Relais Parco Cavalonga

Stayed in Relais Parco Cavalonga for 3 nights during our holiday in Sicily.|The hotel is built on a very large domain, with private parking. The domain is split in different levels. The staff was very welcoming and very pleasant. ||The view from our room overlooking the scenery of the environment was very nice. We saw cows roaming the fields each morning which was a fun detail. |The room itself was very spacious with a decent sized bathroom and very pleasant large shower. However, our room did not have airconditioning. As we were here early May, that wasn't really an issue during this time of year, but I can imagine it getting very warm during the summer season. The beds were quite hard as well. ||We had dinner our first evening in the hotel. The food was not bad but also not memorable. We found the dining experience a little bit awkward as there were 2 other sets of people having the dinner and the 3 tables were placed just a few centimeters from each other with almost no room in between, even though there was an entire dining area available. We are simply used to having a bit more space/privacy around our table.||Breakfast was decent, with fresh cold cuts, different cheeses and a lot of sweet bread, cookie or cake options. Warm drinks were freshly prepared for you and served to the table. ||We went to the pool area once, but unfortunately the weather and water temperature was a bit too chilly to swim. The pool was large and nice though, with a view overlooking the domain. I can imagine it being very pleasant to swim here during the warm summer months!|It was of course off-season but some small details could use a bit of tidying (loose outdoor lamps, weeds on the paths, loose direction arrow)

We stayed in Apartment-suite Ibla. The apartment is big, bright, and nicely renovated. The bathrooms work well, as does the AC. The park is wonderful, a perfect (in my opinion) combination of curated and wild. The two swimming pools are well maintained (though not new), have great views, and weren't ever too busy during our stay. The staff is helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly.|The shortcomings all relate to the apartment. The cooking hob is ancient; four slow hot plates with four knobs - that's it. No safety lights to warn that the plates are hot. No drawing to show which knob goes with which plate, or which way the knob needs to be turned. There is no microwave. There is only one shelf to store the food. In summary, the kitchen is barely usable.|In the living room, there are no cabinets. After asking, we were given a plastic table to put in a corner, which did the trick. The drying rack for the laundry is at small as it gets and certainly not sufficient for 6 people. Good thing clothing dries very quickly at 30C+!|In summary, the place is beautiful and the expensive bits are all there: large apartment, AC, swimming pools, park. It just needs some additional work and money to go up a notch.|Right now it is between 3 and 4 starts but I give it 4 in the hope they will be addressed soon (I emailed all of these points to the hotel). I would probably go back but not a sure thing.

We recently returned from 2 weeks at Parco Cavalonga; we are a family of 4 and were self-catering, staying in Casa Donnafugata. We had a wonderful holiday and really enjoyed having this lovely Relais as our base. Our villa was very elegant with a basic but well-equipped kitchen, 2 decent bathrooms and a large, airy living area. The air-con was effective so we were cool at night. The furnishings were basic but stylish and charming. All the towels and linen were good quality and replaced each week. We had a lovely terrace giving perfect views of the stunning sunsets each evening. The grounds of the Relais are full of typical Sicilian plants and trees: carobs, figs, prickly pear, bougainvillea, olives etc. This is a very hot, very dry land, so of course it is not all green and lush, but it is fragrant and very mediterranean. We used the large infinity pool that the self-catering villas share; there are plenty of sunbeds and we never had difficulty finding space. We ate breakfast in the hotel on several mornings and very much enjoyed the buffet-style array of local cheese, honey and fruit as well as scrambled egg, toast, meats and always cake! We also enjoyed dinner in the hotel twice - a set-menu is served at 8pm, on the delightful terrace. The choices were all local and well cooked and we would recommend it. All the staff were very helpful and kind; they even ordered and collected a cake for us to celebrate our daughter's 15th birthday - so they very much go the extra mile for their guests. It is true that the villas and pools could probably do with a little TLC before too long, but this hotel (like many in Italy and across Europe) no doubt took a huge financial hit during covid, so they no doubt need a little time to recover. We would thoroughly recommend this as a base for a family holiday.

Really great stay at Relais Parco Cavalonga in the middle of the nature. Very nice staff and very accommodating (they prepare a breakfast box to take away at the last minute juste for us). The view from the room and the pool was beautiful, I would recommend this place.

