Verdura Resort

Verdura is Rocco Forte's big Sicilian statement: some two hundred and thirty hectares of olive and orange groves on the island's southwestern coast near Sciacca, with almost two kilometres of private Mediterranean shoreline. It was conceived first and foremost as a golf destination, and its Kyle Phillips-designed courses—two championship eighteens and a par-three loop, several holes running beside the sea—remain among the best in southern Europe.

Architecture keeps a low, contemporary profile: earth-toned buildings scattered through the groves, rooms and suites with private terraces facing the water, and a growing collection of private villas with pools for families and groups. The scale means the resort absorbs its guests easily, and an extensive kids' club, sports academies, tennis and cycling programme make it one of Italy's most capable family resorts without surrendering adult calm.

The Verdura spa is a destination in itself, with thalassotherapy pools and Irene Forte skincare programmes, while dining spreads across multiple restaurants from refined Sicilian to poolside pizza. The remote location—ninety minutes from Palermo airport—is the point: this is a self-contained coastal estate for unwinding, with the temples of Agrigento within day-trip range.