Spacious child-friendly villa with private pool near the sea

We very much enjoyed meeting these two families staying at Santa Rosalia. With five small children to entertain they made good use of the pool, which is very child friendly with steps leading to the shallow end. They also appreciated the sandpit which is shaded and close to the al fresco dining area so that parents an relax on the terrace while children are occupied. As we were staying next door at Santa Maria, we introduced their children to our grandchildren and much fun was had by all in the pool. We were also pleased to hear that these guests enjoyed visiting Mazara, the beaches and gelaterie. Although there are many restaurants and pizzerias in town it is a treat to have meal catered at the villa and Antonella, our cook, did them proud on this occasion. It would be great if these two families decide to come back to stay at Santa Rosalia.

I'm glad that this three generation family from Denmark enjoyed staying at Santa Rosalia. As they say the villa is very well equipped. We have recently installed a state of the art barbecue and will replace the filter coffee machine as a result of this review. Unfortunately this family's stay coincided with a local garbage strike, something that is beyond our control. However uncollected rubbish at the deposit points is certainly not the norm and the situation is now back to normal.

It was a pleasure to have Caroline's family and their young friends to stay at Santa Rosalia. They took full advantage of the gardens and the pool as well as the table tennis and the barbecue. They also took full advantage of what Western Sicily has to offer in terms of culture, beaches, wine and food. We are always happy when our guests get to know this part of the island. Caroline is right to point out that Mazara, our local town, is a hidden gem. Not only is it a fishing port where fresh fish is available within hours of the catch, but it has a very busy night life for visitors of all ages. I should also point out that it boasts a beautiful baroque town centre and the famous Dancing Satyr in a dedicated museum. Caroline's family were most appreciative of their experience here and we would be delighted if they decide to return to Santa Rosalia.

We have done all we can to make Santa Rosalia both child and baby-friendly. Having stayed there ourselves with grandchildren from babies to toddlers, we know what is required to keep children safe and parents relaxed and it seems that Emily's experience reflects this. I was particularly determined that her family holiday should be a success as her son had not been born yet when she booked the villa and she was naturally anxious about what she would need in terms of baby equipment. In the end we were able to satisfy their needs and I was very pleased to hear that they thoroughly enjoyed the villa, gardens and pool. Emily is right that there is much to see and explore in the vicinity. It is very gratifying when our guests appreciate the villa and the way we look after them and we do hope that this family will come back one day soon.

I am glad these two Swedish families enjoyed staying at Santa Rosalia and going to the beach and found Mazara relatively free of tourists. We are always ready to improve the facilities in the villa where possible. We do not have a.c. in the sitting room as it is a very large open space with an open staircase so it would be extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive to keep it cool with a.c. We do provide plenty of fans which we find adequate when we are staying there. In any case it is clear from the HomeAway website that the a.c. unites are only in the bedrooms and the kitchen. Ants in the kitchen can be a nuisance in summer. We do keep them under control in the gardens but somehow they find their way into the house All we can do is spray with Raid, never leave food out and keep surfaces super clean. In future we will forewarn guests of this problem when they arrive. As far as we are aware there are plenty of glasses. When a group of eight of us stayed there earlier this summer, we did not run out of glasses but in any case we will make extra glasses available to guests in future. About the sun beds, we usually provide 5 or 6 for a group of 8 plus two extra seats because of the limited space available around the pool. Most groups of guests include small children who do not use the sun beds. I appreciate that this group consisted of adults and teenagers and would have liked more sunbeds. In future we will make sure that extra sunbeds are available on request. For the same reason of space we provide one very large sun umbrella which is much more robust than the small ones you can buy. In fact the small ones we use in our other villa get broken regularly. However there is a bench under a large tree beside the entrance of the pool where guests can also sit in the shade. We also recommend that if guests have any requests about equipment etc. that they speak directly to Alessia, the contact person, who is always ready to help.

We were very pleased to have Emily with her family and friends staying at Santa Rosalia again. The sandpit was renovated and enlarged this year so several children can play in it at the same time under the shade of a large sumach tree. With such hot weather this summer the two families spent many hours in the swimming pool and I heard that the three-year-old learned to swim in our pool. Emily and friends are also very appreciative of the extra virgin olive oil we produce on the estate between Santa Rosalia and Santa Maria next door and offer to our guests.. We very much look forward to welcoming them back in the future.

I am so glad this family enjoyed the villa and its grounds. The villa is very spacious and the garden is huge. In fact guests often tell us that the photographs do not reflect the actual size of the spaces available. We have furnished the villa with children in mind and made sure that everything including the pool is child-friendly. We would be very happy if this family came back to Santa Rosalia again.

We happened to be at our next door villa, Santa Maria, when this family arrived. Having grandchildren of roughly the same age as their children, we had an idea of what is important for parents of little kids. We have made sure that Santa Rosalia is totally child-friendly and enjoyable for parents too. We are well placed for visits to important architectural sites, such as Selinunte, Segesta and Mozia, which are all within an hour's drive.. But for those who wish to stay closer to home Mazara is also very interesting with its baroque piazzas and the museum with the world famous bronze satyr - not to mention many excellent places to eat. The lovely long sandy beach at Tonnarella is just 10 minutes away, extremely family -friendly - sun beds, parasols, bars, and most important shallow waters, ideal for little ones to splash about. We loved getting to know this family and do hope they will come back.

