At the start of each year, I can’t help but start chasing summer—daydreaming, planning, imagining where the next adventure will take my husband, our two kids and me. This time, we decided to head south to a sun-drenched stretch of Italy that was completely new to us, planning the ultimate Sicily family road trip, where we could relax, roam and stumble upon hidden treasures. That’s how we ended up at two unforgettable Sicilian stops: Almar Giardino di Costanza and Verdura Resort.
CHECK IN, DIVE IN, BLISS OUT
We landed in Palermo on a Sunday in July, our kids buzzing with excitement. After picking up our rental car, we drove less than an hour to Almar Giardino di Costanza, a peaceful journey through untouched countryside—long, straight roads, almost empty, with a soft evening breeze. Stepping onto the hotel grounds felt like entering a hidden oasis, surrounded by lush gardens. The team welcomed us warmly and showed us to our spacious two-bedroom suite, making us feel instantly at home.
My kids wasted no time jumping into the stunning, seemingly endless pool, while I settled at the pool bar with an aperitivo, watching them play until the sun set. That evening, we dined at the hotel’s AquaMadre Restaurant, where traditional Sicilian dishes were served.
Almar’s new Almablu Wellness & Spa oasis is deserving of a special mention. Recently refurbished, it spans over 2,700 square meters and offers a full wellness experience with saunas, steam rooms and hydrotherapy pools. The following day, we spent time at the hotel’s private beach club, just 15 minutes away, a quiet stretch of coast where I fell in love with the view (and finally caught up on the book I’d been meaning to read), while the kids went on a mission to find crabs in the shallow water.
CULTURE AND COASTLINES
We also explored nearby Mazara del Vallo, a historic coastal town with an Arab-influenced Kasbah, winding streets and the renowned Dancing Satyr Museum. Its rich cultural blend makes the town well worth a visit.
WHERE EVERY PATH LEADS TO PLAY
We bid farewell to Almar and continued southwest to our next destination: Verdura Resort. Vast in scale (its grounds are as large as the entire Principality of Monaco), Verdura makes a striking first impression. The drive in reveals private villas perched above the resort, with the Mediterranean stretching out beyond. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the team, introduced to the many dining options (no fewer than seven restaurants!) and shown to our two-bedroom family suite, complete with a terrace and uninterrupted views of the ocean.
One of Verdura’s signature touches is the bicycles scattered around the property, ready to be picked up and ridden at any moment. We used them constantly, riding to the beach, the pool and even to dinner. The main pool is one of the largest in Europe, but for my kids, the real highlight was the Verdura Kids Club. Every day brought new activities: cooking classes, science labs, dinosaur hunts, cinema nights and games. Teenagers, meanwhile, had their own line-up of sports programs and training camps to keep them entertained.
That first evening, we cycled to Trattoria Liolà, one of the resort’s casual restaurants, for pizza and pasta. As we sat down, the sunset painted the sky in one of the most beautiful displays I’ve seen in a long timthe perfect backdrop to our first night at Verdura.
TEMPLES ABOVE, TURQUOISE BELOW
During our stay, we also took time to explore beyond the resort. On one day trip, we visited Agrigento with its incredible Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where history comes alive among the ancient ruins. Afterwards, we stopped at a small traditional trattoria for pizza and gelato. Simple, authentic and absolutely a must. Another day, we ventured to Torre Salsa, a pristine, untouched beach accessible only by boat or along a rugged 4×4 path. There, an endless stretch of sand met the sea, and when we visited, it felt almost entirely our own—a true hidden gem.
Our days at Verdura felt like a true holiday. We alternated between the resort’s private white-sand beach and the pool, while my husband even swam the full 2-kilometer stretch from one end of the beach to the other before breakfast. We also carved out a little “adults-only” time at the SPA, enjoying the thalassotherapy circuit, a series of outdoor pools, each with different temperatures and enriched with sea minerals, designed to relax and rejuvenate.
SICILY, SERVED WITH A SMILE
As our Sicilian road trip came to a magical end, I realized the most memorable moments weren’t just the sights—they were the people. From the concierge to the beach attendant, from the gelato shop owner to the pizzaiolo, everyone went out of their way to make us feel at home. A hotel staff member would arrange something special for the kids before I even asked. In the nearby villages, the ice cream shop owner might add an extra spoon “just because,” and the pizzaiolo would bring an aperitif on the house. This kind of genuine warmth is unforgettable.
As I told a friend I met during the trip: “Perché di spiagge belle o di hotel lussuosi se ne possono trovare in tanti posti… ma la gentilezza di chi ti accoglie fa la differenza,” meaning, beautiful beaches and luxury hotels can be found in many places, but the kindness of those who welcome you is what truly makes the difference.
