What’s more? The bathroom is lovely with deep red marble tiling, a large tub, and views over the beach. The space is gardenside, so you won’t fall asleep to the sound of the sea, but I didn’t mind. I felt an instant calm wash over me and immediately adapted to this being my new home, like my own little Sicilian apartment.
As the owners say, this isn’t a hotel. You’re on your own for breakfast and things to do, meaning you’ll need to familiarize yourself with what’s around locally. Luckily, there’s plenty. Less than a 10-minute drive away is Castellammare del Golfo, full of eateries, stores, and bars. Down by the marina, restaurants sit along the seafront so you can enjoy an Aperol Spritz and watch the boats bob. I’d recommend walking the central street, Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, where you’ll find cafés (perfect for an arancini), small boutiques, and more bars. You can easily spend all day here pottering around—and come dusk, pink light fills the streets and fairy lights glow above you.
One of my non-negotiable recommendations is Tonnara di Scopello, another historic tuna fishery turned into a tiny museum and protected cove. (Buy a ticket online for less than 20 euros.) And while the museum is sweet, with tours in English several times a day, people also love coming here for entry to the cove itself. Picture paradise and you’re close enough: aqua water sloshes and froths around an idyllically craggy coastline with deck chairs lined up around the water’s edge. Your ticket entitles you to a seat, where you can spend the whole day dipping in and out of the water and fetching Campari Spritz and polpo salad from the cafe. My experience was heavenly; in early May the site was well under capacity and I bought my ticket the day before, but Instagram is making this place a tourist hotspot, so book as early in advance as you can.
Another day trip option is the hilltop town of Erice, where there’s a medieval fortress that’s over 2,500 years old. It was a hairy journey driving up a winding mountainside, 2,464-feet above sea level. But trust that the views are worth it. There’s parking at the top (or, you can get a cable car) and plenty to see with ancient churches, cobblestone streets, gelato spots, restaurants, and a famous pastry shop.
One of my favorite moments was seeing Castello di Venere (which means the Castle of Venus), built in the 12th century. It literally clings to the cliffside and looks like a scene out of Games of Thrones. There are bed-and-breakfasts up there, but I don’t think you need to stay the night—three to five hours should be enough time to wander around and get lunch. But, please, learn from my mistake and bring a jacket—the wind up there had me cowering behind walls and shopfronts.
Add to all this that Palermo’s vibrant city center is only half an hour away and you soon realize that, although this lonely building sits almost forgotten on the seafront—part of a bygone era when tuna tycoons ruled the roost—there’s plenty to see and do nearby.