Archive for 'Main Islands'

Lots of people prefer to holiday outside of the peak tourism months and May is a great time to plan a trip to Italy as the real tourist crowds have yet to descend but the temperatures have begun to get rise in earnest, prices for flights and accommodation remain a little lower, and, as the season is just about to turn, you get the best of both spring blooms and beauty and summer fun. A luxury villa in Sicily, in particular, is perfect for a May getaway and if you are spending time in Sicily during the third week of the month there is one town that you should definitely visit, Noto.

Noto is a beautiful town with cinematic good looks that features UNESCO-awarded Baroque architectural gems and very pretty and typical winding little streets. In May, it becomes even more beautiful when the annual Infiorata di Noto festival takes place and the scent of flowers becomes heavy in the air. Infiorata happens in cities all over Italy in May and June and is a festival of floral art displays, with works of art created from flower petals to adorn city streets and historic buildings, but the Infiorata celebration in Noto is the most famous of all.

If you find a vacation rental in Sicily, you will likely find yourself in the capital city of Palermo at some point. Or you might find a vacation rental in Palermo itself. This incredible city is a melting pot of cultures and history with its stunning Arab-Norman architectural gems, rich and diverse cuisine, Italian traditions but uniquely Sicilian identity, and almost tropical weather. Like many cities in Italy, it boasts historic markets including Ballarò, Il Capo, Mercato delle Pulci, and Lattarini but one of the best-known and most beloved is La Vucciria. Extending between via Roma, La Cala, the Cassaro, along Via Cassari, Piazza del Garraffello, Via Argenteria Nuova, Piazza Caracciolo, and Via Maccheronai, within the Castellammare district, it was originally largely a meat market. In fact, the name comes from the word, “bucceria,” taken from the French, “boucherie,” meaning butcher's shop. Over time, it also became a market for the sale of fish, fruit, and vegetables and became a vibrant and integral part of the city. However, “vuccirìa," also means, “confusion,” in Palermo, which is rather fitting as the market is a place full of loud colours, scents, flavours, and voices all clamouring for attention.

The island of Sardinia is a part of Italy but also has its own rather distinct culture, history, and charm. For those who love Italy and Mediterranean getaways but who are looking for something just a little bit different, it is the perfect destination: a luxury villa in Sardinia will ensure a holiday experience boasting the strong culinary traditions (don't try ordering a pizza in a restaurant before 7pm), incredible natural beauty, ancient ruins, Spanish remnants and influences, and the endless list of things to see and do on the island.

The Sardinian capital of Cagliari, equally, is uniquely distinct and lovely. Home to around 155,000 inhabitants, Cagliari is a university town and an ancient archiepiscopal district that is divided into four quarters: Castello, Stampace, Marina and Villanova. The historic core of the city is the district of Castello, which is one of the most picturesque Old Towns in all of Italy and the kind of place where one should aim to get a little lost in order to have a proper wander and to soak up the unique atmosphere of the place. If you're taking the time to really see Cagliari then you really should come to explore the wider avenues and winding little roads, the pretty little squares framed by colourful houses, the lines of washing strung between buildings, the medieval gates and historic buildings, and the views out over the harbour in this picturesquely ancient part of the city.

The stunning Costa Smeralda (or, “Emerald Coast”) in Sardinia is famous for its beaches. These are some of the most truly beautiful beaches in Italy and in the world, characterised by crystal clear waters lapping white powdery sands and framed by lush vegetation. If you have found a luxury villa in Sardinia and are looking to spend time on a beach that seems too gorgeous to be real, then you need to make your way to this true paradise on earth. In particular, we recommend the beach of Poltu di Li Cogghj.

Poltu di Li Cogghj is today more often known as the Spiaggia del Principe, the, “Prince's Beach,” since it was famously chosen as the Ishmaelite prince Karim Aga Khan's favourite of all of the many beautiful beaches of the Costa Smeralda due to its especially fine white sands and its crystalline waters that range in hue from green to blue and gleam picturesquely, due to their shallowness and the flecks of granite among the sand. The prince's choosing of the beach as the best and the bestowing of this new title has seen the original name all but fall completely out of use, which is, perhaps a good thing as it rolls off the tongue less easily and given that it translates to the, “Port of Skins.” A rather less pretty name for a beach, it was so-named as the beach was originally used as a place for the loading of various local products but especially leather and leather goods.

Sicily – with its incredibly hot and reliably sunny summers, slow pace of life, and excellent beaches – is one of the Italy's best holiday destinations for sun-worshippers and those looking to relax and to well and truly get away from it all. Idyllic as the island, as a whole, is, it is perhaps most impressively perfect on the island of Panarea. Panarea, the smallest and chicest of the Aeolian Islands, is located not far from Lipari and is the kind of place that attracts celebrities, fashionistas, and Italy's wealthy youth. With the kind of perfect sheen that comes from places in which tourism is, without a doubt, the prevailing industry, there is little by the way of an authentic experience or local heritage, but there is a stunning landscape, cute towns lined with neat streets full of pretty little white-washed buildings (big developments, thankfully, have not descended on the place) framed by colourful flowers, one of the few sandy beaches in the Aeolian islands, a harbour full of luxury yachts, scenic walks and hiking routes, a vibrant party scene in July and August, and peace and tranquility for the rest of the season. Incredibly expensive during the summer months (and though it is more affordable outside this period, it is essentially boarded up between November and Easter), we recommend heading for a day-trip or for a couple of days if you have found a vacation rental in Sicily and are up for exploring all that the island has to offer.