LA DOLCE VITA

 

As we look forward to the summer months of sunshine (hopefully) and holidays, I thought I would share one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on.

However, I must caveat that this incredible experience was possible by my wonderful friend Sara Tomczak who made me her +1 for a gifted stay she received when reviewing the resort.

This definitely isnt my standard long weekend, but I thought I’d share in case it appeals to any of you (I’m free to come as your +1 too if needed).

So, now that you hopefully don’t hare me, here are some highlights from our stay.

Verdura Resort is Rocco Forte’s flagship hotel on the Sicilian South Coast. 230 hectares of sun kissed Mediterranean coastline with everything your heart could desire.  

It features 2 full size gold courses (and a 9 hole one for good measure), a spa, a tennis academy, private beach, four restaurants. I could go on.

We spent three nights and three days here but you could happily spend weeks there and not be bored.

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DAY 1

After a mere 3 hour flight from rainy London we landed in Palermo and were met by Massimon, our friendly driver who whisked us off in style and luxury to the resort.

As soon as I arrived I felt the weight lift from my shoulders. You drive through the most beautiful scenery and landscape and appreciate that nothing was spared to create this little slice of heaven.

 

 

A welcome glass of Sicilian orange juice and a breathtaking view. The start of good things to come.

To ensure peace and safety around the resort no cars are allowed.

Instead, dotted around are numerous bicycles to hop on and off at your leisure. Given the expanse of the place you definitely need them - it was a joy to be so carefree and adventurous.

The resort has a range of accomodation options ranging from rooms within the main resort to private 6 bedroom villas nestled further up the hill on the grounds of the estate.

We stayed in a Junior Suite adjascent to the main hotel with our own private terrace overlooking the sea. Some suites even have their own little plunge pool should you so wish. The rooms are beautifully decorated with local artisan pieces and of course all the beauty products from Rocco Forte’s daughter Irene Forte.

As we were there for such a short period of time we wanted to make sure that we experienced as much as we could of what the resort had to offer. After a quick change, we cycled up to the tennis and padel courts at the other end of the estate.

The hotel boasts 6 clay courts, 2 padel courts and a pickle court. It also offers tennis academies during the holiday season as well as private lessons with ex professional coaches.

We had the joy of an hour’s lesson with Czech pro Karel Novacek.

I have been taking tennis lessons every week for the past 2 years so having the insight and a few tips from such a seasoned professional was a privilege.

If you are a tennis fan and looking for somewhere to enjoy the game I could not recommend the facilities enough. In fact they are so good Roger Federer was heading to the resort later that month with his family. If it’s good enough for Roger, it’s good enough for me.

After a quick shower and change we strode along the private beach at sunset to enjoy our first Sicilian meal in one of the 7 restaurants in the resort.

AMARE is their beach side restaurant serving the finest local produce, fresh fish and seafood and a local pasta dish - busiate with shrimps and pistachios. I mean if you’re in Sicily you have to have pistachios surely?

You probably wont be surprised to hear it was absolutely delicious, topped off with the local wines from nearby vineyards.

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DAY 2

Waking up in paradise left us with plenty of decisions to make. Poolside breakfast or room service on the terrace? Pool day or Beach day? Spa or gym? Tennis or Padel? It was a tough choice so we did it all!

After a breakfast of locally grown produce and the best orange juice I have ever tasted we settled on a morning by the beach.

The man made white sandy shore is decorated with straw umbrellas and luxury sunbeds, designed exclusively for the resort by Missoni.

With the Med gently lapping at your feet this is the idyllic spot to lose yourself in a good book and some homemade Granita.

The only thing to tear me away was a one-on-one Padel lesson with the resort coach. Padel is fast becoming my favourite sport so the chance to pick up some tips to take home was amazing.

We wanted to try as many of the restaurants as possible so for lunch we jumped on our bikes and rode past the golf courses to their hill top trattoria, Liola.

A more laid back affair with breathtaking views we sat on the terrace in the dappled shade eating pizza and salads washed down with a cheeky glass of when. Well it would be wrong not to.

After lunch we peddled back to our hotel room to get ready for our evening excursion.

You really dont need to leave the resort if you dont want to but being in Sicily we were keen to see as much of the local area as we could.

The hotel does offer excursions and tours of the local attractions including the stunning Agrigento. Home to one of the most famous and important cultural centres in the Med the Valle dei Templi consists of eight ancient temples dating back to 430BC.

As much as we would have loved to make that trip our rather squeezed itinerary didnt really allow time for it so instead we decided on an evening in the local town of Sciacca (pronounced Sha-ka), a small fishing town about a 30 minute drive from the resort.

The hotel arranged a taxi for us and we were dropped off at the top of the town and made our way down to the old part through little terracotta alleyways and steps adorned with local handmade ceramic tiles.

Sciacca isnt your traditional tourist town with some beautiful 16th Century buildings and palazzos. However some parts may seem run down and tattered but personally I think this adds to it’s charm and authenticity.

The town is set out of different levels. Down by the sea is a bustling fishing port and harbour with a number of fish restaurants.

Further up you’ll find the heart of the town with the large panoramic Piazza Scandaliato, with stunning views of the fishing port and the ocean below.

Surrounding this piazza you’ll find traditional Sicilian bars and cafes and a number of boutiques and stores. Our favourite was ‘Masi Boutique’ that sold a range of Italian designer pieces alongside fun beachside apparel.

Sciacca is famous for it’s ceramics, coral and carnivals. There are over 40 ceramic shops in the town each producing artisanal products offering numerous ‘Majolica’ such as plates, cups, acorns etc.

Each shop unique to the individual artisan and their style.

The best street to find the majority of shops is Via Guiseppe Licata.

