Getting there:
Nearest International Airport is Palermo; Ryanair & Easyjet both fly from Stanstead to Palermo, Ryanair also fly from Birmingham to Tapani . A hire car is essential for you to enjoy the delights of Sicily; these can be economically rented via the Internet and collected on arrival at the airport . From Palermo, Ciminna is about one hours drive, from Trapani about 1hour 45 mins, alternatively, you can arrive by air into Catania or by ferry into Messina, where the travelling times are about four and two hours respectively. We ask that our guests telephone our local representative on arrival in Sicily so that they can arrange a time to meet him in the center of Ciminna, from where he will guide them up to Casa Uliva. Full route directions will be provided on receipt of the final balance for your holiday and our Booking Form asks for your planned arrival point so that we can tailor the directions to your specific requirements.
The local area:
A home from home in a wonderfully unspoilt area of Sicily and yet within easy reach of all the traditional requirements of a Mediterranean Holiday. It is so easy to relax and enjoy the steady pace of life in this rural community. A community that will take you to it's heart; whether enjoying a coffee outside one of the many bars, or a pizza in one of several pizzeria, or just mingling with the locals at the regular fortnightly markets. Ciminna is a wonderfully friendly place that is full of surprises and worthy of closer investigation. We know that you will never lack for wonderful food and drink in Ciminna and yet you are still within easy travelling distance of Trabia, Bagheria or Palermo for speciality resaurants. There many historic sites a short distance from the villa, one being Himera, which is about 30Km away, and is famous for the ruins of the Temple of Victory. Caccamo, which can be seen from the villa is also worth a trip as it has a very fine 12th Century Norman castle.
The island of Sicily:
Sicily is an island of magnificent contrasts - sandy beaches, undulating agricultural plains, mountain ranges (including Europe's largest active volcano, Mt. Etna) and fertile valleys in a natural unspoilt environment. Nearly every civilisation over the last 4000 years has visited, and settled on Sicily, resulting in the most amazing blend of European and African architectural styles for us to wonder at. However, the most remarkable sites of all are the multitude of Greaco-Roman ruins that are to be found all over the island; from the magnificent amphitheatre at Taormina, to the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. It is remarkable that these sites eclipse even those in Greece for their completeness. Truly, there is something on Sicily for everyone and we are sure that no one can possibly leave this amazing island without taking with them some particular and special memory of their holiday in Sicily, which will make them want to return time and again.
