What does a family holiday mean to you? An all-singing, all-dancing affair punctuated by activities, excursions and an endless flow of friends and family? Or a simpler, slightly more chilled experience, marked by leisurely al fresco mealtimes and the odd visit to the beach?
Wish Sicily’s extensive collection of villas and apartments mean that you can choose the style of holiday and accommodation to exactly suit your family’s needs. This is a selection of some of the best.
Sporty families: Team up with another family and the kids will have hours of entertainment at Villa Il Gorgo, thanks to its tennis court, 5-a-side football pitch and small gym. There is also an 18m pool and the villa’s location in the Monti Sicani Nature Reserve means that there is a good choice of walking trails on your doorstep. The seaside resort of Sciacca on the south coast is around 30 minutes by car.
Prices: A week at Il Gorgo starts at £1833 (sleeps 12).
Outdoor living: Situated close to the Zingaro Nature Reserve in western Sicily, Malika has just gone back on the rental market after a complete refurbishment. The four-bedroom villa has a stunning garden with a pool, a great outdoor kitchen and several lounge and dining areas and there is plenty of green space and a table tennis table for the kids. Let them battle over who has the draped day-bed or stroll down to the beach, just 150m away, at Guidaloca.
The nearby Zingaro Nature Reserve has some lovely hidden coves and beaches and the boutiques, cafes and restaurants at Scopello and Castellammare del Golfo are on your doorstep.
Prices: A week at Villa Malika starts at £1541 (sleeps 6).
Affordable living: Get amazing value for money at the two-bedroom Casetta in Pietra, just 150m from the crystal-clear waters of the Monte Cofano Nature Reserve in western Sicily. The villa has an outdoor veranda for al fresco dining and a living room with open-plan kitchen.
Less well-known than the Zingaro Nature Reserve, the Cofano Nature Reserve is a beautiful stretch of coastline, with soaring high cliffs and trails through to white marble caves. The white sandy beach at San Vito lo Capo, the Greek temple at Segesta and the medieval hilltop town of Erice are all close by.
A week at Casetta in Pietra starts at £292 (sleeps 5) in April, rising to £511 in August.
Family groups: Le Case di Tindari is a farmhouse complex with superb views across a landscape of olive trees to the sea and Aeolian Islands. Accommodation is in a main house (sleeps 7) and a collection of small apartments and cottages (sleep two to four people) that are ideal for grandparents or couples without children who prefer a degree of separation.
Interiors are decidedly shabby chic, while outside, hammocks are slung between trees around the 18m infinity pool, and there are several large terraces, one with an outdoor kitchen with traditional wood burning oven. For children, there is table tennis on site and nearby, sandy beaches, castles, fortresses and boat trips to the Aeolian Islands.
Prices: A week at Le Case di Tindari starts at £3592 (sleeps 21), with reduced prices for smaller groups.
