Masseria Costanza

In the wild south-east corner of Sicily, this old farmhouse sits within the Vendicari nature reserve, on a working estate of olive groves and a fragrant lemon orchard. It's a small, unhurried sort of place - light-filled, retro-furnished rooms, a pool ringed by Mediterranean scrub, and a silence you only get this far from a town. A private chef will cook for you if you'd like (breakfast leans on the estate's own fruit and eggs) and a cooking class is yours for the asking. Walk out into the reserve for empty beaches and flamingos, or drive twenty minutes for the golden Baroque of Noto.