Hotel Signum

Rooms

Winding paths lead from the main house through fruit-laden citrus groves to a trio of pastel-coloured, 2-storey buildings. Most of them are restored farm buildings, which owners Clara and Michele have gradually acquired and done up. Some have ground-floor terraces fringed with tumbling jasmine and bougainvillea, others have wrought-iron balconies with views as far as Stromboli, and a few have windows onto the breakfast area. But, thanks to the luxuriant vegetation and generous spacing, all feel very private.

Step inside and you could be in a genteel French or Tuscan country house: curling cotto tiles, ancient brass or iron beds with lace-fringed counterpanes, and a few pieces of antique furniture: we slept soundly on soft linen and awoke to birdsong. There's a ceiling fan in case you don't like the noise of the air conditioning, a minibar with Salinese biscuits and fruit juices, and a radiator and satellite TV for rare rainy days.

Bathrooms have retro-Victorian bidets and sinks, curled iron towel rails, shiny tiles and curtained or hinge-paned showers (no tubs). Some have waterfall heads, though as is usual (and understandable) on Salina, water pressure is rarely up to the challenge.

It's worth paying for a Deluxe Room with Terrace or Deluxe Executive Room if you can: you get more space, sea views and a terrace. Classic, Superior and Deluxe Rooms have a smaller terrace or balcony, and views may be of the garden, pool or sea. Some Superior rooms have colourfully majolica'd bench seats facing the internal courtyard; while one of the Deluxe Rooms with Terrace (room 35) has a terrace overlooking the pool - perfect for keeping an eye on the kids. Some of the Deluxe Rooms are surrounded by lemon trees and flourishing geraniums. Families should ask for the Suite or Suites with Terrace which have a double bed and a living room, and can fit up to 2 extra beds.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge

Eating

You don't often see Clara's husband Michele, and that's because he's busy all day preparing truly first-class food - from the wee hours (when he beats the tourists to the market) until sunset (when he pulls the last steaming tray of fish from the oven). In between, he manages to rustle up light lunches and salads, to make a fresh batch of pasta every afternoon - usually cavatelli (fat spaghetti cooked al dente), and to spend time with son Lucca (the head waiter). Salina was the first island to be accredited by the Slow Food movement, Clara explains, so all the ingredients are freshly sourced and healthily cooked ("Michele does not fry!").

Most meals are taken on a cane-shaded dining terrace overlooking the garden, with pretty majolica-covered tables, rustic wooden chairs and (my wife notes) a gorgeous sommelier called Vicenzo, who ceremoniously pours gloopy blonde oil and sprinkles salt crystals onto your sideplate. For a light lunch before an afternoon swim, a simple salad of cherry tomatoes, fat capers and golf balls of buffalo latticini does the trick very nicely. Come dinner (book a table by 10am), you might get soft grilled aubergine with ricotta and tomato sauce, homemade pasta with today's fish, and tender tuna steaks with steamed spinach. From the very promising wine list, we tried (and can thoroughly recommend) the white 'Salina Bianca di Virgona' and the red 'Kiron' from near Ragusa on Sicily. And, after dessert (in our case baigné with tangy ricotta cream and flaked almonds), there's a smooth slug of Malvasia delle Lipari from the Malfa-based Hauner cellars.

If you fancy something simpler, there's a decent pizzeria in town called A Lumaredda, and a fabulous all-white sea-facing terrace at the Santa Isabel, perfect for sunset G&Ts. If you're feeling lazy, room service is available until midnight.

Breakfast is a buffet of cereals, yoghurt, fruit, jams, hard-boiled eggs (or other styles to order) and delicious homemade lemonade - a perfect poolside drink.

