Set on a low hill amid fertile farmland, this thick-walled stone farmhouse and its outbuildings have been lovingly brought back to life by a young architect, Fausta Occhipinti. Born here but educated in Paris, she has successfully preserved the feel of her cultured family home-within-a-farm. In the lofty sitting room, alongside 4 ancient wine-pressing vats, you'll find a grand piano (occasionally played by her father) and stacks of coffee-table books and childhood photos. Cool corridors lead to 12 bedrooms and suites, with snow-white fabrics, vintage beds and small windows overlooking carpets of yellow chamomile. There are countless nooks, both indoors and out, to sit and read a book, while at the bottom of the walled gardens lies an inviting pool dotted with deckchairs and almond trees.
Come dinner time, tables are laid in the grassy courtyard with colourful platters of antipasti, followed by homemade specialties like pork cheek and pistachio risotto, or braised beef with broad beans and fennel from the garden. Lanterns twinkle, friendly cats brush your ankles, conversation is convivial and multilingual. By day, explore the fabulous Baroque towns of Modica, Ragusa and Scicli (30-45 mins drive), or laze on the sandy beaches of Scoglitti and Punta Secca (20-30 mins). A privileged glimpse of authentic Sicily.
Highs
- Dinner is a highlight: make sure you book yourselves in
- Most rooms are generously sized; several have a sofabed for kids
- Fausta's sister Arianna produces some of the region's finest wines, which you can sample very affordably here, and do a wine tour on request
- Staff and family members are all warmly welcoming, from smiley Rebecca and Viviana at reception to chef Vita (who offers impromptu cooking lessons)
- It's just 10 mins' drive from Comiso airport, which has cheap direct flights from UK, France and Belgium
Lows
- There's not a huge amount to do at the agriturismo by day, but that's part of its charm
- Be prepared for insects around the dinner table, especially in spring and early summer; and cats, too
- You'll need a hire car: there's nothing within walking distance
- West from here, the Gela plain is not the prettiest; head east (to the Baroque towns) and south (to the beaches) instead
- The small Torretta room is best suited to a single traveller
- Boutique Hotel
- 12 rooms
- Breakfast + other meals on request
- All ages welcome
- Closed: December - February
- Outdoor Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Babysitting
- Creche / Kids Club
- Car essential
- Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Bicycles Available
Rooms
Most of the 12 rooms are located in the venerable old farmhouse, a rambling L-shaped building whose cool stone-flagged corridors are dotted with sitting nooks, antique dressers and ceramic vases bursting with flowers from the garden. The smallest, Torretta, is above the main sitting room, and ideal for a single traveller. Two others, Panorama and Botanica (also on the first floor), share a semi-private sitting area. Enormous Thermae is in an outbuilding with its own entrance; Giardino has 2 queensize beds on 2 different levels; Carruba boasts a separate sitting room. Etna and most of the Deluxe rooms (Pergola, Maiolica, Gelso and Monti Iblei) are new since we last visited, but they are all beautifully decorated in the same rustic-luxe style.
Expect open beamed ceilings, pale stone walls, crisp white-clad beds and armchairs, and a touch of elegance from a chandelier or ornate mirror frame. Racks of cream-painted clothes hangers stand in for a wardrobe. The overall feel is pretty, somewhat feminine, but inescapably an ancient Sicilan home, as witnessed by a hefty stone washbasin or salvaged patch of tiling. Panorama, Thermae and some Deluxe rooms have baths; the rest smart shower rooms with drench heads and proper plumbing.
Features include:
- Hairdryer
- WiFi
Eating
Dinner is a highlight - book it at least one evening, if not all. Rustic tables are laid under the almond trees, aperitivi are offered, guests mingle - and those who helped Enza with the cooking will confirm how local it is. Think fresh foccaccia with caponata, homemade pasta with the most delicious ragu, baked sardines or a risotto with courgette, pork cheeks and pistachio. Mains might feature braised beef with broad beans and chard from the garden, or catch of the day from the harbour at Scoglitti. You never quite know what's coming next, nor how many courses to expect: not ideal for fussy eaters perhaps, but you won't leave hungry!
Outstanding wines flow freely, courtesy of Fausta's viticultured sister Ariana - deep red Nero d'Avola and Frappato (which the New York Times called "energetic and delightful"), or a fruity white Albanello and Zibbibo called SP68, which we found exquisite.
Breakfast is equally delicious - though not quite as copious (thankfully). Expect yoghurts and eggs, still warm cakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, wobbly ricotta from the farmer next door, even homemade tiramisu or a seasonal fruit tart if you're lucky.
Features include:
- Bar
- Breakfast
- Dinner by arrangement
- Lunch by arrangement
- Organic produce
Activities
- Don't miss the fantastic hill town of Ragusa, with its proud Baroque church facades and warren of tangled alleys dominating a deep valley (there's Michelin-starred food, too)
- Modica is not much further, its handsome houses and cathedrals lining 2 sides of a valley like an improbably ornate stage set (be sure to try the crunchy local chocolate)
- Beyond lie other Baroque jewels - Scicli, Noto - as well as the eerie gorge of Ispica, whose cliffs are pocked with Neolithic tombs: a rewarding hike
- Head south for the sea: Scoglitti has a vibrant local fish market (and excellent seafood restaurants), Punta Secca is the fictional waterfront home of Inspector Montalbano, Donnalucata has the longest and sandiest beach of all
- Back at the hotel, swim in the chlorine-free 18m pool - very refreshing
- Keen cooks can ask for a lesson with chef Enza: learn how to make fresh pasta (and the local sauces) or bake feather-light foccaccia; and collect a wad of recipes
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Cooking classes
- Cycling
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Swimming
- Wine tasting
Best Time to go
Spring and autumn are our favourite times to visit: not too hot, with plentiful wild flowers in March-April and warm seas in September-October. Summer can be incredibly hot in these parts, and local beaches get busy in August. The Modica chocolate festival is held in March/April or October/November, the Vittoria Jazz Festival in June, and the Sortino honey festival in October.
Our Top Tips
Fans of the Inspector Montalbano TV series should make a beeline - preferably in a battered Fiat Punto - for Punta Secca, whose wave-lined seafront is the location for the inspector's home ("Marinella"). Return via Scicli, whose town hall was dressed up as the police station for the films; and Ragusa, in whose restaurants the gourmet detective finds his solace - and his inspiration.
Location
Baglio Occhipinti is set in farmland between the towns of Ragusa and Gela, in southeast Sicily.
By Air
Comiso Airport is extremely close (9km, 10 mins) but Catania (90km, 1hr 15 mins) has a wider range of flights.
From the Airport
You'll want a hire car, as the hotel is quite isolated.
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.
More on getting to Sicily and getting around
Airports:
- Comiso 9.0 km CIY
- Catania 90.0 km CTA
Other:
- Beach 20.0 km
- Shops 5.0 km
- Restaurant 5.0 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 5 independent reviews from i-escape guests
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