Sicily sizzles whatever the season: its cities are wonderfully chaotic. But this sublime Italian island also has delightful villages and hotels that offer a welcome escape outside of rush hour.
Fiona McIntosh discovers that Sicily is home to “wild, untouched beauty” She stays at Alder Sicilia, a seaside resort near the Torre Salsa nature reserve. READ MORE: An American in the UK reveals the country's 'strengths' and 'quirks'
Waving my way through a forest of pine and eucalyptus towards grassy dunes and a vast sandy beach, I look towards a sea without horizon. There are no other signs of life except the eagles and peregrines hovering above me.
That's the kind of wild, untouched beauty that one would expect. find in South Africa or Australia. But here we are in Sicily, the southern Italian island best known for its crazy, crowded cities, costume jewelry and cocktails the color of lava that sporadically gushes from Mount Etna. But the summer crowds have disappeared and the tranquility of the island has returned, even though I am on the coast, just an hour south of the capital Palermo.
Until recently, there were few truly pleasant places to stay in this region, located between the towns of Sciacca and Agrigento and largely made up of fishing villages and wind-battered industrial ports . Last year that changed, with the opening of Adler Sicilia.
Located discreetly on the hillside above a beach of eight kilometers, the complex is located on the edge. of the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, a sanctuary for nesting sea turtles and migratory birds, including purple herons, house buzzards, peregrine falcons and pink flamingos.
Guests are encouraged to make the most of this precious pocket, with organized hikes through the reserve and into the backcountry on
Waving my way through a forest of pine and eucalyptus towards grassy dunes and a vast sandy beach, I look towards a sea without horizon. There are no other signs of life except the eagles and peregrines hovering above me.
That's the kind of wild, untouched beauty that one would expect. find in South Africa or Australia. But here we are in Sicily, the southern Italian island best known for its crazy, crowded cities, costume jewelry and cocktails the color of lava that sporadically gushes from Mount Etna. But the summer crowds have disappeared and the tranquility of the island has returned, even though I am on the coast, just an hour south of the capital Palermo.
Until recently, there were few truly pleasant places to stay in this region, located between the towns of Sciacca and Agrigento and largely made up of fishing villages and wind-battered industrial ports . Last year that changed, with the opening of Adler Sicilia.
Located discreetly on the hillside above a beach of eight kilometers, the complex is located on the edge. of the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, a sanctuary for nesting sea turtles and migratory birds, including purple herons, house buzzards, peregrine falcons and pink flamingos.
Guests are encouraged to make the most of this precious pocket, with organized hikes through the reserve and into the backcountry on
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