Villa Palamara 1868

“Best Cooking Class Ever”

My first cooking class in Cefalu, Sicily was the most memorable experience I have ever had. Villa Palamara overlooks the beautiful crystal clear blue sea. This is where the magic began. Chef Antonio greeted us with such a warm welcome it was like we were his family. He started us out with mixed br… more

My first cooking class in Cefalu, Sicily was the most memorable experience I have ever had. Villa Palamara overlooks the beautiful crystal clear blue sea. This is where the magic began. Chef Antonio greeted us with such a warm welcome it was like we were his family. He started us out with mixed bruschetta & tomato bruschetta along with some frittatas & golden fried potato slices and of course a beautiful paring wine. Antonio was incredible at not only teaching us about the food we were getting ready to prepare, but also took the time to show us how to properly use the knives to cut the different foods…very important! Our group consisted of 5 people so having a small group helped when asking questions. We made pasta, fresh tomato sauce, fried eggplant cubes, stuffed zucchini boats and a fresh orange salad with fennel and green onions. Antonio made a pudding-like dessert with current berries on top. I could go on, but you have to experience it for yourself to fully appreciate how wonderful this class was. I would highly recommend taking a class with Chef Antonio. You will not be disappointed!

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“Beautiful villa close to Cefalu”

We had an amazing stay at Villa Palamara - the complex is very spacious and green, the sea view is breathtaking. The apartment had everything you need for a relaxing holiday and was super clean, and if anything is missing, Francesco is always there to help.

“Needs a little TLC.”

We spent three nights here in an apartment, chosen to give a little more space than just a bedroom, though we only used the kitchenette to make an early morning cup of coffee before breakfast started. The accommodation was quirky and rustic as might be expected with little furniture --the wardrobe … more

We spent three nights here in an apartment, chosen to give a little more space than just a bedroom, though we only used the kitchenette to make an early morning cup of coffee before breakfast started. The accommodation was quirky and rustic as might be expected with little furniture --the wardrobe consisted of a shelf with lots of hooks in the entrance hall ! The bathroom was adequate but with a very small, slightly mouldy shower enclosure with no shelf for soap, shampoo etc. The ac in both bedroom and upper floor was very efficient--needed as temp was around 29C in mid Sept. Our main concern was the steep, narrow and with many sharp hairpin bends single track lane up from the coast road. For a start it can only be accessed if coming from the Cefalu direction due to the acute angle. If coming from the East there is no sign at the entrance and anyway you have to drive almost into Cefalu (5km) to turn around, due to the narrow coast road with busy traffic. Entry into Sant Ambroglia is also only possible from the Cefalu direction. There is no lighting on the lane up to the villa and few passing places. On our first night after a wonderful dinner in Osteria Bacchus we found the drive very difficult as at the harpin bends which were always quite steep were difficult to judge. One had to keep up a reasonable speed due to the steepness but the car headlights obviously only illuminate straight ahead and so to driver has no indication as to the amount of steering input required--too much or too little risks contact with protruding boulders on either side. If in the area again we would only consider the Villa if the approach was illuminated. Antonio who does the breakfast (8 euros) and the cooking classes (65 euros, class and meal or 30 Euros, meal only) was a joy and very helpful. We discovered on the departure that he was one of the builders and owners of a guest house near Pollina with spectacular views of it, called Casale Margherita which we had visited the previous day and have reviewed.

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“Great place....though flawed.”

This is a beautiful property and a great location -- all for a reasonable price. I do recommend it but with a few caveats. The good: it's outside Cefalu (about a 10 minute drive to the center of town). As wonderful as Cefalu is, its quite busy and bustling...and this place is a peaceful haven.… more

This is a beautiful property and a great location -- all for a reasonable price. I do recommend it but with a few caveats. The good: it's outside Cefalu (about a 10 minute drive to the center of town). As wonderful as Cefalu is, its quite busy and bustling...and this place is a peaceful haven. It's also less than 5 minutes from Sant Ambrogio-- a tiny gem of a town worth visiting for the view and the two very good restaurants. Our room was quite large -- basically our own tiny villa with a kitchen and outdoor table and chairs. The pool is just stunning -- a perfect setting with an amazing view. We spent many peaceful hours there. The breakfast is not included, its an additional 8 euros but was quite good and well worth it. The steep twisty driveway was quite a trip...though I actually enjoyed the drive up and down. Now the bad: several things could use work; the wifi was truly awful. It is weak and more often than not, it can't be accessed due to over capacity. We made breakfast several times in the kitchen -- which was nice-- but were disappointed that the housekeeper left the dishes/pans to us for cleaning. The small maintenance issues -- such as a cracked toilet seat, worn outdoor table and chairs -- start to add up after a while and become hard to ignore. I don't think it would take much of an effort to upgrade this to a perfect spot, since it has so much going for it. So...a qualified endorsement, especially if you can get a good price like we did.

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