When traveling in Italy recently; I was introduced (by a photographer friend) to the Therasia Resort & Spa on the island of Vulcano, part of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of the Sicilian coast. From everything Vittorio told me about this place, I just knew it would be the perfect addition to the travel features on Gypsetgirl.
Just a short ferry ride from the main island of Lipari, and about a 45 minute ride from the port of Milazzo, Vulcano is a chill little island that boasts amazing sulfur mud baths that have many healing benefits. However, it wasn’t the mud baths that brought me to the island, it was the fantastic gypset resort– Therasia Resort & Spa.
Upon arriving at the port, my companions and I were greeted by a lovely staff member who gave us a description of what was available, in order to optimize our experience at the resort and on the island– from the spa to the food and restaurants in town. We were welcomed like friends from the start.
After a quick car ride from the port to the hotel, we were at the resort. We were offered a tray of delicious fruit juice cocktails– a nice addition to the hospitality in the hot summer climate.
The views of the sister islands and the sea are breathtaking. It is easy to understand why this part of the world has captivated many people from Homer to Armani. We arrived at the Therasia Resort & Spa to discover heaven on earth!
The resort is remarkably mellow, with a boho-chic vibe. The exterior landscape is a dream, from the bougainvillea to the the cacti decorating the landscape, amusingly referred to as “La Seda Della Suocera” ( The Seat of the Mother-In-Law) ;). With the gorgeous indigo seascape as a back drop to the infinity pool, there is no arguing the breathtaking beauty of this place. Beckoning me at first glance, I couldn’t wait to get myself wet!
Our room was so inviting! With gorgeous views of the adjoining islands, I couldn’t help thinking how easy it must have been for Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini to fall in love while they filmed Stromboli (on the island of the same name)– a movie that helped to make this archipelago a hot spot for early gypsetters in the 1950’s and 60’s.
After soaking in the sun and salt air, enjoying the pool and sea, and feeling like you have been transported to an a the epic bygone days of “La Dolce Vita”; be sure to slip into the spa to have any remaining cares (if that is even possible here!) rubbed, scrubbed and soothed away. You can choose from the Vulcano Black Sand Scrub body exfoliation, a slimming massage, or lymphatic drainage, among many other enticing treatments offered on the spa menu. There is also an indoor pool and hydro-massage, sauna, Turkish bath, and emotion shower.
If all this resort has to offer so far wasn’t enough, we were even more impressed by the food! A meal at the Therasia Resort is not to be missed. Even if you aren’t staying here, you would be missing a culinary masterpiece by not booking a reservation and treating yourself to dinner here. There are three restaurants to pick from: L’Arcipelago, The “Grusoni” (for lunch), and the pièce de résistance Il Cappero (it recently received its first Michelin Star).
All of the restaurants boast splendid views and top-notch service. Each menu has been created by Michelin Starred chef Crescenzo Scotti (a blog about this maestro of the culinary world soon to follow!). Crescenzo selects his ingredients from locally sourced quality ingredients from Sicilian towns like Catania (where the vegetables are harvested), cheeses from Syracusa, meat from Nebrodi, and seafood caught by the Aeolian Island fisherman. When you taste the flavor of each ingredient, carefully layered with the other; your mouth begs for just one more bite.
Executive Chef Crescenzo Scotti and I
The Therasia Resort & Spa is so good– it is worth every flight, car ride, and ferry it takes to get there! So pick up your phone and book a reservation to have an experience like none other. Get packing! 🙂
All photo credit to the amazing travel photojournalist Vittorio Sciosia.
