Palermo

The capital of Sicily, a guardian of history, art and culture

Whether it is a trip with family or a romantic getaway, a vacation at the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco is perfect for those who want to set out to discover the most fascinating places in Sicily. If you want to spend a day outside the historic residence, you can reach the metropolitan city of Palermo by driving 90 km. A place full of history and rich in culture, to be discovered in all its facets through the Arab-Norman route, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Following the itinerary, you will stroll through the places of the oldest and most prestigious Palermo. An itinerary that includes the Royal Palace, the Cathedral and the Palatine Chapel, not forgetting the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and the Church of the Martorana. To round out this monumental itinerary, outside the city are the cathedral of Monreale and the cathedral of Cefalù.

Distance km. 92,2*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Agrigento

A vacation in the abbey is a chance to immerse yourself in the thousand-year-old places of the Island

The Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco, a historic residence, is the perfect choice for those who also want to treat themselves to a trip out of town during a stay marked by relaxation. Traveling about 90 kilometers, the most curious and history-hungry guests of our relais in Sicily can reach Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The distance separating the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco from Sicily's thousand-year-old sites, such as the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples, is not prohibitive, and as soon as you arrive you will be immediately rewarded by a vision of unparalleled beauty.

Agrigento, rich in charm, history and culture, enjoys a renowned historic center and is also the home of Luigi Pirandello, whose house is a welcome destination for tourists. Here you can admire the writer's personal belongings, as well as writings, memorabilia and much more.
The Valley of the Temples, on the other hand, is one of the largest archaeological complexes in the Mediterranean, an unmissable sight for those who love history and culture. The temples of Demeter, Juno, Concord, Hercules, Zeus and Castor and Pollux. A fascinating journey through time that will leave you breathless.

Distance km. 90,3*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Mazara del Vallo

Discover one of the many beauties of western Sicily by taking advantage of your stay at our relais in Sicily

A vacation at the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco offers guests the opportunity to discover Western Sicily by driving just a few kilometers. If your relaxing stay guaranteed by the nature that surrounds our historic home also includes a trip out of town, you will find Mazara del Vallo, one of the most important fishing ports in the Mediterranean Sea, a little more than 70 kilometers away.

Overlooking the sea, Mazara del Vallo is also rich in history and culture. Walking through the streets and squares, you can relive the harmony of the different cultures that have inhabited Mazara since ancient times. Don't miss a visit to the Museum of the Satyr, where you can find the famous Dancing Satyr, a bronze statue dating back to the 4th century B.C. and found by some Mazara fishermen in 1998.

Distance km. 75,2*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Selinunte

There are places in Sicily that seem made to give unforgettable emotions to those who see them, places marked by history and culture, which become examples of the Sicilian spirit.
Selinunte is a city with a millennial history, where Greek myth lives on and where the surrounding nature keeps everything suspended between dream and reality. A turquoise sea, sparkling reflections, the golden color of the sunlit fields, the color of history, the sirocco wind that lifts the soft sand. A place you cannot help but love.

Its history sinks far back in time, being founded by settlers from Megara Hyblea in 650 BC, and continues through all the phases of Punic and Greek dominations in Sicily, seeing it become rich and prosperous until the conflict with neighboring Segesta and the final destruction at the hands of Hannibal Mago.

The Archaeological Park

A legacy of one of the greatest Western Greek colonies ever is the largest Archaeological Park in Europe, spanning 2500 years of history and containing 7 Temples, some in good condition, built in strict Doric order, the oldest Greek architectural style.
Inside the Selinunte Archaeological Park you can see remains of sanctuaries, necropolis, and the quarries of Cusa.

Sea and beaches

Selinunte is not only a place of history, but also a place of natural beauty: caught between the countryside and the sea, with golden sand and blue waters, offering quiet and reserved corners where you can spend days at the beach and enjoy the Sicilian sea.

Distance km. 54,5*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Ficuzza

Discover one of the many beauties of western Sicily by taking advantage of your stay at our relais in Sicily

A small jewel overlooking the forest, Ficuzza will captivate you as soon as you arrive. The Bourbon King Ferdinand III of Sicily was the one who wanted a hunting lodge built in the late 1700s, the Royal Hunting Lodge.
When you reach the hamlet, the incredible sight of the austere Bourbon palace surrounded by the green forest of the nature reserve will unfold before you. A marvelous beauty that can hardly be recounted in a few words, as well as the majestic geological formation of Rocca Busambra, known to paleontologists around the world for its fossils.

In 2000, the forest was included in the Bosco della Ficuzza, Rocca Busambra, Bosco del Cappelliere and Gorgo del Drago Nature Reserve, established by the Sicilian Region, and today it is a place full of charm and with a fauna and flora that represent 80 % of the wildlife species found in Sicily. Each location is a delight: Gole del Drago, Acqua Ammucciata, Gorgo Lungo, and Bosco or Grotta del Romito.
The entire reserve is full of colors, emotions and sensations, from debarked logs, deer and fossils to magpies, jays and hoopoes circling in the sky: a place to discover and fall in love with!

Distance km. 51*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Sciacca

Sea and hills, history and folklore. Discovering the beauty of Sciacca from the Abbey

Located less than 50 kilometers from the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco is Sciacca, the most touristic town in the Agrigento area. Guests of our relais in Sicily who want to experience an out-of-town trip to discover the western part of the island can reach what is considered the oldest spa center in Sicily in less than an hour. Situated above a hilly terrace that plummets into the sea, Sciacca is a vibrant town that has it all.