Quite possibly the best place I have ever stayed in. A stunning retreat situated in the heart of the Sicilian countryside, near Donnafugata castle. With panoramic views of the sea, the Sicilian wilderness and great access to the nearby town of Ragusa. And ample parking spaces under the shade of trees. The most notable part of this hotel is the people, from the reception staff and the owners, to the kitchen staff and maintenance, everyone is lovely, accommodating and willing to take time out of their day to help you with whatever you need. We have been invited to dinner by the owners, had suggestions of wonderful places to visit from the receptionists and had our appliances replaced the same day, by the brilliant maintenance team. Perhaps aided by the beautiful scenery, the food provides a true and exquisite taste of Sicilian cooking. I can easily say that it is the freshest, most varied and tastiest that I have ever had at a hotel. Prepared freshly and daily by the wonderful kitchen staff, you could spend a day just walking between the rooms and the pools taking in the fresh, vibrant smells of the delicacies prepared every day. Breakfast consists of a wonderful selection of continental style foods, including; fresh fruit, meats, pastries, yoghurts, juices, breads and a selection of hot drinks. The staff are incredibly willing to prepare other dishes although we never found that necessary given the amazing selection! Dinner is usually served outside underneath a beautiful old olive tree, which serves as an umbrella to the stars that shine through its branches. You will be sent the menu each morning so you can choose whether you would like to eat there that day or in a local restaurant. Once when we arrived late, two hours after dinner had started, the staff prepared a table for us with candles and re-cooked the entire meal! The reception staff are incredibly willing to suggest and book tables in nearby restaurants if you desire. Some of the meals we have had include; pork in a mint sauce with potatoes, ragù pasta, octopus pasta, baked aubergine, caponata and many others, with gorgeous desserts such as; cannoli, cassata, watermelon and mint granita and a cheese selection. With a host of wines, alcoholic (and non alcoholic) drinks which pair perfectly with the dishes, recommended by the service staff. The site is surrounded by stunning scenery. Dotted with Fico D’India, cacti twice as tall as a person, and carpeted with fields of desert like grass and groves of olive and fruit trees. Bookended by two pools that give a stunning view of the rolling hills that sweep down to the southern sea and the beaches. We have stayed in both the rooms and the apartments and they are spotless, cleaned daily, incredibly well supplied and have amazing views in every direction. The WiFi is incredibly reliable especially considering the rural location and there is sufficient phone signal especially in the rooms and by the top pool. Both pools are large and well heated, with toilet facilities, ample seating and even a bar! With a shallow end that slopes into a wonderfully deep plunge pool section, whilst all the while, giving complete panoramic views of the stunning surrounding landscape. If you are worried about flies, then you can simply wait for the swallow birds to dive down and pluck them out of the air! Although we have never had any such problem. Out of everywhere I have stayed, second to none, I could not recommend anywhere more. It is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed, with beautiful food, beautiful scenery and beautiful people! Never change Parco Cavalonga ❤️❤️❤️

Having spent 11 days in Sicily based at the Parco Cavalonga I can, without any hesitation, thoroughly recommend it. Set in the countryside 3km from Donnafugata Castle it is a wonderfully peaceful hotel and self catering complex set in an old farm. We stayed in one of the self catering houses and enjoyed two bedrooms with en suite facilities, a kitchen diner area, sitting room and two courtyard areas with an upstairs veranda too. The kitchen was well stocked with washing machine (essential for the baby clothes for our grandson), cooker and fridge-freezer and the bathrooms were modern. We enjoyed three evening meals on the veranda of the main house and can recommend the cooking and ambience. We only used one of the two swimming pools but loved it, it was clean and well maintained, as was the rest of the complex. There was easy road access to the south eastern sights and Etna was 2.5 hrs away as was the valley of the temples, you will need a hire car, there are no bus services. You are 20 mins from some great beaches too. There is free wifi, it was patchy at best but sufficient for occasional usage. ||In summary a traditional Sicilian farm converted into a very comfortable and well run hotel and holiday home complex. It is on a slope and would be a challenge for the less able to get around particularly if wheel chair bound. Great staff without exception. One recommendation; it would be great to have a bbq provided in the main courtyard.

Save your money and don’t stay here. I wish I had listened to the the reviews that said “that the garden needs a bit of love” and that the fly problem needed to be controlled, well both were a really big understatement. We booked a garden view, with basically no grass just mud, dirt and dead grass. The property’s grounds don’t look like they’ve had any maintenance in months, everything is either dead or over grown and covered with weeds. Even like this you might want to enjoy the “nature “ aspect, right? Too bad, you will be swarmed with flies. It’s not enjoyable to be outside at all when 20 flies circle and stand on you, in any part of the property. Pool, breakfast, your balcony. It’s gross, and you should fumigate if you expect to sell people a decent stay. Other issues: they can’t cook a hard boiled egg. We asked for a soft boiled egg and low and behold it was entirely raw 💀💀 by raw I mean nothing was cooked /white. RAW. They never brought out the replacements after waiting for 20 mins we left. The doors have a special way to close them, they didn’t teach us when we checked in and couldn’t lock the doors for a day, when we went down to ask for help they said that oh it’s because you arrived late at night that we didn’t teach you. We arrived at 4pm. Lame excuse… No trash can in the bathroom, happy I didn’t have my period. No alternative options to pork, if you are halal or vegan. Mind you there is no phone signal at all in the surrounding areas, and although the wifi works it’s a bit spotty. We wanted to make dinner reservations but we couldn’t call the restaurants… Don’t stay here. There are many places that have been maintained and you will have a better time.

We had reserved apartment ‘Kamarina’ and is was nice. 3 rooms an 3 bathrooms and a wonderful view. Unfortunately we had a lot of issues with the aircon that had to be repaired almost every day (day temp = 38 c…) Also hot water was on/off and wifi only worked in the reception area of the hotel. Nice pools, friendly staff but it seems Covid stopped investments. Plants, pool maintenance, general garden maintenance etc was not a topic. Result - very nice place and fine apartment but issues were too many for a 4 star hotel. Invest a bit more and increase staff by 1-2 persons would make a huge diff