Agriturismo Biologico Case Don Ignazio — 33, Italy

A family organic farm and guesthouse in Contrada Carcicera, Noto, Sicily

Breakfast at Case Don Ignazio is cooked to order, built on organic products from the farm and made by Graziella Spatola. It is eaten to the sound of birds, which is much of the point. The family's stated aim is a place where guests can slow down and form meaningful connections with themselves, with nature and with Sicilian hospitality. The hill has belonged to the family since 1909, when great-grandfather Carmelo Spatola bought about 11 hectares. In 1927 Nonno Ignazio inherited 7 of them and spent his life raising livestock and cultivating the land. The family says it still tries to keep his soul alive: the idea that human life is bound up with nature, and that land treated with respect returns good produce and some peace. The modern chapters came in steps. In 1990 Salvatore began restoring the old building to stop its decay. In 2006 he and Graziella converted stables and sheds into small family apartments, which marked the start of rural hospitality. Between 2011 and 2018 the agriturismo took shape under their daughter Roberta. Salvatore and Graziella planted olive groves with new varieties, and the carob farm grew alongside a didactic farm for local youth. In 2020 Roberta and her brother Ignazio set up an agricultural company to develop new activities, yoga among them. The pages name yoga but give no schedule or teaching details, so those questions go to the family directly. Today there are eight units: the cottages Alba and Aurora, the couples' rooms Arancio and Vite, the family rooms Carrubo and Fico d'India, and the larger Noce and Mandorlo. Each has a private entrance. Most have a patio, and all have a kitchenette and ensuite bathroom. Pets are welcome. The logo is a snail, which carries its home with it and moves slowly. Vendicari Natural Reserve is fifteen minutes away and the Baroque city of Noto twenty-five.

Traditions: Yoga

Programs: Yoga, Homemade organic breakfast cooked to order, Didactic farm (Fattoria Didattica) for local youth, Farm stays in eight cottages and rooms