Agriturismo Valle Benuara

The building is a large family house in the middle of a fields and vineyards. Our hosts were very warm and welcoming. Together, they speak English and French perfectly. Rooms are quiet and clean, perfect for a large family. Cooking is traditional and excellent. The Easter Sunday lunch brought 50 clients from the region, and the Sicilians have high standards! The owners also make an excellent wine. Do not hesitate to ask them about it, they are very knowledgeable. Also a very convenient place from which to visit all the wonderful sites of Northwestern Sicily thanks to the autostrada: 15 min to Segeste, 30 min to Erice, one hour to Monreale and Palermo... We thank our hosts for a very enjoyable stay and strongly recommend Valle Benuara.

After reading the very mixed reviews I wasn't sure what to really expect. As a small family (my self, my mum and my four year old son) we have enjoyed a number of holidays in Italy. The communication was very clear and the owners made us very aware that there were restricted check-in hours. By prior appointment we arranged to check-in after 10pm as we took a late night. The agriturismo is a comfortable and easy drive from the airport taking c.15-30mins (depending on whether you drive like an Italian!). We stayed in the family suite which was spacious but sparse. Unfortunately we did not have a view but we had a terrace that was nice to sit out in the evening. One major drawback was lack of a fridge in the room which really did limit things for us (particularly our late afternoon spritz!). The food was a bit of a lottery, some nights really very good, other nights it was not so great. We were also a little bit disappointed as they didn't serve any fish - this was a little more due to our naivety thinking that 20kms to the coast is close enough for fish but the agriturismo's focus is on fresh vegetables and meat. You really do eat what they seem to grow - which can sometimes be limited. The staff were lovely and obliging, although the owner's are not on site when they did arrive they were also very pleasant. There is not someone there 24/7 which is very different to the places we have stayed previously, on the plus side. We did end up having the whole place to ourselves for the last 4 days of our holiday. It is very much a working/industrial grove and vineyard with comfortable rooms and home-cooked food. A major plus is the location - we absolute filled our weeks holiday with two excursions a day visiting various sites, nature reserves, islands, coastal towns etc. etc. Definitely worth a visit but if you have not been to Sicily before it's best to manage your expectations.

We stayed at this lovely agriturismo at the end of our holiday in Sicily. We received an excellent welcome with helpful advice about local issues. After a long drive the pool was a great and an unusual asset. Set in lovely grounds with a children's play area adjacent, the pool was large enough for a good swim and had parasols and loungers around. We had dinner in the evening which was a set meal, quite acceptable. Breakfast was typically Italian - fresh fruit, juices, cereals, cakes, preserves, bread, yogurts and coffee and tea. All in all a great stay with everything we expected.