Of corals and butterflies
14 Guests
7 Bedrooms
6 Bathrooms
Located just outside the historic centre of Marsala, La Favorita boasts elegant, spacious interiors that have been lovingly furnished by its owner. The discreet, welcoming and attentive care provided receives rave reviews from all-comers and will ensure that your stay is stress-free and relaxing. Outside is a fabulous heatable pool, immersed in mature, beautifully designed gardens that are perfect for a stroll before or after dinner.
Speak to our experts
For expert advice on this villa, things to do in the area, or to discuss how we can make your stay truly bespoke, call our Villa Specialists today. We are open every day of the week, weekends included.
Keyholder highlights
- Fabulous 18m-long heatable pool
- A quintessential Sicilian residence
- Character-filled interiors
- Mature, beautifully tended grounds
- Space galore
Gallery
Ariel views of La Favorita
La Favorita is enveloped in beautiful gardens.
The pool is surrounded by the wonderful gardens.
Heading towards the fabulous heatable pool.
The grounds of La Favorita are a real oasis.
The terrace from another angle.
Marsala, Sicily
La Favorita
Available exclusively through The Thinking Traveller
Dates
Guests
Bedrooms
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The Area
La Favorita is superbly situated for exploring the most beautiful parts of western Sicily. Marsala, just a few minutes away, is most commonly known for its fortified wines, invented for export by English traders in the 18th century. It was also the starting point from which Garibaldi launched his attack on the Bourbons to ignite a revolution that was to create the nation of Italy. Today, the town boasts a beautifully restored centre with some great restaurants and bars and some excellent beaches.
An added bonus of staying near in Marsala is the hydrofoil service to Favignana and the Egadi Islands: a 30-minute trip directly from Marsala (or a 20-minute trip from Trapani ) will take you to an island paradise of sandy beaches, idyllic coves and transparent waters. Alternatively, why not let us charter a boat for you one day?
Also close to La Favorita is the Phoenician island of Mozia, Erice, Trapani, the superb Greek temples at Selinunte and Segesta, and the wonderful beaches of the southwest coast.
Trapani airport:
13km-8miles-20minsPalermo airport:
100km-62miles-1hr20Catania airport:
332km-205miles-3hr50Comiso airport:
250km-155miles-3hr45Marsala beaches with lido:
20minsClosest shops:
2 mins driveMarsala centre (shops and restaurants):
10minsThe Egadi Islands:
30min hydrofoil ride from MarsalaSaltpans:
9kms-6miles-15minsSelinunte:
55km-34miles-1hrErice:
50km-31miles-55minsLocal Experiences
Culinary experiences in Western Sicily
Every civilisation that dominated Sicily was inspired by the produce this fertile land offers. In western Sicily it was the Arabs, French and Spanish who shaped the roots of the local culinary tradition, that went on to develop throughout the centuries into the unique, rich and eclectic specialities we find there today.
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Private boat charters in West Sicily
Transparent waters lap dramatic, time-scarred sea stacks and weather-beaten cliffs, home to tumbling prickly pear trees and 16th and 17th-century watch towers. The old tonnara (a tuna fishing hub) is set evocatively between the cliffs, and a little time spent snorkelling here will be time well spent indeed. Then it’s off again, sweeping through the limpid waters of Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, whose towering mountains rise majestically from the sea. Idyllic pebbly coves break up the sheer rocky masses, and before you know it you’ll be rounding the headland and sailing west to Sicily’s most northwesterly town, the fishing village and seaside resort of San Vito Lo Capo, renowned for its golden sands, electric blue waters, and delicious fish couscous.
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Private guided tours in West Sicily
From first glance, it would seem that the Saracen and Norman rulers of Sicily could have had very little in common. The former had arrived from North Africa and were part of the Golden Age of Arab civilisation that had made such huge strides in the fields of mathematics, economics, agriculture, science, poetry, and architecture. The latter were an offshoot of the Vikings from the frozen north of Europe, adventurers and hardened warriors.When the Normans ousted the Saracen forces in 1090, however, there was no obliteration of all things Arabic. Indeed, the men from the north were hugely impressed by what they found, and rather than destroying Arabic culture, they embraced it. Many institutions were retained, Islam was tolerated, and Saracen landowners were allowed to keep their estates. North African habits were adopted by many Normans as they acclimatised to life in the middle of the Mediterranean. Souks prospered, cool Arabic courtyards were de rigueur, and many Normans, including some of the sovereigns themselves, lived more like Emirs than knights. Where the fusion of cultures really stood out, however, was in the architecture.
