Monaci Delle Terre Nere 4 stars  |  comfort & select

SETTING & STYLE

Set in a private estate, owned by Coffa’s family, this exclusive country boutique hotel is one of only three eco-bio certified hotels in Sicily. The 40-acre organic farm is surrounded by vineyards and lush green countryside, with views of the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna in the distance. The rosy 19th-century villa is where you’ll find most of the hotel’s amenities, its ground floor is home to the reception/guest lounge area with designer pieces, a bespoke modern black hearth, coffee-table books and bar and some rooms and suites. Other rooms and suites are in the renovated outbuildings some 300 meters from the main villa.

The hotel is located midway between Catania and Taormina near Zafferana Etna, a little town on east side of Mount Etna. Catania airport is some 40 minutes’ drive. The location is remote, and a car is highly recommended.  Interiors are decorated with his own finds from over the years, vibrant contemporary paintings, Italian designer furniture and eccentric collectables.

RESTAURANTS & BARS

Sicilian breakfasts are served in the restored wine pressing room; dinners are a delight in the informal dining room. Much of the food served at breakfast or dinner in the handsome, artsy in-house restaurant is grown right on the estate, and the part that isn’t is carefully sourced from smaller, mostly organic producers. At dinner, the approach is refined but local, where creative takes on peasant dishes. The restaurant has an excellent wine list and most of wines are sourced from the Etna region.

RELAX

There's a lounge and a beautiful outdoor 18m infinity swimming pool, together with a chill-out area. There are many excursions you can take around Mt. Etna, Europe's tallest, most active volcano and its surrounding National Park. Visitors can hike up or ski down its slopes or take the cable car up to 2500 m. Mountain bikes for hire.

• Accommodation & Facilities:

  The 20 rooms and suites in the main villa and a series of outbuildings are stylish dens and unique in décor, some with wood-burning stoves, exposed lava stone walls and weathered ceiling beams, others fresh and bright, with contemporary artworks playing off against Sicilian antiques.
  
   The ‘Dependence’ suites give onto lawns and the estate’s extensive kitchen gardens and orchards, with plants carefully labelled. Rooms have no televisions or phones – a deliberate choice, as the experience is all about tuning into nature. Fireplaces in many rooms reflect the fact that this is one of the few Sicilian country hotels that is open all year.
  
  Offering free Wi-Fi, the chic rooms also have vineyard or sea views, minibars and garden patios. Some provide exposed lava rock walls or beamed ceilings. Suites add separate living areas with pull-out sofas; some feature mountain views, fireplaces, and outdoor hot tubs or showers.
  
  All rooms include;Shower or bathtub, bathrobes, toiletries, hairdryer, minibar/fridge, Wi-fi, terrace or patio