We were delighted to meet this charming group of guests from Australia and very glad to know that they were comfortable at Santa Rosalia and appreciated the spacious grounds and swimming pool. Fortunately we were next door when one of their rented cars played up and were able to sort out the problem quickly. Even if we had not been there, my sister-n-law who lives at the villa next door, would have been able to help them. This is one of the advantages for guests at the villa - the presence of English speaking family to help or advise if needed.

Simon and his group of family and friends were looking for a place to relax away from a very busy schedule over the summer. September is the perfect time of year to come to Sicily and I think they found the calm they were looking for at Santa Rosalia. The garden is particularly attractive especially the area around the pool where guests can relax under the olive trees and enjoy the scents of the surrounding jasmine and lavender. We are fortunate to be in such an advantageous position, proximity to beaches, famous archaeological sites and with easy access to the motorway. Another great advantage is the presence of Silvio and Nanette, who are always available to help guests with anything they need. I hope this family will return one day.

We are delighted that Malcolm and Cliona have enjoyed staying at Santa Rosalia. We agree that it is an oasis of tranquillity, set in luscious gardens and well away from the main road. The well established garden has figs and pomegranates with rosemary and mint planted close to the kitchen door. We have an excellent team of cleaners and a seriously good gardener, all of whom make sure that the house and pool are always immaculate. Best of all, we have the advantage of having my sister-in-law, Nanette, who lives next door at Santa Maria and is always available for emergencies, tips and advice. I take Malcolm's point about the needs of vegetarians. Actually Sicilian cuisine offers a huge range of vegetarian dishes. I suspect that the restaurants Malcolm went to didn't fully explain what was on offer. This may have been a language problem. I will now contact the recommended restaurants to get a list of vegetarian options which I will include in the handbook. Yes, the kitchen is a bit dark so that you normally need to have the lights on. But it is spacious, air conditioned and very well equipped. It has the wide window opening onto the dining terrace making it easy to pass plates etc. backwards and forwards. The villa is certainly in an ideal position to explore the wonders of Western Sicily and this group certainly took advantage of this, taking in not only the temples of Selinunte and Segesta but also the lesser known Cave di Cusa, the limestone quarry that was the source for the temples of Selinunte. Well done Malcolm for identifying Punic Mozia with the island known in medieval times as San Pantaleo. We don't often have the pleasure of guests coming from the USA. I do hope that this family will come back again.

I am so glad that these two young couples with their four very young children all had a great time at Santa Rosalia. We have done everything we can to ensure that small children are safe and comfortable both in the villa and outside in the garden and around the pool. We have a full range of baby and toddler equipment and toys available to guests as well as a stair gate, and the pool is securely fenced. And we are always happy to acquire extra equipment for children, should guests request a particular item, as they did in this case. We happened to be at our villa next door when this group arrived. When we saw how much fun the children were having playing outside with buckets and spades we decided to bring in a load of sand and made them an improvised sandpit under a shady tree, for which the little boys were very appreciative. Late May was a good choice for a holiday in Sicily with small children as it is easier to do both sightseeing - visiting Greek temples of Selinunte and Segesta - and spending days on the beach, when the weather is cooler. I do hope these families decide to come back again.

We agree that the villa is extremely spacious and can accommodate large parties, even up to 10 if the studio annexe is used. We designed the garden so that the pool is far enough away from the house to provide privacy but close enough to be visible from the dining terrace. This means that grownups can sip their drinks in peace under the vine-covered pergola while watching the children splash around in the pool. The fenced swimming pool was installed three years ago and in that time we have created a mature garden with lavender and daisy bushes, jasmine covering the fence and olive trees to provide extra shade. We are lucky to be in such a strategic position for good beaches and access to the town of Mazara and the motorway to Palermo. My sister-in-law is invaluable with the help she provides to the guests, from welcoming them to doing a grocery shop if necessary and she is always ready to come to the rescue in emergencies. It is not the first time that our guests have locked themselves out of the house! I think my book does help guests to appreciate Sicilian culture especially if they happen to be staying at Santa Maria next door as much of the story takes place there. Finally I am thrilled that this family enjoyed our olive oil. 2013 was an excellent harvest and we always pick our olives early in the season to obtain a more intense flavour - a preference for quality over quantity. Once you have tasted Sicilian olive oil you can forget about the oil they produce up north. We may be biased but we know Sicilian olive oil is simply the best! We are always happy to supply our guests with tins to take back home so that they can relive the flavours of Sicily in a cooler clime. I'd like to say a big thank you to the guest who wrote this review and I do hope she and her family will return one day.

