Oliva - Sept Chambres Villa, Couchages 14

Oliva is an architect-designed, luxurious take on a traditional Sicilian baglio, characterised by a shady internal courtyard garden enclosed on each side by living and sleeping quarters. Beyond is the panoramic pool and the whispering olive groves that so characterise southwestern Sicily.

Inside: accommodation at Oliva is spread over the main house and two guesthouses arranged around an internal courtyard.

The main house, which looks south towards the sea, has a splendidly large, high-ceilinged living area furnished with quality, sink-in sofas and decorated in soft, calming greys and whites, a theme that runs throughout the house. Large glass doors provide access to the internal courtyard on one side and the pool area on the other.

Off one side of the living area is a dining room and a modern, well-equipped kitchen, while off the other is the gorgeous main suite, complete with en-suite bathroom with separate shower and tub. A flight of stairs leads from the living area up to another bright, panoramic double bedroom, which also has an en-suite shower room.

Heading from the living area into and across the internal courtyard one comes to the two guesthouses, one on either side. The first, on the right, has three bedrooms – two twins downstairs and a double upstairs, all with en-suite shower rooms - a private living area and a small kitchen.

Accommodation in the second guesthouse is spread over two floors: the ground floor has a twin bedroom with en-suite shower room, a little living area, and a kitchenette, while the first floor, which is accessed from an external flight of steps, is home to a double bedroom with en-suite shower room. Please note that this bedroom is under the sloping eaves and some of the beams are quite low (perhaps not ideal for adults but fine for younger adults and teenagers).

Outside: al fresco living at Oliva is full of possibilities!.The internal courtyard, the real heart of the property, has a large covered dining area, ideal for lunch when the sun is at its hottest.

Passing through the living room and out of the other side, is another covered living and dining area and, beyond that, raised up, the panoramic pool, from whose decked solarium you may look out over the olive groves to the sea.

A further shaded area, between the master bedroom and the pool completes the "functional" outdoor areas, though the extensive grounds surrounding Oliva are perfect for active kids with energy to burn.

Cycling in the Menfi area is a very pleasurable pastime, thanks to both the quiet back roads and the purpose-built cycle track along and around the old railway line between Menfi, Porto Palo and Sciacca. We'd be delighted to have bikes delivered to your villa and, if anyone in your group is an inveterate pedaller, arrange for a local guide to show them the best routes.

A friendly cat may be seen in the villa's grounds, but he will not enter the house unless encouraged to do so. He is also discouraged from roaming the grounds, but we cannot guarantee that he won't be tempted to sit on the outdoor furniture. We ask all guests not to feed him or to allow him inside.
Some of Sicily's best beaches run along the coast between Mazara del Vallo and Agrigento and many of these, including the ones at the Belice Nature Reserve and Porto Palo, are just a few minutes' drive from Oliva.

Not to be missed is the superb archaeological site of Selinunte and the Cave di Cusa, followed, perhaps, by a superb lunch or dinner at the seafront restaurant La Pineta on the beach of the Belice Nature Reserve. Several of the towns nearby are also well worth a visit. Sciacca and Mazara del Vallo both have charming old centres, some great seafood restaurants and working ports with large fishing fleets working the Mediterranean daily. A little further afield but still in easy day-trip distance are Marsala, Trapani and Erice. Caltabellotta is spectacularly situated in the craggy hills overlooking both coast and interior, while Menfi itself is an up-and-coming centre of excellence for the wine trade.

The beaches in the area of Porto Palo-Menfi have received over 20 consecutive "Bandiere Blu", attesting to the cleanliness of the water and their general ecological excellence.

Cycling in the Menfi area is a very pleasurable pastime, thanks to both the quiet back roads and the purpose-built cycle track along and around the old railway line between Menfi, Porto Palo and Sciacca. We’d be delighted to have bikes delivered to your villa and, if anyone in your group is an inveterate pedaller, arrange for a local guide to show them the best routes.

Arrival details will be confirmed by The Thinking Traveller after your villa is confirmed.

The Thinking Traveller can organise transfers and car hire and an agent will be in touch with you once your villa is confirmed.