Relais Parco Cavalonga

Really great stay at Relais Parco Cavalonga in the middle of the nature. Very nice staff and very accommodating (they prepare a breakfast box to take away at the last minute juste for us). The view from the room and the pool was beautiful, I would recommend this place.

Quite possibly the best place I have ever stayed in. A stunning retreat situated in the heart of the Sicilian countryside, near Donnafugata castle. With panoramic views of the sea, the Sicilian wilderness and great access to the nearby town of Ragusa. And ample parking spaces under the shade of trees. The most notable part of this hotel is the people, from the reception staff and the owners, to the kitchen staff and maintenance, everyone is lovely, accommodating and willing to take time out of their day to help you with whatever you need. We have been invited to dinner by the owners, had suggestions of wonderful places to visit from the receptionists and had our appliances replaced the same day, by the brilliant maintenance team. Perhaps aided by the beautiful scenery, the food provides a true and exquisite taste of Sicilian cooking. I can easily say that it is the freshest, most varied and tastiest that I have ever had at a hotel. Prepared freshly and daily by the wonderful kitchen staff, you could spend a day just walking between the rooms and the pools taking in the fresh, vibrant smells of the delicacies prepared every day. Breakfast consists of a wonderful selection of continental style foods, including; fresh fruit, meats, pastries, yoghurts, juices, breads and a selection of hot drinks. The staff are incredibly willing to prepare other dishes although we never found that necessary given the amazing selection! Dinner is usually served outside underneath a beautiful old olive tree, which serves as an umbrella to the stars that shine through its branches. You will be sent the menu each morning so you can choose whether you would like to eat there that day or in a local restaurant. Once when we arrived late, two hours after dinner had started, the staff prepared a table for us with candles and re-cooked the entire meal! The reception staff are incredibly willing to suggest and book tables in nearby restaurants if you desire. Some of the meals we have had include; pork in a mint sauce with potatoes, ragù pasta, octopus pasta, baked aubergine, caponata and many others, with gorgeous desserts such as; cannoli, cassata, watermelon and mint granita and a cheese selection. With a host of wines, alcoholic (and non alcoholic) drinks which pair perfectly with the dishes, recommended by the service staff. The site is surrounded by stunning scenery. Dotted with Fico D’India, cacti twice as tall as a person, and carpeted with fields of desert like grass and groves of olive and fruit trees. Bookended by two pools that give a stunning view of the rolling hills that sweep down to the southern sea and the beaches. We have stayed in both the rooms and the apartments and they are spotless, cleaned daily, incredibly well supplied and have amazing views in every direction. The WiFi is incredibly reliable especially considering the rural location and there is sufficient phone signal especially in the rooms and by the top pool. Both pools are large and well heated, with toilet facilities, ample seating and even a bar! With a shallow end that slopes into a wonderfully deep plunge pool section, whilst all the while, giving complete panoramic views of the stunning surrounding landscape. If you are worried about flies, then you can simply wait for the swallow birds to dive down and pluck them out of the air! Although we have never had any such problem. Out of everywhere I have stayed, second to none, I could not recommend anywhere more. It is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed, with beautiful food, beautiful scenery and beautiful people! Never change Parco Cavalonga ❤️❤️❤️

Save your money and don’t stay here. I wish I had listened to the the reviews that said “that the garden needs a bit of love” and that the fly problem needed to be controlled, well both were a really big understatement. We booked a garden view, with basically no grass just mud, dirt and dead grass. The property’s grounds don’t look like they’ve had any maintenance in months, everything is either dead or over grown and covered with weeds. Even like this you might want to enjoy the “nature “ aspect, right? Too bad, you will be swarmed with flies. It’s not enjoyable to be outside at all when 20 flies circle and stand on you, in any part of the property. Pool, breakfast, your balcony. It’s gross, and you should fumigate if you expect to sell people a decent stay. Other issues: they can’t cook a hard boiled egg. We asked for a soft boiled egg and low and behold it was entirely raw 💀💀 by raw I mean nothing was cooked /white. RAW. They never brought out the replacements after waiting for 20 mins we left. The doors have a special way to close them, they didn’t teach us when we checked in and couldn’t lock the doors for a day, when we went down to ask for help they said that oh it’s because you arrived late at night that we didn’t teach you. We arrived at 4pm. Lame excuse… No trash can in the bathroom, happy I didn’t have my period. No alternative options to pork, if you are halal or vegan. Mind you there is no phone signal at all in the surrounding areas, and although the wifi works it’s a bit spotty. We wanted to make dinner reservations but we couldn’t call the restaurants… Don’t stay here. There are many places that have been maintained and you will have a better time.

Great place, a few very annoying shortcomings. We stayed in Apartment-suite Ibla. The apartment is big, bright, and nicely renovated. The bathrooms work well, as does the AC. The park is wonderful, a perfect (in my opinion) combination of curated and wild. The two swimming pools are well maintained (though not new), have great views, and weren't ever too busy during our stay. The staff is helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. The shortcomings all relate to the apartment. The cooking hob is ancient; four slow hot plates with four knobs - that's it. No safety lights to warn that the plates are hot. No drawing to show which knob goes with which plate, or which way the knob needs to be turned. There is no microwave. There is only one shelf to store the food. In summary, the kitchen is barely usable. In the living room, there are no cabinets. After asking, we were given a plastic table to put in a corner, which did the trick. The drying rack for the laundry is at small as it gets and certainly not sufficient for 6 people. Good thing clothing dries very quickly at 30C+! In summary, the place is beautiful and the expensive bits are all there - large apartment, AC, swimming pools, park. It just needs some additional work and money to go up a notch. Right now it is between 3 and 4 starts but I give it 4 in the hope they will be addressed soon (I emailed all of these points to the hotel). I would probably go back but not a sure thing.

Breathtaking view, relaxing and cozy atmosphere, friendly and professional staff!