Features include:

• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Indulge in a steam bath, beauty treatment or massage in the hotel's idyllic spa, designed to follow the mineral-rich Aeolian thermal waters
  
  
• Hire a scooter and a lightweight helmet and zip along the island’s 2 roads: one to Pollara, where you can walk down to the cliff-backed pebble cove which featured in Il Postino (keep your helmet on, as there are falling stones!), and the other to Leni, with seaside cafés and boat excursions
  
  
• Or retrace the road (there are hourly buses, too) past the main port of Santa Marina to the lagoonside village of Lingua, where you'll find the best granita (fruit ice) in the Aeolians, and arguably in all Sicily, at Al Fredo's
  
  
• Explore the rocky, lava-sculpted coastline by boat: the hotel can hook you up with a fisherman. The sea is crystal-clear and ideal for snorkelling; don't miss the perciato (pierced) rock near Pollara
  
  
• Take a hydrofoil to neighbouring islands: Panarea and Lipari are both within half an hour and feasible as day trips. The former boasts a cliff-ringed fjord with a prehistoric settlement above, while the latter has a fine archaeological museum and decent shopping
  
  
• Salina has twin volcanic peaks - hence its Greek name of Didyme ('twins') - which you can climb with or without a guide; you can start from the ex-sanctuary (now nursing home) of Madonna del Terzito, but it's still a 700m climb to the top
  
  
• Follow some of the other 18 marked trails. The 4-hour hike from the abandoned building above Pollara round to Leni is relatively flat and lined with exotic maquis
  
  
• Ask the hotel about diving excursions from Malfa's port; or about the 4-day jewellery-making courses which Clara runs (and which, if the crinkled silver spiral on her finger is anything to go by, are big, bold and successful)
  
  
• Wander down to Malfa's pebbly beach at Scario (10 minutes' walk), or relax in the gardens or by the large pool with a good book and some chilled Malvasia

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Fishing
• Hiking
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Wine tasting

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome, though bear in mind that this is a tranquil place so they are expected to be reasonably quiet around the pool. Most rooms can take an extra bed or cot, or you can ask for 2 adjacent rooms. Babysitting can be arranged on request.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Book a Suite or Villa Suite as all can fit 2 rollaway beds, baby cots or have a sofabed in the living area.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Signum is in the village of Malfa on Salina, one of the Aeolian Islands, near Sicily.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Catania (120km away) on Sicily. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

By Hydrofoil/Ferry:
There are 3 hydrofoil / ferry companies operating in the Aeolian Islands (navi means ferries, aliscafi are hydrofoils): Ustica Lines, Siremar and SNAV (Naples-Salina) - see below for more details. Once on Salina, the hotel will arrange a minibus / taxi to take you from the port at Santa Marina up to the hotel (see Rates).

From Milazzo
It's easiest (especially outside midsummer) to fly to Catania and then take a taxi/bus/hire car to Milazzo (2 hours away), from where there are 5-10 daily hydrofoils crossing to Salina in 90 minutes, and a slow ferry which takes 3-4 hours.

From Messina
Another option is to take the hydrofoil from Messina on Sicily (there are fewer sailings and a longer journey time), which is closer to Catania and to the Italian mainland, should you be coming from there.

From Palermo, Naples and other ports
In summer (July to September) you can take the hydrofoil straight from Palermo (half a day's journey) or Naples (a day), both of which have regular flights from around Europe. Or, throughout the year, there is an overnight ferry once a week from Naples. But bear in mind that both of these are more susceptible to bad weather. There are also sporadic sailings to Salina from Cefalù and Santa Agata Militello on Sicily, and from Reggio di Calabria on the mainland.

By Hydroplane:
There is a hydroplane service from Palermo and Catania several times a week - see EOLNET for more info.

By Bus:
Two bus companies link Milazzo / Messina with Catania: SAIS and Giuntabus. However, you may find it's easier and not much more expensive to hire a car and leave it in Milazzo, even if it's only for this trip; Europcar, Hertz and Alamo have offices in Milazzo.

By Helicopter:
The hotel can arrange helicopter transfers - see Rates.

Detailed directions will be sent to you once your booking is confirmed.

More on getting to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands and getting around