Have you ever traveled somewhere to a place that grabbed your heart, pulled it out of your chest, then refused to put it back? I’ve had a few: the Cinque Terre on the Ligurian Sea in Italy, the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and now Masseria Susafa in the middle-of-nowhere, Sicily.
Before we even booked a room at Masseria Susafa, we knew we were going to fall in love with it. The photos online are bewitching, and any time we wanted to get excited about our upcoming trip, we’d pull up the website and daydream. I’d say of all our Sicilian destinations, Masseria Susafa was definitely the one that generated the highest hopes.
Our morning in Milazzo started off a bit rocky. We disembarked the hydrofoil and set out in search of our rental car location. Confusedly wandering unknown, foreign streets with a ridiculous amount of bags and luggage has been at least a small part of each of my European vacations. At least we got it out of the way quickly in Sicily. We found our rental car and set off in search of the charming farm we’d call home for the next three nights.
As we got closer, we started to understand the type of isolation we’d be living in for the next few days. Masseria Susafa is a working olive oil farm, set in the countryside of Polizzi Generosa. It’s miles from the nearest town, store or restaurant. Winding, pothole-filled roads weave up into the mountainous hills of interior Sicily, affording breathtakingly beautiful 360 degree views. I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life. The landscape is rough, hilly farmland as far as the eye can see, with the occasional town nestled into the hillside, and it’s absolutely stunning.
Upon arriving at Masseria Susafa, a little, hillside oasis of a place, we knew all of our daydreaming could not possibly live up to what awaited us. The old, stone farmhouse buildings are surrounded by tall trees, whispering in the wind. There’s a silence that is both still and glorious. We arrived starving, as we’d neglected to stop for lunch on the way. And thankfully, they were still serving lunch on the terrace. It. Was. Incredible. From the wine to the bread to the fresh vegetables, everything was phenomenally tasty. After lunch, we got settled into our simple but chic and rustic room and gave ourselves a tour of the place.
There’s really nothing to do at Masseria Susafa except relax and unwind and enjoy, and that’s exactly what we were looking for. We spent hours at the stunning and peaceful swimming pool, or in our huge, cozy bed reading with the windows and doors open for fresh air, or on the rooftop terrace or wine bar enjoying amazing Sicilian wine and exquisite cocktails. There are only 13 guest rooms at the farm, so the setting is a completely quiet and relaxing paradise.
Masseria Susafa is an agriturismo resort. That basically means that it’s a resort but also a working farm committed to serving incredibly fresh, delicious, locally-grown meals. Each and every meal we had there was fantastic. Breakfast and dinner were served in the massive, beautifully-restored farmhouse restaurant, Il Granaio. Service was always attentive and warm but never intrusive. We’d typically enjoy a pre and post-dinner glass of wine or cocktail in the wine bar next door. Both areas have large, inviting fireplaces perfect for cozying up on the cooler evenings.
We tore ourselves away from the farm one day to explore the surrounding areas, particularly the quaint, hillside towns of Petralia Sottana and Polizzi Generosa. We wound through more mountains and rocky, rutted roads and found ourselves transported back in time in these two tiny, traditional towns. We were hard-pressed to find a place for lunch, so we ended up having to go out of our way to find a little roadside snackbar serving pizza and calzones. We both ate lunch for under 7 euros. Seriously.
Our last night at Masseria Susafa came way too quickly. We were both pretty sad to be leaving, but the entire farm was booked for a wedding the following night, so leave we must. There is no denying that this place was complete magic. We were already plotting how we’d plan and spend another vacation there. Anyone who loves vacation off the beaten path as much as we do is bound to love Masseria Susafa’s quiet, isolated charm.
By the way, did I mention that our stay was also really cheap? We paid less than 100 euros a night for this incredible place. Of course you’re eating in the restaurant for lunch and dinner each day, but that’s also quite inexpensive. And the insanely fresh, delicious, huge breakfast is included in the nightly rate. Seriously, do yourself a favor and book your trip there now.
xo,
R
sea of lovely 