As if being in Sicily wasn’t wonderful enough, combine a visit with the experiences one can have at Adler Spa Resort Sicilia and it’s dreamy. Travel writer Ann Yungmeyer tells us what it’s like to be a guest there. 

Save this article about Adler Spa Resort Sicilia to Pinterest to help you plan your visit. Photos by Ann Yungmeyer. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

La Dolce Vita at Adler Spa Resort Sicilia

Dreaming of a serene seaside escape? Consider Sicily, the sunny Mediterranean island that sits at the toe of Italy’s boot. With a generally mild climate, Sicily is attractive for off-season travel, and the Italian island is home to many distinguished resorts including the Adler Spa Resort, one of the island’s newest and most innovative luxury retreats.

Situated on the southwest coast, Adler Spa Resort Sicilia opened in 2022, with a holistic approach to wellbeing and a commitment to sustainability. In a sublime hilltop setting amid scenic countryside, the contemporary resort offers unique sensory experiences and activities that invite guests to explore Sicily’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

From the moment I arrived at the resort reception last November, my eyes fixed on the sweeping views of the sea and around the park-like lawn and terraced landscape. The guest rooms and resort facilities were not immediately apparent, which I soon learned is a key feature of the resort’s bio-architectural design: the buildings are spread about the 1,800-acre property and blend into the terrain with minimal impact. Single story buildings house the well-appointed guest suites, each with native timber elements and a lovely terrace facing the sea. The spa, saunas and fitness facility are built into the hillside in such low profile that you barely see them from afar. Even the rooftops have been planted with native trees and shrubbery to match the natural contour and vegetation.

A view of the Adler Spa Resort Sicilia.

Nurturing mind, body and soul 

Water and nature are celebrated with majestic views of the Mediterranean from nearly every path or perch. Time is well spent in any of the three heated pools, aesthetically placed for relaxation among garden scents of lavender, rosemary and floral blooms. Inside the restaurant and spa, linear water features mimic mini rivers with soothing effects of the outdoors. Whether it’s breakfast on the garden terrace, soaking in the mineral-rich Thalasso pool at sunset, or blanketed on a lawn couch under the stars – you can’t get enough of the fresh air and peaceful scenery.

Enjoy breakfast on the terrace of Seaview Restaurant.

The Adler Spa boasts a wide-ranging menu of beauty and wellness applications with special programs such as Sicilian Sun, Top Form Body, Detox Rituals and Ayurveda Relax that include various treatments. Inspired by nature and tailored to guest preferences, spa treatments are enhanced with oils and fragrances made of local wildflowers, herbs and Sicilian salts. Three state-of-the-art saunas and a steam bath are available to guests, and the wildly popular Aufguss sauna ritual is offered at scheduled times. The multi-sensory experience involves music, essential oil-infused ice melted over the sauna stove, and a sauna master dramatically waving towels through the air to direct the fragrant heat.

In the Quiet Room of Adler Spa Resort, there are zero-gravity chairs for back therapy.

The resort offers active adventures each week, posted on an activity board in the reception area. These may include guided hikes to nearby attractions such as the white cliffs of Capobianco, e-biking and nature tours at the adjacent Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, horse riding on the beach, morning yoga, and fitness classes throughout the day. (Beach yoga and garden yoga are offered seasonally.) Guests may simply choose to relax at the private, unspoiled beach, accessed by a downhill walk to the sea or via the resort’s electric beach shuttle. Other weekly activities include cooking classes, wine tastings, cultural tours and island excursions.

Give yoga a try in the garden at Adler. Photo by Alex Filz.

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Zero-kilometer cuisine at Adler Spa Resort Sicilia

Not surprisingly, Sicilian cuisine is a main feature of the Adler experience and one of the great indulgences. The Adler chefs take pride in striving for “zero-kilometer” foods, their farm-to-table emphasis on sourcing from the resort gardens or nearby purveyors. Adler’s organic kitchen garden is full of heirloom vegetables and herbs and flanked by olive, citrus and fruit trees that supply the two resort restaurants.

Sea shrimp with aubergine, courgette and peppers is an example of the locally sourced and grown ingredients they use.

I loved hearing the stories of where foods come from, including my favorite fresh squeezed orange juice from resort citrus trees, raw wild honey from the nearly extinct, reintroduced Sicilian black bee; fresh pastas and pizza made from ancient Sicilian grains milled in Siculiana; and ricotta and pecorino cheeses produced from sheep grazing in the neighboring hills.

