La Moresca Maison de Charme ★★★★

The impressive façade of La Moresca Maison de Charme **** with its warm stone, arched windows and decorated balustrades, welcomes you to Marina di Ragusa. This captivating town, once a tiny fishing village, is now a cheerful beach resort with, naturally, a lovely marina. The building’s restoration draws on many of the original artefacts, like hand-crafted cement tiles of different colours and swirling shapes and ancient granolithic paving stones, mixed with eclectic abandon with eco-friendly materials, contemporary paintings, photography and furnishings, creating a place where the spirit of creativity, love of the Sicilian culture and legendary Sicilian hospitality add up to a truly charming atmosphere.

With only fifteen double rooms, each of them unique, there is the classic boutique hotel feel where each of the antiques, artworks and original furnishings have been lovingly restored and carefully considered. Together with the enchanting serenity of the courtyard and the open sunshine of the tower solarium, and the spell is almost complete. Once you take the 3 minute walk to the beach and discover the multitude of delightful restaurants within a stone’s throw of the hotel, each with its proudly individual angle on traditional cuisine, I guarantee that, like me, you’ll be completely enchanted.

Don’t forget to sample caciocavallo Ragusano, a world-famous local cheese, and local olive oil, red wine and chocolate.  Further afield, the countryside is rich with history, especially the striking Baroque architecture of Ragusa, Modica, and Scicli. By the end of your stay La Moresca Maison de Charme **** will have you spellbound, I assure you.