Don't miss the Enchanted Castle, a magical and surreal place: an open-air museum that is the result of Francesco Bentivegna's mad work on a plot of land at the foot of Mount Kronio, where he began carving heads in stones. Those who love the sea can take an invigorating dip in the turquoise waters of Sciacca's shores. Not to mention the thermal complex, which has great therapeutic benefits.
The more curious lovers of folk festivals who are on vacation in our historic home during Carnival time cannot miss the eccentric parade of floats in Sciacca.

Distance km. 48,1*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Valle del Belice

A journey through the nature of the Sicilian hinterland from the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco

Those who choose to stay at the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco, a relais in Sicily, will experience a vacation full of relaxation in close contact with nature. A dense forest surrounds the historic residence, while a few kilometers away you can drive to the Valle del Belice, a hilly area that covers part of the provinces of Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento. More than just a journey through nature, visiting the Belice Valley from our historic home also means discovering and getting to know a place of great historical significance, the evidence of which can be seen in the presence of ancient artifacts and ruins towering over the Valley. Those who decide to take a trip into the Sicilian hinterland to discover the Belice Valley can't miss a stop at the Integral Nature Reserve of Entella Cave.

Distance km. 45,5*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Menfi

Menfi, land of the sea, sun, history, and culture

Just 36 km from the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco in Sicily is the citadel of Menfi, an attractive tourist destination. In the province of Agrigento, the town is rich in architecture and archaeological sites and is a place of relevant interest for wine production. Along its coastal strip, the crystal-clear sea that has been awarded the prestigious international Blue Flag, thanks to the quality of the water and the attention given to visitors, bathes golden sandy beaches, white pebbles, and a mesmerizing cliffside.

Distance km. 37,5*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Corleone

Discover the most famous tourist destinations in Sicily, not far from our historic mansion

Relaxing on vacation doesn't mean you can't find the time for a stroll to explore the places near the hotel. About 25 kilometers away from the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco is Corleone, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sicily. A town made famous by tragic events related to the Mafia, as well as by some scenes from the movie "The Godfather". But the true essence of Corleone's beauty goes beyond the clichés associated with its name.

Described by Charles V as "animosa civitas", Corleone is history. A history of thousands of years, evidenced by archaeological findings of the ancient inhabitants of Sicily, the Sicans and Elymians. A cornerstone of Corleone history is the feat of Garibaldi, who pretended to attack the town and instead marched against Palermo, conquering it. The local landscape offered by the Bosco della Ficuzza, created in the late 1700s by Ferdinand of Bourbon, is also remarkable. Take advantage of your stay at our relais in Sicily to discover the secrets of Corleone.

Distance km. 24,9*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Sambuca

Sambuca, voted the most beautiful town of Italy in 2016, is one of those all-Sicilian surprises: a town dense with history, culture and monuments, yet often not well known or only known for other aspects.
A place of many souls, of many rulers, Sambuca carries Greek, Carthaginian, and Arab legacies. The narrow streets of the Saracen quarter, the small houses in the alleys joined by the characteristic small arches, the dense dwellings creating a network, one on top of the other, but also the surnames, the toponymy, the linguistic usages, all recall the Arab domination of Al-Zabut.

Then it was the turn of the Matrice church and the Catalan flavor: the warm colors of sandstone, the Baroque churches, the courtyards, the processions, the festivals, the sweets.
Sambuca - with its culture, its artistic cultural heritage, the Arancio lake - is one of those places that sticks with you and forever remains in your memories!

Distance km. 17,4*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Contessa Entellina

Discover one of the many beauties of western Sicily by taking advantage of your stay at our relais in Sicily

The birth of Contessa Entellina has its roots in 1450 when a group of Albanians from Mazara rebuilt and repopulated an old farmhouse, making Contessa Entellina the oldest Albanian settlement in Italy.
In one of the most beautiful areas of Sicily, nestled in dense forests and surrounded by the nature reserve, Contessa Entellina is the kind of village that offers stunning emotions and landscapes.
The natural beauty of the area is intertwined with human activity, which has always viewed this area as a valuable resource, for example for the production, the processing and the marketing of wheat, which until a few decades ago was processed on site using water mills.

The mills, now no longer in use, are located at the foot of the hill over which towers the castle of Calatamauro. Despite the dense vegetation, they can be reached through paths. The mills represent evidence of a past closely linked to a very lively and flourishing agricultural life.
In addition to natural beauty, the territory of Contessa Entellina has monuments of high historical and architectural value, such as Byzantine-rite churches, with their precious icons; the Abbey of Santa Maria del Bosco (13th cent.); Calatamauro Castle, a medieval archaeological site; and Entella, an archaeological site of Elymian origin.
Another charming element of Contesa Entellina is related to the Albanian tradition and the Greek Orthodox rite. Participating in one of the religious celebrations, such as the Blessing of the Waters (on January 6) or the Arbëreshe Easter, in traditional dress, is an experience not to be missed.

Distance km. 9,8*
*Approximate distance relative to the shortest route by car.

Nature reserve

Discover one of the many beauties of western Sicily by taking advantage of your stay at our relais in Sicily

The Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco is located in the heart of the Monte Genuardo Nature Reserve. This protected area is of great geological, faunal and botanical importance because it represents what remains of a larger woodland heritage that once characterized these territories. Endless spaces immersed in the silence of a lush and unspoiled nature will serve as a backdrop for long walks where you can discover the natural treasures of the Sicani Mountains: forests of holm oaks, downy oaks, field maples and more; foxes, hedgehogs, wild cats and various species of birds will accompany your unforgettable and relaxing vacation in the Abbey.

Those who choose our Abbey for a vacation marked by silence and relaxation will experience a stay in close contact with nature. You can take long walks from the Abbazia Santa Maria del Bosco, without the need for a car, to discover the flora and fauna that populate this beautiful corner of Sicily. Take advantage of your stay in the historic residence to admire the beauty offered by the Sicilian land.