It is difficult to put into words what an amazing experience we had in Siculiana, thanks to a perfect mix of a gorgeous setting, mouth watering food, truly welcoming people, and our host Giacomo.
We arrived in this charming village nestled on a hill overlooking the sea late in the afternoon and were greeted by Giacomo and his neighbors, a lovely elderly couple who immediately made coffee for us! From that point on it was a continuous discovery of beautiful beaches, local culture (including the baroque church with the black christ), and delicious Sicilian specialties including pizza, arancini, fish, hamburgers (as good as any I've had in Oxford), and even Giacomo's mum's special pasta on one occasion!).
Giacomo is passionate about being a welcoming and helpful host, and he did a fantastic job at it. He advised on the best beaches, secured reservations in restaurants (there are a multitude of options, and the food was invariably excellent), gave snippets of local history and generally made us feel completely at home throughout our week here.
The local beaches are truly beautiful and can be reached by car in less than 10 minutes. The beaches are sandy and the water is crystal clear. The ones we liked the most were Giallonardo, Le Pergole, and La Spiaggetta (the latter being our favorite overall beach after two weeks in Sicily and at least a dozen beaches). The awe inspiring 'Valle dei Templi' is about 40 minutes away and definitely worth visiting at sunset/night (one of Giacomo's excellent recommendations).
The apartment is conveniently positioned in the lower portion of the village. It was very clean, and we were happy with it as a base to sleep and have a quick meal in. It might feel a bit tight to cook and eat bigger meals in (there were five of us). The three bedrooms are spacious and comfortable, and there is plenty of storage space.
Parking is easy. Just around the corner is a small convenience store where they will prepare fresh sandwiches for beach snacks, and about 2 minutes walk there is a slightly larger food supermarket with anything you may need from food to household stuff. There are several restaurants that can be reached by foot, and more just a short drive away.
Siculiana is a gem, and we hope it will remain as it is for as long as possible. This accomodation and its host provide all the necessary comforts and add depth and color to the experience!