Sicily has always been popular with Maltese people. It is located extremely close by plane/ferry and it is relatively cheap in comparison to other European cities and the word agritourism has become one of the most preferred activities on this Italian island – why?
Agritourism locations are usually found very close to popular towns such as Catania and Taormina, they provide visitors with amazing local food and the accommodation options are usually quite affordable. Taking into consideration the 40-minute flight to/from Malta, these three factors tend to make the island extremely popular with Maltese people – this is why I have never actually considered Sicily as a place to visit – until a close friend of mine recommended a place along the border of Nebrodi Park – a few kilometers from the city of San Piero Patti – totally isolated, in a forest of hazelnut, walnut and chestnut trees.
I immediately knew that I would enjoy the place when I saw a couple of photos of potential trekking paths which are very close to the lodge. Agriturismo Il Capitano is located in the Province of Messina, a drive which takes around two hours to get to from Catania’s airport. You need to understand that this lodge is located in a mountainous area, so you can safely assume that roads are continuously curved. I will not lie to you – if you are not the driver, the serpentine highways and roads could easily make a sailor sick and “yes”, you will need a car. I would however go back in an instant; allow me explain why.
What to expect
The agritourism lodge is run by an ex-captain who is also a farmer, an arborist, a forager and a shepherd. After entering the property it was clear that this place could not be run by one man alone. A team of individuals do in fact contribute to the daily running of the premises by working in the orchards, taking care of livestock, cooking, cleaning and patching up the one road which leads to the lodge. The lodge operates extremely efficiently. They are truly like a small family – and they treat their guests like family, too. This is what makes the experience totally amazing.
The lodge has a very limited number of rooms available, all of which contain relatively comfortable amenities – beds, a decent bathroom and a wardrobe. Let’s be honest – what else do you need? If you plan to go during Winter, it will get cold – very cold. Luckily, the rooms are all centrally heated with a furnace which was purposely built to do just that. It might come as a surprise to also experience the large heated swimming pool which is also located on the same premises, a short walk away from the rooms. The lodge also offers a place for archery, darts and a sauna which is located next to the pool area. A lounging room with sofas and a big fireplace is also present – ideal for socializing or playing board games while having a few carafe’s of wine.
Wine and dine
One of the highlights of the place is without a doubt, the food. Generally people stay for breakfast and dinner. In between you may go and explore the area or visit some other locations. You may stay for lunch but keep in mind that you will need to inform The Captain before, so he and his team can cater for your gluttonous needs. Do this ideally a day before.
Breakfast is usually relatively basic since this is not your typical hotel – with most of the food being home-made, such as jams, juices, butter and some form of cake/sweets – enough to kick start your day. If you plan on having lunch in the afternoon, I recommend that you eat something small.
Dinner is prepared in the lodge’s kitchen and most of the food is grown and foraged on the premises. You start off with a starter of local bread, cheeses, jams and wild boar. Way too good to miss out on, till you realize that the starter is also made up of another two to three plates of locally grown or foraged goodness such as local mushrooms in bacon, asparagus, lightly fried broccoli or aubergine bruschetta (to mention a few). It’s different every time and the cook will keep you craving for something new. Pace yourself so you get to enjoy the full meal each and every time.
The next plate is the pasta. Like most Italian households, at Il Capitano the cooks prepare their own pasta. A few pasta dishes that really stood out were a creamy ravioli with mushrooms, a delicious asparagus risotto and bucatini with a ragu sauce. Trust me, you cannot miss out on this. Just when you thought that you cannot eat anymore – here comes the meat. A meat dish is offered after the pasta – a few portions of either beef, lamb or chicken with a side-dish of vegetables (and some gravy!). All were extremely delicious and reminded me of a home cooked Sunday meal. The final plate is dessert – I want some of that lava chocolate brownie now.
To be clear – you do not get to choose what food comes out – they serve whatever is available. If you do not like it, pass your plate to your friend or significant other.
Il Capitano Advantages
- Extremely well kept lodge with clean rooms
- Friendly owner and staff
- Extremely good food (including wine and juices)
- Isolated for those who prefer to get away from it all
- Great for outdoor activities
- Best value for money (Depending on season ~€65/night)
Il Capitano Disadvantages
- You need a vehicle
- 2 hours away from Catania Airport
- Dangerous foggy roads in the area (4×4 recommended)
- Totally GPS dependent when driving