This is the 2nd time we enjoyed Santa Maria in the last week of October. The spacious beautiful house is a hit with the children. As is the tennis court and the swimming pool. Pleasant temperatures, sunshine , while Britain becomes wet and cold. Nearly every day we drove down to the sandy beach next to Marinella, enjoying the sun and the sea. We also had a lovely time in the old town of Mazarro and frequented the local family run & very family friendly pizzeria for its lovely starters, pizzas and pasta dishes. I am sure we will be back again. My best memory this year is picking a lemon for the morning pancakes from a tree a few meters from our table amidst the orange grove.

Erik Meyer & family, London

We enjoyed a memorable week in Sicily and would thoroughly recommend Santa Maria. We felt like privileged guests at a grand country home. Our only regret is not having more time to spend in the house itself as the weather was very good and so we spent most of the week exploring the many places of interest in North West Sicily.

Our children loved Santa Maria especially the massive baths and squeezing their own orange juice for breakfast - from oranges they picked from the orange grove outside! We thought it a great base for exploring as well as being a luxurious haven for relaxing after one or two strenuous outings.

A great introduction to a fascinating island.

This is a truly beautiful place to stay. My sister and her family resided in Casa Nuova and so we shared the grounds with the tennis court and swimming pool. We really enjoyed the grounds, and the patios on each site were lovely for relaxing evening dining, surrounded by the fruit trees.
The pool area was very pleasant and a good place to sit with a book.
Santa Maria was beautifully decorated and maintained, with great attention to detail and well equipped. We were met by Nanette who showed us round attentively. Caroline has written a book about the restoration of Santa Maria and it was fascinating to read this while we were there.
The ancient sites of Selinunte and Segesta were very worthwhile visits, as was the hilltop town of Erice and seaside resort of Scopello. Mazara del Vallo was an interesting town with baroque architecture and several good restaurants. My husband found some good windsurfing nearby (details in the house). The only drawback for us in this less touristy area of Sicily, was that some of the beaches nearby were not kept very clean, although the sea itself was fine. Car hire is essential for a holiday here, and in August the rental companies sell out quickly, so it's worth organising this as early as possible. We drove over to here from the east side of Sicily, and then flew home from Trapani.

Our first stay at Santa Maria was in 2007 with our two teenage daughters and we all had such a wonderful time we vowed we would return. We have just returned from our second stay in June 2010, this time with our younger daughter, now 21, and a posse of her friends. I must admit I was a little worried that my memory might have become rose tinted in the intervening years since our first visit. I shouldn't have had any doubts because everything was just as wonderful as it was on our first visit. The house and it's gardens have a lovely relaxing atmosphere, and there is so much space that you can escape if you want to. Nanette is there when you need her which is very reassuring. We enjoyed having the opportunity to read extensively, there are enough books in the house to keep you going for the longest of holidays, swim, play a little tennis and explore the area again, especially Seliunte, Segesta, Eraclea Minor where we discovered a lovely little restaurant down on the beach and for the first time Mozia. It is just a shame we had to come home and return to work. Our daughter's friends were all thrilled that they had been invited, our elder daughter was rather miffed she couldn't come as well, but it was just too far for her to travel as she now lives in Australia.

We chose Sicily as a holiday destination as my children, now 21, 19 and 14, wanted pasta, pizza and Italian ice cream. In addition, we all wanted to go somewhere none of the 5 of us had been before. We are fond of islands, love the beach, and the kids wanted their own swimming pool and tennis court...hey presto... the Villa Santa Maria!
I should point out that my husband and I have very stressful jobs, and we wanted somewhere quiet where we could relax and unwind. In general we are not keen on hotels or holiday villages/parks where we have little privacy and -in the nicest possible way-have to put up with the rest of the world!
So, we were impressed with the look, feel and sight of Santa Maria from the first time we saw the picture in the brochure. The owner replied to my emails very promptly, and we generally felt confident we were on to a winner. We were not to be disappointed.
The first sight of Santa Maria is quite awesome. The pretty driveway lined with tall trees and bouganvillea makes an impressive entrance. The building itself ressembles an old castle, and is set within a beautiful tropical garden. Once inside, the internal courtyard is stunning, with an old well in the centre and hung with brightly coloured geraniums. The large apartment we stayed in, has been charmingly restored with much attention to detail, beautiful marble and floor tiles, very tasteful decor and antiques. The kitchen is well equipped and we produced sumptuous pasta dishes on a daily basis, which along with local tomato, mozzerella and basil salad, was food fit for a king! The kids were in heaven!
Outside the tennis court is superb. My two boys played for hours every day, with their father when he could stand the heat! The swimming pool is superb. Quite long enough to swim good lengths, and deep enough for jumping and diving in the deep end. The big olive tree provided perfect shade from the midday sun and several long, seriously competitive games of scrabble!
We didn't venture out very far. The supermarkets were fine for our needs, and not as expensive as France! We ate out twice in the local town, and had excellent food and wine, with friendly waiters, keen to discuss the UK's disastrous performance in the World Cup in pigeon english!
It was incredibly hot, and we greatly appreciated the fans, and the use of the air conditioning, something often not available in other houses we have rented.
I highly recommend Santa Maria to all wanting a peaceful, happy holiday!

Our family and I stayed here from June 14th - 21st 2009. Casa Notre is absolutely fabulous all you could ask for, extremely homely, pool and tennis courts where a great hit with the children, interior/exterior is amazing - you could walk around it for days. The library was full of books that would keep you amused forever, the kitchen was equipped with everything you needed. Nanette who meets you on arrival was so helpful, a truly lovely person. The location of the castle was brillant too, great for sight seeing etc. We hope to return next year it was that good.

Spent a week there at the end of May 2009, 4 adults two children (6 & 7). We all loved the villa.

Its easy to find and an easy drive from Palermo, if your flight lands too early then stop off at Sugesta on the way.

You have nearly half of the downstairs which provided plenty of space. In fact we had so much space roller blades should be provided for when you have forgotten something in the kitchen. We all enjoyed eating a meal in the garden or relaxing around the pool. There is something very satisfying sitting having a meal in an orange grove and I was very please about picking my own lemon for a gin and tonic in the evening.

The local town seemed like a usual small Italian town with all the usual fun of driving in Italy.

The local beaches didn't seem to great but that didn't matter at all as we just relaxed around the pool and as a result the kids now want a pool in the back garden at home.

Etna can be done in a day but its a long day and the site an Selinunte is an easy drive but I recommend the buggies that ferry you around when you get there.

I would certainly recommend Villa Santa Maria

We spent a week in this property mid May with a mixed age group of 3 young children, two parents and an grandmother. The facilities were excellent and we found nothing wanting. We had private access to a wonderful walled garden where the children could safely run around, chase lizards and pick oranges to make juice for breakfast. The tennis court and swimming pool located in a separate part of the grounds were also excellent. The English speaking sister in law of the owners lives in a separate part of this large property and was extremely helpful We would highly recommend this property to all comers.