VERDURA RESORT

If golf isn’t quite the first thing you think of when you think of Sicily, you’re not alone. But don’t let that fact count against the Verdura Golf & Spa Resort; after all, if they’re successful, it’ll soon seem like the most natural association in the world. And while the olive country of Mediterranean Italy may not immediately recall the links at St. Andrews, it is a stunning setting for a boutique-style luxury resort, especially one by Rocco Forte. Here on both counts Verdura is no exception. It’s built on a slightly larger scale than some of his urban properties, with 203 rooms and suites set on a mile-long stretch of southwestern Sicilian coastline, with two 18-hole golf courses, a short course (9-holes) and a spa complex that’s itself the size of some boutique hotels.