Here you’ll find an array of styles and designs and you can often see the ceramicist at work in the studio/workshop.

There are a number of designs that are traditional to the area, and Sicily in general.

One is the Acorn, which can come in a range of sizes and colours, while the other is the famous pair of Moor’s Heads.

The resort hotel has a number of the local pieces available in their boutique but we really enjoyed wandering around all the different artist workshops and stores and picking up some truly beautiful works to take home.

The choice of restaurants to hand is vast, whether you’re looking for a more refined experience at the Michelin recommended Hostaria del Vicolo or a more traditional pizzeria with a view like Pizzeria Al Grano.

We settled on Trattoria La Matrice as it’s stunning location on Piazza Don Giovanni Minzoni meant we could sit under the illuminated Basilica at night and watch the world go by,

The food was also delicious, we opted for a traditional Sicilian Caponata and of course another plate of the Busiate with Pistachio!

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DAY 3

After another round of early morning tennis our final day at the resort called for some R&R at their award winning spa.

Featuring 11 treatment rooms, 4 Thalassotherapy pools - hydrotherapy pools that utilise seawater for therapeutic purposes and an indoor area with a pool, sauna and steam room.

All the treatments are developed by Irene Forte using the Sicilian botanicals grown on the resort’s organic farm.

In all honesty I’m not much of a spa person but I could have happily spent a week in the spa alone.

The whole area is scented with orange blossom and the number of people allowed in the Spa area is limited, so you truly feel the exclusivity and peace of the place.

We emerged from the spa rested and restored, and headed to the pool side restaurant for a spot of lunch. Another delicious offering of local trattoria style food with views of the beach on once side and the pool on the other.

The rest of the day was spent living my best life by the Olympic sized pool reading my book and gazing out towards the Med.

Honestly it doesnt get better than this.

For our last evening we wanted to have a pre-dinner drink on the Liola terrace with views of the coast below. The restaurant had in fact been booked out for a private event but the manager couldn’t have been more accommodating and ensured that we secured a spot in their courtyard and even brought over a spritz with their own orange juice, and bowls of olives and pistachios from the estate. Bonus!

Our final meal was spent in the resort’s fine dining restaurant Zagara, overlooking the floodlit pool and ocean beyond.

Another delicious array of locally grown and sourced food made sure that we topped off this incredible experience in style.

Strolling back to our beautiful suite I can truly say that I am incredibly lucky to have been able to share this experience with my gorgeous friend Sarah.

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TRAVELLING WITH KIDS

 

 

 

 

While our trip was out of season and blissfully childfree, the resort would be the perfect place to enjoy a luxury family holiday.

It’s vast enough to never feel overrun with an abundance of activities for the kids to lose themselves in while you relax on a sunbed and read a book.

The resort has facilities to suit all age groups from babies to teens.

A dedicated kids club offering arts & crafts, cooking and sports and 24 hour babysitting for younger kids. While your older brood have a separate youth club with a private space for them to hang out and meet friends, as well as an array of sporting activities such as tennis, golf, water sports, basketball and even riding lessons on the beach.

Not only that but the suites and rooms will welcome your kids with pint sized bathrobes and cuddly toys. It seems that they really have thought of everything to make their and your holiday spectacular.

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WHAT TO WEAR

Perhaps the key questions I hear you ask. Well it is an extremely glamorous, wealthy location so I would say bring your glad rags, don those flowing kaftans and bejewel yourselves to the nines. And make sure to pack your sports gear as the resort has every activity available to ensure you are never bored.

Winona Satin Shirt, REISS

£158

A perfect Dolce & Gabbana inspired set. Dress up or down, who cares you'll look perfectly at home.

 

 Tropical Destination Set, FARM RIO

£196

FARM RIO do the most beautiful colourful prints and this one is no exception.

 

Galleon Kaftan, FREE PEOPLE

£188

I love a Kaftan on holiday and this silk serpent print from Free People is edgy and floaty in equal measure.

 

Zebra Print Swimsuit, H&M

£28

Make a splash in this asymmetric animal print swimsuit. Go big or go home I say.

 

Raffia Bad, STELLA MCCARTNEY

£975

A possible indulgence on a beach bag but if you're splashing the cash, why not?

 

Linen Dress, ZARA

£70

This linen Zara dress may look a million dollars but thankfully won't break the bank.

 

Black Crochet Cardigan, MASSIMO DUTTI

£119

Sicilian summers are usually pretty warm but you may still need a little cover up in the evenings.

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BOOKS

My favourite part of most holidays are the hours spent lazying around on a sunbed losing myself in a good book. I managed to get through two books while I was in Sicily and loved them both. I’ve also added a couple of other books I enjoyed since

I absolutely loved this book. A story about a wealthy American family and their inheritance. Ludicrously funny, emotional and profound I’ve been recommending it to everyone I see.

 

Not since Time Travellers Wife has time hopping been so engaging. A love story with a poignant look at the history and impact of the British Empire. A great holiday read.

 

I’ve always been drawn to literature about Japanese culture so when once of my favourite authors Lisa Taddeo recommended this I knew I would love it and I wasn’t wrong. Spanning the lives of three women and how they are intrinsically linked its heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure.

 

Now I appreciate this might not be your usual holiday chick lit but I really enjoy some non fiction on holiday. This is a beautiful account of addiction, family trauma but ultimately survival. If you’re looking for something a little weightier on your travels then I would highly recommend you give this a try.

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And you’ve made it to the end! I appreciate that this experience may be beyond most people’s holiday dreams but it was too wonderful a place not to share, even to remind myself in years to come that in fact it wasn’t just a dream but a trip I will cherish forever.

Andrea x