Sicily’s culinary influences stem from early settlers and conquerors including Greeks, Arabs, Normans, French and Spaniards who all left their mark, and over centuries the island has been a veritable garden oasis and was once known as “the granary of the Mediterranean.” It is said that ancient Greeks brought almonds, olives and innovations in viticulture to Sicily; Arabs brought Oriental spices and pasta making; and Spaniards brought tomatoes, sweet peppers and cocoa for chocolate making.

Adler’s Sea View Restaurant offers a la carte dining along with buffet stations of appetizers, soup, salads, breads and desserts. Menus feature fresh fish and shellfish, beef, lamb, and seasonal vegetables and legumes. Breakfast is a treat with buffet and made-to-order items, a juice bar, smoothies, pastries and an entire croissant station featuring the local favorite pistachio-cream croissant. The open-air Osteria Restaurant is a delightful place for lunch on a cozy, pergola-covered terrace overlooking olive groves and the sea.

Terrace views from the bar above Adler Seaview Restaurant.

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Finding the essence of Italy

German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is quoted as saying, “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.”

His words bring a smile as I recall some of Adler’s curated experiences, from a delicious wine tasting and lunch at the prestigious Donnfugata Contessa Entellina to cooking class for arancini rice balls – which certainly help expose the “clue” of Italy as a part of authentic Sicily. The Adler chefs offer a combined garden/gourmet experience in which guests can get their hands in the dirt by harvesting produce from the kitchen garden for use in preparing and sharing a meal. During olive harvest (usually October), guests may handpick olives and visit a local press, and they later receive a bottle of olive oil that they helped produce.

Another outstanding excursion is a visit to Valley of the Temples, an archeological and landscape park where ancient Greek ruins are surrounded by almond, fig, citrus and olive trees, vineyards, and terraced gardens.

The Valley of the Temples Archeological and Landscape Park.

Our guided tour within the expansive park ended at the farmhouse Casa Barbadoro with a cooking class featuring valley produce. My group of Adler friends enjoyed a festive meal after learning to make hand-rolled pasta from local grains, sauce of fresh-picked greens and herbs, and Sicilian Torrone (almond dessert) – all while sampling wines produced in the valley.

Attending a cooking class at Casa Barbadoro Diadoros where we learned how to make hand-rolled pasta.

Sustainability plays well with la dolce vita

In the Adler resort philosophy, there is no need to compromise on comfort to achieve sustainability, and this mantra is evident in the resort’s ecological infrastructure of advanced water-saving technologies, efficient systems to minimize waste and recover energy, and sustainable gardening methods – all which support Adler’s first-rate amenities. Guests may tour the property with an environmental educator to learn about sustainability practices and new environmental initiatives the resort undertakes through its program called Adler for the Planet.

Towards the end of my stay, I concluded that la dolce vita at Adler is many elements including the casual resort vibe, punctuated by the luxurious bathrobe provided as acceptable attire for wearing around to the spa, pools, fitness and lounge areas, any time of day. I also realized that a stay at the amenity-rich Adler is much more than pampered luxury and spa time; the immersive experiences and cultural exposure afforded me a deeper sense of place, a connection that would expand my own sense of wellbeing and renewal.

La Dolce Vita at Adler Spa Resort Sicilia includes a relaxed resort vibe (including luxurious robes to wear).

If you go: Fly to Palermo or Catania; the resort will pre-arrange airport transport.

Learn more about, and make arrangements to visit, Adler Spa Resort Sicilia on their website.

The property is closed from mid-Jan to mid-Feb. A special Reopening Package and pricing begins Feb 13, 2025.

The family-run group Adler Spa Resorts and Lodges includes more properties throughout Italy: Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti, Adler Spa Resort Thermae, Adler Lodge Alpe, Adler Spa Resort Balance, Adler Lodge Ritten, the new AKI Family Resort Plose, and the winery Tenuta Sanoner.

-Story and photos, except where noted, by Ann Yungmeyer

Hungry for more? Read Ann’s article about Menorca, Spain.

Please note, as is common practice in this industry, this was a hosted visit. However, all opinions are honest and based on the author’s opinion for the purpose of informing our readers.