Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa Athena, Agrigento
Facts in brief
Official star rating 5
Location The hotel is located in the Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park
Annual opening Open all year
Closest airport Palermo Airport
Distance from airport The hotel is about 2-hours' drive from Palermo Airport
Hotel facilities and services
2 Restaurants, Patio Lounge, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Spa, Solarium, 24-hour Reception and Concierge, Laundry Service.
Out and about nearby
The Valley of the Temples, the Pirandello theatre and cathedral in Agrigento, Aragona's Maccalube mud volcanoes, the beaches of the southwest coastline including Eraclea Minoa.
Sports nearby
Water Sports and Sea Swimming.
Beautiful room, location and facilities.Mrs H , August 2015
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic room for 3 nights
From about
£950
Holiday Code EXH958
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa Athena, Agrigento
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels group, the Villa Athena occupies an unrivalled position being the only five-star hotel to be situated within the Valley of the Temples archaeological park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just 200 metres from the Temple of Concordia amidst Saracen olive trees and centuries-old palms, the hotel offers 27 rooms and suites overlooking the park or temples, each beautifully renovated in a contemporary style. There are two restaurants at the Villa Athena, each capturing the essence of its archaeological environment and serving the finest seasonal Sicilian cuisine. The Terrace of the Gods is an atmospheric and romantic setting for dinner overlooking the Temples of Concordia and Juno whilst Il Granaio di Ibla houses a glass-enclosed ancient Greek cistern and features a modern take on traditional local cuisine. Encircled by an 18th-century colonnade, the Patio Lounge meanwhile offers a sophisticated setting for cocktails and there is an enticing outdoor swimming pool and sun terrace set amidst the Sicilian gardens. The Villa Athena is a simply stunning luxury base for exploring the many delights of this fascinating and historic region.
Room descriptions
Villa Athena has 27 rooms and suites, each featuring air conditioning, direct-dial telephone, flat screen LCD TV, complimentary WiFi, safe, hairdryer and mini-bar. An extra bed or crib can be arranged in all rooms except the Classic Room.
Beautiful room, location and facilities.Mrs H , August 2015
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic room for 3 nights
From about
£950
Holiday Code EXH958
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa Athena, Agrigento
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Villa Athena in Sicily, our clients usually fly to Palermo airport. From the airport, we recommend a private car transfer which we would include in our holiday price, or we recommend that you use a hire-car for the duration of your holiday, especially if you want to tour the region. If you are staying at this hotel as part of a tailor-made touring holiday, we would include a hire-car for the itinerary.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Beautiful room, location and facilities.Mrs H , August 2015
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic room for 3 nights
From about
£950
Holiday Code EXH958
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Villa Athena, Agrigento
About Sicily
An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Sicily allows visitors to discover a unique and captivating island. The rich tapestry of Mediterranean history can be witnessed on the southerly island of Sicily, fascinating not only for its amazing blend of cultures including Greek, Arab, Byzantine and Norman and its architectural treasures which reflect these influences but also for its breath-taking scenery of coast, parched mountains and fertile groves of almonds, oranges, lemons and olives. The people are proud and independent, reserved but sincere and helpful. Traditions thrive to an extent that the atmosphere of Sicily is unrecognisable in the context of other parts of Italy further north. The towns and villages are contrasting with picture postcard scenes of mediaeval labyrinthine alleyways adorned by wrought-iron balconies and baskets of flowers or severe dilapidation punctuated by grand Baroque or austere Norman cathedrals and churches. Additionally, there are of course some of the most important sites of the ancient Greek world such as the temples at Agrigento, the theatre at Taormina and numerous relics at Siracusa, reputedly one of the most beautiful cities of the Greek world. High above the island looms Mount Etna, one of the largest volcanoes in the world and an awe-inspiring sight. Off the north coast of Sicily, the beautiful Aeolian Islands offer escape and remoteness, natural scenery and a startling light, a sleepy way of life and romantic isolation. A holiday in Sicily appeals for those who want typical rest and relaxation with cultural activities at hand, and for those who want to be more adventurous and experience more of this captivating island.
Highlights of Sicily
An ascent of Mount Etna, partly by car and then further on foot (guides available) through the luxuriant vegetation which includes oranges and lemons, bougainvillaea and poinsettias and then higher up the groves of walnuts, cherries, almonds, pistachios and vines. Palermo is known for its street markets, especially Vucciria and Ballaro, where traders and hawkers, pickpockets and shoppers converge amongst narrow streets and stalls of wares. See the traditional costumes and dialect of Piana degli Albanesi, where Albanians settled in the 15th Century. Revel in the splendid site of Taormina above the sea with views to Etna. Local crafts include cork, ceramics, honey, embroidery, raffia. Enjoy the calm and remoteness of the Aeolian Islands with their clear waters, beautiful scenery and peaceful way of life. Enjoy the gardens of the Villa Giulia in Palermo and the Public Gardens in Taormina.
Cultural highlights of Sicily
Palermo contains some of the greatest Arab-Norman buildings in existence - San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Palazzo Reale with its striking Cappella Palatina and La Martorana. Monreale outside Palermo is the greatest work of Norman architecture in Sicily and contains beautiful 12th and 13th Century mosaics and cloisters. The Doric temples of the 5th Century BC in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Cefalu has the `Portrait of a Man` by Antonello da Messina, dating from 1465 in its Museo Mandralisca.
Festivals in Sicily
Many Sicilian local festivals are linked to Saints’ Days. A few of the most well-known festivals generally include Carnival celebrations in Taormina and Acireale. Easter is celebrated especially in Trapani, Marsala and Piana degli Albanesi. Messina celebrates Ferragosto on the 15th August with a firework display over the Straits. The Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore takes place in Agrigento in the first and second weeks of February to celebrate the almond blossom. Taormina Arte is a summer festival of music, cinema, ballet and theatre, held in the Greek theatre. The Palio dei Normanni takes place in Piazza Armeria in August.
Gastronomy in Sicily
The gastronomy of Sicily, like much of the culture of the island, has been heavily influenced by its history. Cuscus is a Sicilian version of couscous, and marzipan features heavily in sweets. Local produce includes citrus fruits, almonds, capers, olives, peppers and fish. Local specialities include Maccheroni con le sarde (pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins, pine nuts and saffron), Pesce spada (grilled sword fish), 'alla Siciliana' with capers, red peppers and herbs. Cassata is a popular dessert made with ricotta, candied fruit and pistachios and Cannoli are almond biscuits stuffed with ricotta. Sicily produces a variety of red and white wines including Corvo di Salaparuta and Etna, Marsala and Malvasia.
