From the minute that I walked up the orange and jasmine-scented path leading to the buttery yellow house of Villa Margherita, I was charmed. Villa Margherita is the hotel you should stay at in Cefalu, Sicily. Cefalu turned out to be my favorite town in Sicily, and so it was nice to have a haven to retreat to everyday.

And retreat, I did. I soaked up the sun on the beach each morning and worked and napped in the sun on the rooftop of Villa Margherita with its glorious sea view every afternoon.  The evening sunsets from the rooftop were stunning and were the perfect way to end each day.

I slept almost ten hours every night in the comfortable bedroom. This was, of course, after taking the most powerful and hot shower that I had in Italy. My room was very clean. The bathroom even had a heated towel rack, a refrigerator, and a window that opened to let the fragrance of the blossoming trees into my room.

Villa Margherita is just down a path and across the street from the beach. This is perfect because you don’t get the noise of the traffic from your room. The path is lined with cactus and beautiful flowers. Butterflies and birds fly around and the 2-minute walk to the beach feels like a walk through Paradise.

Valerio was a great host and always gave me advice on what to see and do in town and told me about local events that were going on, too. The Old Town was only a ten-minute walk away. Take his advice and visit the cemetery. It really is fascinating.  The restaurant owned by his family, Ragno d’Oro has a great ocean view and gives guests of the hotel a 10% discount, too.

Valerio also made fresh espresso and cappuccinos every morning and had fresh croissants, breads, meats, cheeses, yogurt, and jam for breakfast.

If you are looking for a nice retreat in Sicily, a place to get away from it all and just relax, then Villa Margherita is your place. Just don’t blame me when you toss out your alarm clock!

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