The history of the area stretches back nearly 2500 years

Santa Maria is in the west of Sicily, about 110km from the regional capital, Palermo. The area is rich with history and culture, giving you plenty of things to do.

Mazara del Vallo, the nearest town, is Italy’s major fishing port. The historic centre is a delightful example of 17th Century baroque architecture.

The Piazza della Repubblica is one of the most beautiful baroque squares in Sicily and the Norman Baroque Cathedral is full of treasures: a Byzantine fresco, Roman sarcophagi and elaborate sculptures by the Gagini family.  A recent arrival is the bronze statue of the “dancing satyr”, a masterpiece of Greek Classical art, discovered in the waters of the Sicilian Channel and now housed in its own museum. There are good shops in town, some of which offer excellent local ceramics.

The ornate Piazza della Repubblica, Mazara del Vallo

Mazara is famous for its fish and seafood, and Western Sicily for its wines. Local restaurants offer the best of both and there is also a wide choice of informal, child-friendly trattorias and pizzerias.
A lovely “lungomare” with palm trees is ideal for the evening promenade, to be savoured with an ice-cream from one of the many gelaterie. Sicilian ice-cream is the best!

Beyond Mazara del Vallo 

Beyond the town there is plenty to do, including:

The 5th Century B.C. ruins of Selinunte,  a 30-minute drive away.

The beautiful temple and Greek theatre of Segesta.

Marsala with its Punic ship, the Garibaldi museum and a plethora of wine industries with opportunities for tasting the excellent local wines – not only Marsala!

The stunning Ancient Greek ruins of Selinunte

Saltpans with windmills and the Phoenician island of Motya. The Whitaker Museum now hosts the 4th Century B.C. Greek statue known as “Il Ragazzo di Motya”, one of the most exquisite works of art remaining from the Classical era.

Trapani, an ancient Greek port, now a thriving town, packed with churches from medieval to Baroque and the superb Pepoli Museum .

The Egadi islands - Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo, known for their lovely beaches and ideal for a day-trip.

High above the port of Trapani sits Erice on the peak of the mountain. Once famous as the Mountain of Love, sacred to Venus, it has now taken on a medieval aspect; but you can still see the Punic walls.

And much more. Palermo and Agrigento are easy day trips.

Beaches

There are many beaches in the vicinity. We recommend Tonnarella about 5 miles from Santa Maria. There is about a mile of white sand and the water is usually warmer than at other local beaches. The bars and bathing stations are taken down from September to June. The water is fairly shallow so this is the most suitable beach for small children.
Other nearby beaches are San Vito, Kartibubbu, Tre Fontane, Marinella and Sciacca.

Activities

Windsurfing, sailing, and riding are all available nearby.

How to reach the Villa

By air

The nearest International Airport is Palermo - Falcone Borsellino – 110 kilometres from Mazara del Vallo.
It is an easy drive along the motorway that goes direct to Mazara del Vallo and takes from 40 minutes (Marcello’s record) to an hour. There is very little traffic.

A car is a must for a holiday at Villa Santa Maria. The major car hire firms such as Hertz and Avis are represented at the Airport.

Ryanair flies from Stansted to Palermo throughout the year at the unsociable time of 7 a.m. In summer they also run an evening flight. Easyjet also has flights to Palermo and back in summer

Otherwise Alitalia flies to Palermo from Heathrow and Gatwick but with a change at Rome. This means the journey can take several hours.

By sea

There are ferry and hovercraft services from Naples to Palermo and a ferry also from Genoa.

By train

Mazara has a railway station but the connection to Palermo is long and tortuous as Caroline discovered the first time she visited Sicily. In any case you will need a car to get about on holiday.

Precise directions will be sent to guests when payment is received.