity of its young people, Sicily stands alone as an island, confident in who it is. Made up of many things and truly a land apart. Let your adventure begin.
At Exceptional Villas, our experienced sales and concierge staff will introduce you to your Sicily vacation rentals where you can enjoy all of the magical ingredients that make Sicily one of the most memorable and best-loved destinations in the heart of the Mediterranean.