Country life in Sicily

One of the most striking things about Sicily is its diversity in the landscapes, cultures and generally way of life.

During our last visit in the island we have decided to spend a few days away from the noisy and crowded cities and find peace in one of the most remote places, namely the country side area between the provinces of Palermo and Agrigento.

We spent 4 days in the cities of Contessa Entellina - a small village rich in archeological history - and Sambuca di Sicilia - named the most beautiful village in Italy in 2016.

B&B Rocca dei Capperi

Our first destination and main place to stay during our trip was a B&B in the outskirt of the Contessa Entellina village, Rocca dei Capperi. The cottage, more like a small hotel with 5 rooms, is located amidst a large olive grove extending over a steep hill. It is owned by Paolo, originally from Veneto, who moved to Sicily 20 years ago to find his personal piece of paradise.

To get there has not been easy, driving through roads in extremely bad shapes, at night and during a storm, frankly quite a frightening experience. That is what you get in the real country side.

Paolo welcomed us with a warm dinner and took care of us for the remaining days, spoiling us with the produce of his garden and every evening cooking delicious and simple meals.

The place is great for peaceful walks through nature, surrounded by olive groves, cows, raspberries and cute shepherd dogs. But most of all it was the stunning landscape that made us fall in love with the place.

The village of Contessa Entellina is only 5 minutes by car away. Be aware that the village has very little to offer. If you are lucky you will find a bar open in the main square and a couple of bakeries. A restaurant was about to open when we visited the village, but don’t expect much from a hospitality point of view: this is really for hard core tourists.

Rocca di Entella

The whole area is actually quite important from an archeological point of view, due to the remain of an Ellenic city, Entella, part of the Elimi civilization that lived in Sicily during the time of the Greek occupation. On top of the Entella plateau - called Rocca di Entella - the remains of the main cities can still be seen. Funny enough, the area is still privately owned and cultivated. As a result excavations have been extremely difficult and the archeological remains are in danger of being pillaged by tomb riders (yes they still exist!).

To visit the ancient city requires a lot of walk and climbing, but all the efforts are certainly paid back by the stunning view over the whole central Sicilian landscape at the top.

A lot of information about the Entella civilization is available at the bottom of the hill, but evidently the maintenance of the place is not the top priority of the local government and the place is left almost abandoned.

Riserva Naturale Monte Genuardo

One of the landmarks of this area is the natural reserve Monte Genuardo. It is a large natural area around the Genuardo massive, almost 1.200 meters high. The whole area is suited for hiking, with signaled paths, and picnics.

It truly is a hidden gem in the middle of the Sicilian island.

Sambuca di Sicilia

Not far from the Genuardo massive we drove to the town of Sambuca di Sicilia, famous for winning the title of most beautiful Italian village in 2016. It is a medieval town with a rich history. Walking through its Arabic district really gives the feeling of being in an old Arabic city.

Funny enough, one of the delicacies of this town are snails. Best place to taste them is the restaurant Pane e Radici located on the main street.