A seafront resort on 230 hectares of Sicily's south-west coast, with 45 holes of golf, a large thalassotherapy spa and sea-view rooms.
Verdura is the answer when a family wants Sicily but also wants space: 230 hectares of coastline, golf and countryside, with a long shoreline and sea-view rooms. It has the facilities of a big resort, eight restaurants and bars, a kids' programme and a playground at Verdùland, without the feeling of being packed in.
Golfers come for the 45 holes designed by Kyle Phillips; everyone else tends to end up at the spa, which covers 4,000 square metres and has four seawater thalassotherapy pools. The resort's own farm supplies the kitchens, and Fulvio Pierangelini's menus run from wood-fired pizza at Liolà to Japanese-influenced cooking in the old Saracen tower at Nagori.
The catch is remoteness. This corner of Sicily is a long transfer from the island's main airports, and the sights, Agrigento's temples, Selinunte, the Scala dei Turchi, are day trips rather than strolls. Couples looking for a village atmosphere or evening passeggiata will do better on the east coast. For a week of sea, sport and good food with children, it works very well.
Sea-view rooms with large glass doors onto a private balcony; the Superior Deluxe rooms are big enough for families.
Family Room with two private terraces over the sea and the golf course, plus Junior Family and Family Suites a few steps from the water.
Calm, generously sized suites with private balconies and Mediterranean views, recently redesigned with Sicilian craft details.
The Mimosa, Peonia and Acacia suites and two- and three-bedroom Pool Suites, several with private pools and wide sea views.
Three-bedroom Agata villas above the golf course and shoreline, and seafront Smeraldo villas facing the beach.
Eight restaurants and bars, with menus by Fulvio Pierangelini and produce from the resort's farm. Liolà serves wood-fired pizza on the cliff top, Zagara Mediterranean dishes over the sea, L'Osteria Italian favourites and the day's catch from Sciacca, Ondina light lunches by the pool, and Nagori, in the Saracen tower, a seasonal menu blending Japanese technique with Sicilian produce. Scirocco is the sunset cocktail bar.
The Irene Forte Spa covers 4,000 square metres, with four thalassotherapy pools filled with seawater, 11 treatment rooms including a double suite, a thermal area with sauna, steam room and infrared sauna, and a Technogym gym. Guided coastal treks are run by the fitness team.
Children of all ages are welcome, with the Rocco Forte Kids programme for babies (0 to 3), kids (4 to 12) and teens (13 to 16), the Verdùland playground, babysitting on request and half-price kids' meals.
| Estate | 230 hectares of coastline and countryside |
|---|---|
| Golf | 45 holes designed by Kyle Phillips |
| Restaurants and bars | Eight |
| Spa | 4,000 square metres, four thalassotherapy pools, 11 treatment rooms |
| Children | All ages; kids' club and Verdùland playground |
| Nearby | Sciacca, Selinunte, Agrigento's Valley of the Temples |
Near Sciacca, south-west coast of Sicily, Italy
A few of the things we plan for guests in Italy.
The coast road is slow in summer, so see the coast from a boat. A private day takes in the Li Galli islands, the narrow inlet at Furore and a swim stop below Praiano, with lunch at a beach restaurant reachable only by sea. Go on a weekday in late May, June or September, when the water is warm and the ferries are less full.
South of Siena, the Val d'Orcia is the Tuscany of cypress avenues and rolling wheat fields. Base yourself in a farmhouse near Pienza, buy pecorino in the village, and spend a day tasting Brunello in Montalcino and Vino Nobile in Montepulciano with a driver. September and October bring the grape harvest and a softer, lower light.
Venice changes completely once the day visitors leave. Stay at least two nights so you can walk across Piazza San Marco at seven in the morning and spend evenings in the bacari of Cannaregio eating cicchetti. November to March is cold and misty but the city is at its calmest.
Three nights in Rome between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, with a private guide for the Vatican and the Forum, then the fast train south and five nights on the cliff outside Positano with a lift down to the sea.
Four nights on an organic farm estate in southern Tuscany, with a spa that uses its own herbs, then three inside the walls of an Umbrian castle with a candlelit bathhouse in the old wine cellars. Siena and Montalcino in between.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.
