I Carusi Bio Relais

I Carusi Bio Relais

Six hectares of almond groves and old farmland surround I Carusi Bio Relais outside Noto, two kilometres from the sea, where the loudest sound most mornings is wind through the fico d'india cactus in the garden. The property began as a rural house built for processing locally grown almonds, and the rebuild kept faith with that history: soft Noto stone, pale clay roof tiles, and hard Modica limestone sit alongside a low-impact, zero-carbon construction that reads more working farmhouse than hotel lobby. Only five rooms and suites exist here, each with its own name and private outdoor space, from the compact Alchimia and Ferrovia superior rooms to the 54-square-metre Fico d'India, Fienile, and Uccelli suites, which have separate entrances and verandas looking straight onto the countryside. What sets this place apart from other Sicilian retreats is that it runs its own organic farm, growing pink grapefruit, olives, and almonds that turn up on the plate at chef Maurizio Urso's restaurant and in the jam served at breakfast. There is an outdoor pool, a bar, yoga and massage, an aromatic garden, and a transfer covering the five kilometres into Noto, near Castello Maniace and Fonte Aretusa, for days when the fields are not enough. Families get cots and suites built for four; couples get the private gardens and quiet. Anyone wanting a lively lobby or a walk into town after dinner should look elsewhere. Breakfast and other meals depend on the rate booked rather than coming as standard, and a city tax and a separate cleaning charge apply on top of the room price. What stays with you afterward is the smell of grapefruit trees, not the furniture. I Carusi Bio Relais is a five-suite organic estate outside Noto, built from an old almond farmhouse and still growing the grapefruit, olives, and almonds that reach the restaurant table. It suits couples and families wanting quiet over nightlife, not those wanting to walk into town after dinner.