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Private Guided Tours in Southwest Sicily
Our private guides are tried and tested experts in their field, with many holding PhDs in their particular specialism. Book a tour or two with them and you'll come away with fascinating insights into your destination's towns, archaeological sites, food, wine, landscapes and geology.
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Beach clubs in Southwest Sicily
The southern coast of Sicily is a broken line of sandy beaches and cliffs, dotted with the remains of Greek colonies such as Selinunte and Agrigento, and the odd modern metropolis. In the southwest are the seaside towns of Porto Palo di Menfi and Sciacca, with its large fishing fleet, the coastal nature reserves of Foce del Belice, Foce del Platani and Torre Salsa, all with gorgeous unspoilt beaches, and the historic site of Eraclea Minoa, which boasts a long expanse of sand flanked by fragrant pine woods. Also along this section of coast are the bright white chalk cliffs and bathing area of the Scala dei Turchi.
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Wine tastings in Southwest Sicily
The triangle of Menfi, Marsala and Sciacca is one of the oldest outpost for wine production in Sicily thanks to the versatile and mite climate created by the sea breeze coming from the coast. Some of the most important Sicilian indigenous grapes, such as Grillo and Inzolia were born here and throughout the centuries have been wisely combined to produce among the most popular wines of the region. If you want to start exploring Sicilian wine you should probably start here, and we would be pleased to help.
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Bike rental
Menfi, that haven of vineyard-carpeted hills sloping down to crystalline-sea-lapped sandy beaches, has redefined the term “riding the rails”. Where a narrow gauge freight railway once ran, connecting Sciacca, Menfi and Porto Palo, there are now 20km of cycle paths, allowing locals and visitors alike to pedal (or run) through the area’s gorgeous landscapes without worrying about traffic. It’s an ideal way to discover the area and you can even stop off for a swim in the waters of the Mediterranean to cool off.
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Culinary experiences in West Sicily
The west of Sicily is a great destination for food lovers. Inland, the scenery is dominated by vast expanses of vineyards and olive groves, and some of Sicily's best wines – for example those of the Alcamo, Trapani, Erice and Marsala areas - and olive oils are produced in this corner of the island. Restaurant menus offer a fabulous array of fresh fish and seafood dishes. Fish cous cous is one of the signature dishes, a tradition that is celebrated every September at San Vito’s international Cous Cous Fest. Other stand-out specialities include busiate al pesto trapanese - a homemade pasta served with a pesto of tomatoes, garlic, almonds and basil - and spaghetti alla bottarga - salt-cured tuna fish roe grated on steaming pasta.
DiscoverFrom the Guest Book
Read the thoughtful reviews that travellers have left after their time with us.
We had a great family experience at La Favorita. What made it stand out was the staff and the grounds.
Anonymous June 2024
What an amazing property! Beautiful pool, fantastic gardens to enjoy (hide and seek for the children, and drinks under the palms for the adults), and amazing curiosities to see throughout this historic villa. The villa staff were very helpful with our household needs and supported us with local experiences.
K.I. May 2023
5 out of 5 for La Favorita. Outstanding full service at all times. Owners made sure all our needs were attended to at all times. Very helpful with local suggestions, and made sure everything was running smoothly at the house.
Anonymous, United States of America August 2022
Everything was amazing at La Favorita. The setting was spectacular. The staff were outstanding and we greatly enjoyed meeting the owners who were terrifically helpful and just really lovely people.
Anonymous, United States of America July 2022
We cannot fault anybody involved with our holiday at La Favorita in any way. It was perfect.
ST, United Kingdom June 2022
We couldn't fault La Favorita. It's a real Italian gem, beautifully furnished and luxuriously fitted. Set in over an acre of lovely gardens and with a fantastic swimming pool. We often had to drag ourselves away to see other parts of the island. We had a party of 12 with age ranges from 16 to 83 and every one of us rated the holiday as 5 star. Without hesitation we would certainly use The Thinking Traveller again for a villa holiday. The owner of the villa welcomed us and introduced us to the staff and gave us a tour. All our luggage was sanitised before being taken indoors and we felt very safe. The staff couldn't do enough to ensure that we enjoyed our stay. The meals they provided were wonderful almost to excess at times.
Mr Roger King, United Kingdom October 2020
