Caol Ishka
Siracusa, Sicily
Facilities
- Dining: The stylish bistro-style restaurant, Zafferano, serves nouveau-Sicilian cuisine, with indoor and outdoor dining. There's also a bar, and room service is available
- Communal areas: There's a reading room / lounge with a chunky wooden table and a cushion-strewn banquette. The hotel is surrounded by extensive grassy grounds with tall palms, cacti and bamboo groves, plus decked terraces with loungers, tables and chairs
- Internet Access: All rooms have internet connections and WiFi is available in the common areas. There's a free PC with internet access in the reading room
- Swimming Pool: The outdoor pool - just big enough for laps - is raised above the garden, with sun loungers, umbrellas and rim-flow
- Spa Treatments: Massages can be arranged on request
- Recreational: Day trips, bike hire and canoe rental can be organised, and there's a DVD library in reception. Emanuela hosts tai-chi classes in the grounds at 10am every Wednesday and Friday, and guests can join in for free
- Weddings and Celebrations: The restaurant can be hired for private parties and celebrations
- Meetings/Functions: Not suitable
- Disabled Access: Yes
- Pets: Welcome by prior arrangement. Gareth and Emanuela have 3 dogs, all of whom are wonderfully friendly and playful
- Languages Spoken: English, Italian
Also...
- A dry cleaning service is available
When to go?
Come in spring (April-early June) or autumn (September-October) if you possibly can. The weather then is perfect for gentle exploration, and swimming is quite feasible until early November (though in April it's chilly). Summer (July-August) is extremely busy and extremely hot - but at least there's a pool and a cool breeze off the river (though you should expect mosquitoes).
Author's tips
As a minimum, you'll need a day to explore Siracusa, a day for some hiking, a day on the beach and a day to visit a Baroque town or 2. That's 4 full days (5 nights), or more if you want to go birdwatching or cycling, or include some downtime. If you're planning a longer visit to the region, you might want to split it between here and a Baroque town centre such as Modica or Noto.
Features include:
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Bar
- Vegetarian menu
- Garden
- Terrace
- Guest lounge
- Library
- Internet access
- WIFI internet
- Guest computer
- Outdoor pool
- DVD library
- Disabled access
- Pets welcome by arrangement
- Off street parking
- Airport Transfers
