April 27, 2009

EUROPE | ITALY | SICILY

Teed Off

By Doug Black

Golfers and non-golfers alike can blow off some steam at Sicily’s new paradise.

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Teeing off while the azure waters of the Mediterranean lap at your cleats might not lower your golf score, but your stress levels are likely to fall. Golf therapy abounds at Verdura Golf and Spa Resort (pictured) on Sicily’s southern coast, with two championship 18-hole courses plus a junior 9-holer. Opening May 29, Verdura is the latest in a new clutch of designer resorts — among them the chic Capafaro — that have injected some serious style into the Italian isle.

Named after the coastal village in which it lies (although it’s also the Italian word for vegetable), Verdura is a $175-million links paradise — and Rocco Forte’s very first resort. Along with the aforementioned courses (designed by Kyle Phillips), you’ll find a double-ended driving range, putting and chipping greens and practice bunkers (not to mention PGA-qualified golf pros to help you get out of them).

But golf isn’t the only therapy on tap here: A central spa, with a handful of hydrothermal pools and 11 treatment rooms, puts local produce to use — picture treatments with blood oranges, Trapani salt and volcanic mud. Verdura’s four restaurants also focus on the flavors of Sicily, while taking full advantage of the Mediterranean views: La Brazza serves seafood barbecue beachside, and the clifftop La Trattoria boasts dramatic sunset seatings. Even the hotel’s 203 rooms enjoy private terraces overlooking 1.2 miles of private coastline.

But if we’re talking about breathtaking scenery, then Taormina, an historic and ritzy enclave on the eastern Ionian coast, is hard to compare. Soon the hilltop town will host Ragosta’s fourth property, La Plage Resort, set on a bluff facing the famous Isola Bella (pictured) — a bite-sized nature preserve packed with native species of bird, lizard and sunbather.

When its renovation is complete in June, La Plage will welcome guests to 50 private villas spread throughout a pine grove. But don’t let the Expure spa and private beaches make you too comfortable: La Plage has a clear view of nearby Mount Etna. Three times the size of Vesuvius and in a constant state of eruption, you might need a few rounds at the local golf club to unwind.