Lo Scarabeo - Two Bedroom Villa, Sleeps 4

A romantic, design-inspired seafront villa with garden gate access to a long sandy beach.

A stay at Lo Scarabeo is an aquatic feast for the senses, where the metronomic rhythm of the surf, the invigorating, ozone-rich air, the eye-defying expanse of sea and the silky-soft sandy beach accompany your every moment. Aesthetic sensibilities are catered for too, thanks to the owners' keen and imaginative eye for design and an eclectic mix of iconic contemporary and antique furnishings and objets.

Inside: accommodation at Lo Scarabeo is laid out over one floor.

The entrance leads into a splendid and convivial open-concept space comprising a comfortably furnished sitting area, a dining table, and a super modern kitchen in stainless steel, marble and black and white patterned tiles.

A vaulted wood-beamed ceiling and creamy Modica-stone floors create an airy, but warm and welcoming atmosphere, while large sliding glass doors open out onto a shady sea-view terrace and the garden, allowing guests to enjoy an effortless indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

A small hallway off the living area provides access to the main house's two bedrooms:

• a double with garden and sea views, sliding glass doors opening out onto the terraces, and an en-suite shower room with double sinks
• a double-twin with adjacent shower room, also with double sinks

Outside: extensive gardens and terraces at Lo Scarabeo run front and back of the house, meaning that there's plenty of space for everyone to come together or find their own private spot.

Arrival at Lo Scarabeo is quite an experience: flanked by verdant lawns, colourful flowers and whispering olive trees, a gravel path under a bougainvillea-topped pergola leads for some 60m from the car parking area to a terrace outside the main entrance. Furnished with well-cushioned built-in seating and a table and chairs, this is a tranquil, naturally shady spot in which to retreat from the afternoon sun.

Most al fresco life at Lo Scarabeo, however, takes place on the sea-facing side of the house. Accessed from the open-concept communal space and the double bedroom is a dreamy shaded terrace hosting a handsomely furnished and well-shaded sitting and dining area served by a kitchen, bar and barbecue. The indoor kitchen's window looks out on to this space and functions perfectly as a "service hatch".

This terrace gives way to a section of lawn and then a 40m-long stretch of gravel bordered by whispering grasses and other coastal flora and bisected by a wooden boardwalk that leads directly to the magical beach gate. Open this and step out and you're on a seemingly endless arc of golden sand with the sea just a few steps away.

Last but not least is the partially shaded roof-top terrace, from where splendid panoramas pan out over the sandy coastline and the sparkling blue sea beyond.

Because of natural changes to the coastline from season to season, the sandy beach in front of this property may not look as it does in the photos.

Please note that the beach in front of this property can get busy in July and August.

Due to drops, children should not be left unsupervised on the rooftop terrace.

Please note that this villa does not have a pool.

A third bedroom is available on request. Accessed from the terrace outside the main house's front door, it has a small double bed, an in-room sink and shower, and an en-suite WC. While not of the same standard as the bedrooms in the main house, it is comfortable and perhaps more suited to a young couple or a teenager wishing to have a little independence.
Lo Scarabeo sits right on Granelli beach, a 4.5km-stretch of sand just to the west of Capo Passero, whose lighthouse signals Italy’s most meridional point – considerably further south than Tunis.

The coastline is almost entirely given over to long sandy beaches, the very same ones landed on by British and Canadian forces during Operation Huskey in the 2nd World War. Just to the west is the port of Pozzallo from where, in just 90 minutes by hydrofoil, it is possible to get to Malta.

To the north is the splendid Baroque town of Noto, Syracuse, once the mightiest city in Magna Graecia, and Vendicari Nature Reserve, home to beautiful unspoilt beaches, migrating flamingos and nesting turtles.

Less than an hour's drive northwest are the other splendid towns of the Val di Noto UNESCO Heritage Site, Modica and Scicli, and, a little further afield, Ragusa.

The beaches in the area of Pozzallo and Ispica have received several consecutive Blue Flags, attesting to the cleanliness of the water and their general ecological excellence.

Arrival details will be confirmed by The Thinking Traveller after your villa is confirmed.

The Thinking Traveller can organise transfers and car hire and an agent will be in touch with you once your villa is confirmed.