I am so glad that this family appreciated the accommodation and grounds of Santa Rosalia. The villa itself is very spacious and in recent years we have dedicated much TLC to the garden. The fenced pool is now surrounded by lavender and jasmine with the added benefit of mature olive trees providing shade close by. As we often stay in the villa ourselves, we know what is needed to make it comfortable. We love to cook so the kitchen is well supplied with a wide range of equipment and we are well organised for small children, as we often have our small grandchildren to stay. We are very lucky to have my sister-in-law living next door at Santa Maria and she is always extremely helpful with meeting guests, doing a grocery shop and providing any help they may need. There is huge choice of excellent restaurants in Mazara, but I must admit that the one this guest refers to is a favourite of ours too, not just for the wide range of antipasti on offer but also for the warm welcome we always receive from the mother and daughter team who run it. We very much look forward to having this family come and stay at Santa Rosalia again.

I am so glad Lizzy and her family had such a positive response to Santa Rosalia and its garden. As our other villa, Santa Maria next door was empty at the time, we were happy for them to use both pools, but in fact Santa Rosalia has only one pool! This is the one surrounded by jasmine and lavender, and therefore attracting clouds of butterflies. She is right that the house is spacious and comfortable. The fifth bedroom that she mentions is an adjoining studio that can be rented in addition to the villa itself. The villa is not only handy for shopping but is only three miles from the beach and the nearest town where there is a wealth of excellent restaurants, bars and ice cream bars to choose from. Both Santa Rosalia and Sicily were obviously a great success with this family and we are looking forward to them returning next summer

It was very gratifying to hear from this family personally as to how much they were enjoying their holiday. We happened to be staying in the villa next door at the time so were able to provide tips and assistance when needed. This was a very enterprising family and in fact they introduced us to a local scuba diving outfit that we didn't know about before! The weather was gorgeous as it usually is in June so they had picked an optimal season for enjoying the beach and the pool. I agree that a visit to the Greek site of Selinunte is a must for any trip to Sicily. It is the largest Greek site in Europe and magnificent with its temple ruins and stunning views over the sea. We do hope that this Anglo-American family will come back to visit again.

I agree with Isabelle that Santa Rosalia is ideal for families with children so with this in mind we have supplied toys for the pool and children's books. We also supply equipment for babies and toddlers such as cots and high chairs. The pool is fenced and as Isabelle says, is not very deep even at the deep end. When guests arrive, the children usually head straight for the pool and I know it can be very hard to drag them out. However at Santa Rosalia, the pool is close to and visible from the villa and the dining terrace so guests can relax under the pergola while keeping an eye on the children in the pool.

Thank you Miranda for your appreciation of Santa Rosalia. We do our best to make the villa as comfortable as possible for our guests. It is certainly very spacious and the grounds provide plenty of space for children to run around and play and adults to find a shady corner to relax in with a book. As the garden was once part of the estate of Santa Maria next door it has many mature trees including Saracen olive trees, Seville orange trees and palms. Villa Santa Rosalia was originally the annexe of the main villa. Now converted to a family-friendly holiday rental property, we think it ticks all the boxes for families looking to chill out and explore western Sicily. The villa itself sleeps 8 but there is also an adjoining studio available to rent that can accommodate another couple. Even larger groups have the option of also renting Villa Santa Maria next door. I am glad this group enjoyed the books. We are a family of avid readers so the villa is extremely well stocked with books including children's books, that we have collected over the years. As Marcello is a keen cook, the colllection of cookery books is vast and the kitchen exceptionally well equipped for a holiday rental.

This French family paid us the compliment of choosing to stay for three weeks and judging from this review and their comments in our guest book, they were not disappointed. We often have guests arriving late at night and Nanette, who manages the villa, is always happy to do a grocery shop and organise a catered meal for them on arrival. She is a great asset as she takes very good care of our guests and provides any help they may need. We have done a lot of work in the garden recently, planting more olive trees in the garden and filling the flowerbeds around the pool with daisies and lavender. Our gardener takes good care of the very large garden and keeps the pool clean to a very high standard. We have furnished the house with families in mind. We often stay there ourselves with our own extended family and so we are well aware of what it takes to make a holiday villa comfortable for guests of all ages.

So glad that this family from Norway enjoyed staying at Santa Rosalia. It is true that both the villa and grounds are larger than can be seen in the pictures on the website. I must now take better photos to do Santa Rosalia justice.

I'm glad Emma and her family got the most out their week in Western Sicily. Santa Rosalia is very well placed for sightseeing and the Egadi Islands. Favignana is great for swimming - the water is the most limpid you will ever see in the Mediterranean, while Levanzo has a fascinating grotto with paleolithic cave drawings, which can be visited by boat. Sightseeing is best done early in the day in summer so that you can spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or in the shade of the olive trees with a book. My book does make a fun read while you are staying at Santa Rosalia or Santa Maria, the villa next door, which we also rent out. Nanette does a great job at managing both villas and is always ready to help with advice or support if needed. Our guests always enjoy the catered meals as our cook specialises in local dishes such as melanzane alla parmigiana, pasta alle sarde and Sicilian oven baked pasta, not to mention a wide selection of fish and seafood.