Discover the Sustainable Luxuries of ADLER Spa Resort, Sicily
Set against a backdrop dotted with olive trees and grape vines that garland the surrounding landscape, the ADLER Spa Resort sits proudly yet demurely on a panoramic plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea on the southwestern coast of Sicily.
All natural, environmentally sensitive and sustainably focused, the 5-star resort is one of Sicily’s newest luxury destinations, opened in July 2022, with state-of-the-art spa facilities and a breathtaking natural location on the sea.
ADLER Style
The family-owned ADLER luxury hotel group has properties in the Italian regions of South Tyrol, Tuscany, and now Sicily.
Built into the mountain, the structure is a contemporary hideaway, camouflaged by greenery, and seamlessly blending with the surrounding landscape. Its clever architectural design has been fused with natural resources of wood and stone that imbue the resort with a calming and airy style, with lots of natural light, all carefully curated to promote a sense of wellbeing, balance and harmony with nature and ourselves.
The resort uses what they call bio-architecture and its single-storey buildings are alternated with botanical oases where they grow strictly indigenous plants. Building materials include tuff, unbaked clay, opus signinum (a form of Roman concrete) and natural stone cladding, which nurture respect for the surroundings.
The contemporary style of ADLER Spa Resort in Sicily
Sustainable Luxury
Everything you do has an impact, and every single choice can make a difference. For that reason, ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA is hyper tuned in to sustainability. Within the resort, there are electric club cars to cover the longer distances. A lot of effort is put into minimising and separating waste (especially plastic waste). They digitise processes to reduce paper, and optimising consumption of laundry materials.
The resort uses the latest heat pumps to recover energy, and avoid fossil fuels for the air conditioning system. And a lot more. You can rest assured that the resort and you can keep Sicily’s natural paradise safe and unmarred for the next time you visit.
The 90 spacious rooms are open plan and flooded with light from wall-to-wall sliding doors, which lure in nature along with vistas of the Mediterranean Sea. Each room is elegantly furnished and individual terraces provide additional relaxation space adjacent to communal landscaped gardens. Paved walkways take advantage of inspiring views around the resort. Wafts of uplifting white jasmine and dancing white butterflies give a gentle nudge to live in the moment.
Quiet and serene. I do believe even the crickets whisper here.
Spa and Aaah!
At the heart of the resort is the spa with treatment rooms overlooking the crystal-clear sea below. The spacious spa offers therapies and beauty treatments that capture the essence of Sicily, with oils, extracts and ingredients gathered from the gardens and the countryside beyond. The Spa is a haven of stillness with colours in tune with its setting. An array of treatments and therapies can be tailored to your desires: a mineral mud wrap (especially good for osteoarthritis), a warm scented oil massage using Sicilian candles and an Etna Ritual using volcanic powder, a scented bath and a lava stone massage.
Sicily is a volcanic island and bestows beneficial minerals from the soil enriched in elements such as magnesium and potassium. Tuscany, South Tyrol and Sicily are the three regions richest in raw resources with active ingredients and essential oils.
The gorgeous spa is the ultimate in relaxation
Yoga, guided e-bike tours, and balance and breathing classes are part of the timetable of daily activities There is also a saltwater hydro-massage pool, a freshwater infinity pool and for the enthusiast, a cooler, deeper pool reflecting into a serious, well-equipped fitness room.
Dotted around the lawns and gardens and hidden behind trees are sun loungers and comfy oversized chairs to hide away and relax in the silence. The pathway down to the beach follows the western border of the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, a protected area which covers 76 hectares of wetlands, chalky outcrops and rare species including porcupines and tortoises. You could spend hours listening to the waves kissing the buttercream-coloured beach stretching as far as the eye can see.
Perfectly placed on a rooftop, the resort’s Thalasso Pool Tub is a popular spot, especially at sunset. Nearby is a steam room and a suite of Swedish saunas, where twice a day the Panoramic Sauna stages its wellness ritual, Aufguss, a theatrical performance not to be missed.
Good Food First
Created with illuminated channels of water beneath an open staircase, The Seaview Restaurant sets the scene for its tempting display of Sicilian dishes and foods. Each week a Sicilian buffet welcomes local suppliers proud of their delicacies who delight in demonstrating their traditions and revealing family recipes, from eggplant creations, cheeses and many a dish sprinkled with pistachios.
Gambero red prawns, a rare and expensive delicacy are a central focus. Their red colouring and distinct flavour come from the depths of the Mediterranean where they feed on rich minerals. Homegrown and harvested, foods served follows the seasons and comes from the resort’s garden, including edible flowers and Sicilian fruits and herbs, aided by fertile volcanic soil.
Oranges and lemons are plentiful. Sicily is home to 67 percent of the citrus farms in all of Italy and it is the home to Tarocco, the Sicilian blood orange.
A pool with a view
And of course, toasting this cacophony of flavours is a long list of renowned Sicilian wines. Tables spill out for panoramic views while sipping coffee in the mornings.
At dusk, the fire pits create a cosy glow on open deck verandas for evening drinks. Lunch is a more casual affair served on the al-fresco terrace at Osteria, under the shade of a pergola.
Excursions
The resort is close to Sicily’s Valley of the Temples and nearby Agrigento is home to the stunning remains of five Greek temples and the remains of the ancient city of Akragas.A forty-minute walk away is a local winery, Baglio Caruana, which offers tours and wine tasting of its Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet. A delightful family business in a rural setting with a central pretty courtyard and a contemporary, airy tasting room.
Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island. On its eastern edge is Mount Etna, one of Europe’s highest active volcanoes and the largest of the three active ones in Italy.
The island has a rich history with many monuments to see and ancient towns to visit. The resort organises excursions to those within reach or offers electric cars for hire. The Valley of the Temples, (Valle dei Templi), is the key archaeological site of Agrigento which contains the remains of Akragas, an important ancient Greek city.
The Temple of Concordia is considered to be the best-preserved example of Greek antiquity from the middle of the 18 century. In 1997 UNESCO declared this a World Heritage Site. Try to visit at sunset when the shadows and light create a unique dramatic experience.
Siculiana is a quiet historic town in the province of Agrigento. It was founded by Arabs who named the village “Suq-al-Jani”. Narrow cobbled side streets lead into a town square with a clock tower, built in 1887.
Barefoot luxury along the beach
The ADLER motto is “Let your soul fly” and I encourage you to fly straight to Sicily to experience the charms of this Mediterranean pearl that is easily summed up in one word: Bellissimo!
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BeSeeingYou In: Sicily
Good to know: The resort stands 300 metres from the sea on a hill 80 metres above sea level
WOW! Factor: The ADLER brand has a 200-year-old family history
Tip: A Kids Club is open every day for children aged 4 and up
Author bio: Jane Wilson, The Wellness Traveller
