Villas in Sicily

• Choose your ideal villa: From coastal retreats near Taormina to countryside estates inland, Sicily's villas suit families, groups of friends and couples travelling with pets alike.
• Best areas to stay: Taormina and Cefalù lead for coastal glamour and family beaches, while Ortigia and Agrigento reward history lovers with easy day trips.
• What guests love: Private pools, spacious terraces and warm, personal hosting are the most-mentioned highlights, especially for late-summer stays.
• Where to eat well: Sicily's dining scene spans Michelin-recognised tables to lively market food, with standout spots in Ragusa, Palermo and Siracusa.
• Top things to do: Climb Mount Etna, explore the Valley of the Temples and unwind on the Aeolian Islands between beach days.

Sicily's villas range from compact two-bedroom hideaways to sprawling countryside estates that comfortably sleep ten, making them a natural fit for multi-generational family trips, groups of friends and couples celebrating a special occasion. Many are set among olive groves or citrus orchards a short drive from the coast, while others sit within walking distance of a beach or harbour town. If a villa isn't quite the right fit, Sicily's holiday lettings in Sicily also cover beach houses in Sicily and apartments in Sicily for smaller budgets or shorter stays. Most villas share a set of amenities that make self-catering easy and comfortable.

• Private or shared swimming pools
• Air conditioning for the height of summer
• Fully equipped kitchens and outdoor dining areas
• Gardens, terraces or sea-view balconies
• Free Wi-Fi and dedicated parking

Travelling with young children or a dog? Look out for villas with pools and beachfront villas for the easiest access to the water.

What are the best areas to stay in Sicily?

For clifftop glamour and an easy base for exploring the Ionian coast, Taormina is hard to beat, while Cefalù suits families after a relaxed, walkable beach town. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests consistently praise Sicily's villas for their private pools, generous outdoor space and warm, personal hosting. Many highlight the peace of a countryside estate near Ragusa, or the convenience of a seaside terrace close to Taormina and Cefalù. Families travelling with children or pets often mention how easy it is to relax poolside after a day of sightseeing, while couples celebrating a special occasion call out romantic sunset views over the Ionian or Tyrrhenian coast.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, sitting off the toe of Italy's boot between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, with Mount Etna dominating its eastern skyline. Its coastline alone stretches for over 1,000 kilometres, taking in cliffside towns, wide sandy bays and volcanic black-sand beaches, while the interior hides Baroque hill towns, ancient ruins and vineyards climbing the lower slopes of Etna.

🥗Where to eat in Sicily?

According to Michelin Guide recognition and long-standing local reputation, Ristorante Duomo in Ragusa is the most celebrated restaurant in Sicily. Sicilian cuisine blends Arab, Greek and Norman influences into dishes built around fresh seafood, citrus, pistachio and rich, slow-cooked sauces, and the island's dining scene ranges from Michelin-starred tables to unpretentious harbourside trattorias. Below is a table showing five highly regarded restaurants across the island hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest travellers Charlotte and Henry recommend Locanda Don Serafino in Ragusa: it's the perfect spot for a multi-course tasting menu and a proper wine pairing after a day of sightseeing among the Val di Noto's Baroque towns, and its cellar-style dining room makes for a memorable, special-occasion evening.

1. Explore the Valley of the Temples
2. Climb Mount Etna
3. Wander Ortigia's old town
4. Watch sunset from Taormina's ancient theatre
5. Sample street food at Ballarò market
6. Relax on Cefalù's beach
7. Sail to the Aeolian Islands

1. Explore the Valley of the Temples

   Just outside Agrigento, this UNESCO World Heritage Site holds some of the best-preserved Ancient Greek temples outside Greece itself, built between the 5th and 6th centuries BC. The Temple of Concordia is remarkably intact, and an early-morning or sunset visit lets you avoid the heat and the crowds while catching the temples glowing gold in low light. Allow at least half a day to walk the full archaeological park, and combine it with the nearby Kolymbethra Garden for a shaded, citrus-scented break among ancient irrigation channels.

2. Climb Mount Etna

   Europe's largest active volcano offers guided hikes, cable cars and 4x4 excursions up its lower and middle slopes, with lunar-like lava fields giving way to snow in winter and, on clear days, views stretching right across eastern Sicily. Book a guide for access to the higher craters, and pair the trip with a tasting of Etna DOC wines, grown on some of the most mineral-rich volcanic soil in Europe. Many wineries offer tastings with views straight up to the summit.

3. Wander Ortigia's old town

   The historic island heart of Siracusa, Ortigia is a maze of narrow Baroque streets, hidden courtyards and a lively waterfront market that's perfect for an early breakfast among locals. Don't miss the Fountain of Arethusa, a freshwater spring metres from the sea, and the Duomo, built around the columns of an ancient Greek temple still visible in its walls. In the evening, the whole waterfront fills with locals for an aperitivo as the sun sets over the harbour.

4. Watch sunset from Taormina's ancient theatre

   The Ancient Theatre of Taormina, still used for concerts and film screenings today, frames Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea in one of Sicily's most photographed views, especially as the sky turns red and gold at sunset. Arrive an hour before closing for a quieter visit and the best light, then wander the town's boutique-lined Corso Umberto for an evening stroll before dinner overlooking the coast.

5. Sample street food at Ballarò market

   Palermo's Ballarò market is one of the oldest and most atmospheric in Sicily, a maze of stalls piled high with produce and selling arancini, panelle and other Sicilian street-food staples straight from the fryer. Go hungry, follow the biggest queues of locals, and finish with a granita and brioche for the true Palermo breakfast experience, ideally at a table right among the market stalls.

6. Relax on Cefalù's beach

   Cefalù's Blue Flag beach sits directly beneath its medieval old town and imposing Norman cathedral, making it easy to combine sightseeing with an afternoon in the sun. Rent a sunbed near the harbour end for calmer, shallower water that suits families with young children, or walk further along the sand for more space, fewer crowds and quieter surroundings away from the town centre.

7. Sail to the Aeolian Islands

   Day trips and multi-day cruises run from Milazzo to this volcanic archipelago, taking in Lipari's whitewashed streets, Vulcano's sulphurous mud baths, Panarea's chic harbour and Stromboli's glowing night-time eruptions. Choose a smaller boat trip for hidden coves and swimming stops along the way, or book an evening excursion specifically for the best views of Stromboli's activity lighting up the night sky.