WILD AT HEART

After immersing herself in Sicily’s savagely historic culture, Shannon Harley unwinds with a restorative stay at the peak-luxury Verdura Resort.

THE RUGGED TERRAIN of southwest Sicily is like a sun-drenched moonscape. Inland, Greek and Roman ruins tumble down rocky mountain faces like discarded marbles, while towards the coast, the peaks flatten out into vast plains peppered with wild olive trees and baglio, the island’s iconic stone-walled country estates. It is a world apart from the pastoral postcard of the country’s north and the candy-coloured contours of the Amalfi coast, but Sicily’s appeal lies in its savage beauty.

The island’s skin has been scarred by a succession of conquests by the Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Moors, Spanish and French in the form of olive, almond, pistachio and orange trees, grape vines, couscous, cassata and cannoli, and iconic architecture and pottery that marry Roman opulence with the geometric appeal of Moorish design.

Nowhere is this mash-up of history better on show than at Verdura Resort. Perched on a private two-kilometre stretch of coastline between the medieval town of Sciacca to the north with its beautiful churches, castles and piazzas, and Agrigento to the south – a UNESCO World Heritage Site with some of the best-preserved Greek buildings outside of Greece – this impeccably understated golf resort (there are three Kyle Phillipsdesigned courses) offers a taste of Sicily’s cuisine, culture and landscape with an uninterrupted view of the Med.

Any traveller to Italy is in search of the three Ps – pizza, pasta and prosecco (make it five if you throw in Pucci and Pavarotti) – and UK-based Italian hotel magnate Sir Rocco Forte delivers all of this and more at Verdura. The luxe brand of wellness that has come to define the hotel group is designed to complement the relaxed Italian hospitality so many come in search of. Forte’s daughter Irene, who curates the brand’s wellness offering, says that while Verdura is far from a health resort, the growing demand for healthconscious travel is behind its impressive, award-winning spa complex.

“We wanted to cater for the growing number of health-conscious travellers. Certain guests look for clean, natural and nutritious food; others, the latest fitness facilities and equipment; others, organic products with spa treatments that achieve results,” she says.

To some, holiday wellness may well mean a post-beach strawberry gazpacho with flaxseed croutons at Michelin-starred chef Pietro Leemann’s vegan restaurant; to others, it will translate to a thalassotherapy spa, or a facial using organic skincare products made from ingredients grown on the property, followed by a mod-Med lunch of prawn spaghetti and caponata at poolside Zagara – one of the resort’s eight dining options; while to others, it will be a loop of the property’s eight-kilometre hiking track at sunset followed by Aperol spritz and seafood platters at shoreside Amare restaurant.

However you choose to indulge yourself at Verdura, that feel-good vibe is hard to shake as you watch another breathtaking sunset from your villa balcony, or from a lounger by the pool sipping on a ‘Sicilian mojito’, or from your golf buggy at the 18th hole, or from a perch high above the property at the trekking viewpoint love seat.

STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO WITH FLAXSEED CRACKERS

SERVES 4-6 AS A STARTER (MAKES 1.2L) 18cm piece (90g) ginger

2/3 cup (165ml) extra virgin olive oil 800g strawberries, hulled 200g tomatoes Dill sprigs, to serve

FLAXSEED CRACKERS

160g brown flaxseed meal 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, trimmed, chopped 2 small zucchini, chopped 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 strip pared lemon zest 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked 2 tsp sweet paprika (pimenton) 2 tsp black sesame seeds,

plus extra to serve

Grate 12cm (60g) ginger into a fine sieve set over a bowl and press out juice. Stir through half the oil and set aside.

Preheat oven to 100°C. Grease 2 large baking trays and line with baking paper.

For the flaxseed crackers, whiz all ingredients except sesame with 1 tsp salt flakes and 1 tbs water in a food processor for 2 minutes or until very finely chopped. Divide flaxseed mixture between the prepared trays and, using a palette knife, spread evenly across trays, about 1-2mm thick. Scatter with sesame seeds and gently press into flaxseed mixture. Bake, swapping trays halfway, for 80-90 minutes or until crisp. Stand to cool, then break into shards.

To make the gazpacho, whiz strawberry, tomatoes, 1 tsp salt flakes, and remaining

1/3 cup (80ml) oil and 6cm (30g) ginger in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a jug and chill until cold.

Divide gazpacho among serving bowls. Drizzle with ginger oil, scatter with dill and extra sesame, and serve with crackers.

“HOWEVER YOU INDULGE YOURSELF, THE FEEL-GOOD VIBE IS HARD TO SHAKE.”