Agriturismo in Sicily with Tastings, Barbecue

Farm stays in Sicily range from citrus estates on the eastern plain to wine domaines on the slopes of Etna and inland grain farms that have worked the same land since Greek settlement. The island is large enough that the farming — and the cooking that follows from it — changes completely from one coast to the other.

The main areas

Around Etna, farms sit on black volcanic soil at altitude, producing Nerello Mascalese wine, pistachios at Bronte and apples and chestnuts higher up; summer nights are cool here even when the coast is stifling. The Val di Noto in the south-east combines baroque towns — Noto, Modica, Ragusa — with almond groves and quiet beaches. The west, around Trapani and Marsala, is a landscape of salt pans, vineyards and Arab-Norman heritage, with Erice above it. The interior around Enna and Caltanissetta is the least visited and the cheapest, all wheat and open sky.

What the farms offer

• Citrus picked from the property between December and April, when the groves are in fruit
• Etna wines, Marsala and Passito di Pantelleria tasted where they are made
• Ricotta, pecorino and cannoli filled to order at farms with their own flock
• Almonds, pistachios and capers as farm produce rather than souvenirs
• Guided walks on Etna's lava flows and craters, arranged directly by many hosts

When to go

April, May, September and October are the strongest months: warm, green in spring, and with the sea still swimmable in autumn. Midsummer inland regularly passes 38°C, so if you travel in July or August choose the coast or the higher ground around Etna. Winter is mild on the coast and is the season for oranges and lemons, though some farms close.

Catania and Palermo airports serve most of the island, with Trapani and Comiso useful for the west and south-east. Roads are slower than the map suggests once you leave the motorway, and a car is necessary — very few farms are reachable by public transport.

In Sicily we have 206 farmhouses, including 125 with swimming pool, 139 with restaurant and 70 pet friendly.