8 Best Hotels in Central Sicily and the Mediterranean Coast, Sicily

You'll experience refined upscale living on a landed aristocratic estate when you stay at this stylishly renovated villa surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. The villa has been cleverly converted so that it can be rented as a whole (it sleeps 12) or as three separate apartments (sleeping two- to four people each) with a chef to provide all catering. Exposed stone walls—some taken from the site of Selinunte several hundred years ago when such things were not frowned upon—are combined with terra-cotta and ceramic tiles and wooden beams. Private terraces are accessible through contemporary glass doors, ensuring inner spaces are full of natural light. Many of the doors are antique—including an 18th-century carved oak door with a cat hole—while the tastefully tiled showers have hammam-style benches that invite long steamy soaks. Textiles are all exquisite and understated. The grounds include a magnificent saltwater swimming pool. Although all three apartments have independent entrances, the two apartments in the main house are separated by doors rather than walls.

This country mansion, once the home of a local bishop, is full of art and warm Sicilian hospitality, having been transformed into the kind of easy, informal place where guests are put instantly at their ease, as if they were old family friends. The food is hearty and fantastic, most of it grown on their organic farm, and is created in a vibrant, cozy family kitchen with wood-burning oven—and it is here that guests can have cooking lessons with the indominable chef, Maddalena; other tours can be arranged on-site. Accommodation is simple and comfortable, and there is a lovely garden and swimming pool.

Belonging to the Planeta family of winemakers, La Foresteria is a truly gorgeous contemporary hotel with exceptional food and views from herb-scented terraces over the vineyards to the sea. The 14 rooms are spacious, with glass doors opening onto private terraces, terra-cotta-tiled floors lain with delicate kilims, and traditional Sicilian iron bedsteads with dreamily comfortable mattresses and pillows, superb quality white sheets, and hand-stitched Indian eiderdowns. Bathrooms are made for being lazy, with good showers, oversize bathtubs, and very puffy bathrobes. Along with kettles and coffee machines, there are jars of loose herbal teas and tea bags to enjoy. Wine is, of course, excellent (guided tastings and trips to the main vineyards can be organized) and the food is superb, with an intelligently designed menu where innovative dishes and traditional Planeta family favorites sit happily side by side. There are not only several tasting menus and à la carte dishes, but menus that can be designed to suit individual tastes and appetites, with faultless guidance on wine pairings. Cooking lessons are available most mornings.

In the rural outskirts of Agrigento sits this charming country home that has been converted into a lovely guesthouse. Owners Francesco and Susi remodeled this early 20th-century home into a modern cottage with a state-of-the-art kitchen, where they make a delicious breakfast buffet featuring the delicacies of the region, including fresh bread made with locally sourced semolina flour, handmade pistachio paste, and platters with cheeses and cured meats from neighboring vendors. The guesthouse only has two rooms, both with a view of the Valley of the Temples; there's a full kitchen where Francesco often hosts cooking lessons, or guests can request a dinner made by the owners. 

Ideal for sophisticated urbanites who want to combine a poolside holiday with sightseeing, this stylish, contemporary,  hilltop hotel is an innovative addition to Agrigento’s lodging scene. It's the kind of place you can sit in your own hot tub or plunge pool in complete privacy, sipping a cocktail as the sun sets over the distant temple of Juno. Some rooms even have their own hot tubs, with all water heated by solar power. The main pool has a bar incorporated within it with stools designed to keep guests up to their waists in the water. Rooms are white and feature metal four-poster beds and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The owner is committed to sustainable tourism: the hotel is self-sufficient in energy and has its own vegetable garden and almond and pistachio groves.

In the valley below the temples, fiery sunsets and moonlight cast a glow over the ancient 12th-century watchtower at the center of this farmhouse-hotel complex, which is composed of stone buildings surrounding a peaceful geranium- and ivy-filled courtyard and the garden beyond. Standard rooms, some with temple views, are simple but charming, with antique furniture and modern bathrooms. The restaurant, Accademia del Buon Gusto, serves tasty foodie fare in a beautiful setting overlooking the temples. The hotel is on an unmarked dirt road about 3 km (2 miles) southeast of the old town.

Home to several individual, purpose-built dammusi, Pantelleria Dream is set in its own grounds above Cala Levante and the Arco dell’Elefante. This is a really good midrange option, and prices in low season are incredible value for money, especially if you book well in advance. There is a big pool, well-tended gardens, a restaurant, and a bar. Rooms are simple but tasteful, with black tiled floors and white walls and bed linens, and each has its own terrace, traditionally roofed with canes.