Property Description

Two-bedroom Sea-view Apartment Outside Palermo, with Sensational Panorama of Hillsides and the Gulf of Solunto from the Ample Open Terraces to Front and Rear.

In the small town of Santa Flavia, ten minutes walk from the nearest sandy beach and barely half an hour from the centre of Palermo, Appartamento Caterina is a large two-bedroom apartment on the third floor of a terraced condominium.

As well as 126m2 of indoor space it boasts two large roof terraces, one to the front and the other to the rear of the property. The latter is officially classed as a balcony but is large and uncovered. From both you these you can enjoy sensational views of the surrounding rooftops, hills, and Sicily’s beautiful turquoise sea itself, the Gulf of Solanto in full view just half a kilometre to the east.

Conveniently located for the train station and with ample parking available on the street nearby, Appartemento Caterina would make a great base for regular family holidays, but is also suitable for a small family or a couple who want to relocate to Sicily to work – either remotely or in person, whether in the traditional local community or the city of Palermo

The sea-view apartment outside Palermo needs no extra investment, having just been renovated – work was completed as recently as May 2025. The kitchen and bathroom fittings are included in the asking price, and the seller tells us they will consider fair offers for other bits of furniture and electrical appliances if you see something that you would particularly like to keep. We think it will prove an absolute bargain.

The Property

The third floor is reached by a communal staircase; the building has no elevator. It faces north-northwest, and is deep and narrow, with an entrance hall that brings you straight into the middle of the living space. You’ll immediately notice the typically Sicilian combination of marble tiled floors and wooden trim around the doors and windows. The ceilings are a good height and both light and air pass freely through the home.

On your right are the two bedrooms, one in navy blue and the other in neutral white. A good night’s sleep is guaranteed in both thanks to air-conditioning units which have only just been installed and only used for test purposes. Each of these lovely large spaces has a pair of French windows that lead you directly out onto the main terrace.

This is in many ways the signature space of Appartamento Caterina, a 35m uncovered roof garden looking north towards the hillside of Monte Catalfano and the nearby archaeological site of Solunto. Away to your right the Tyrrhenian Sea is also in clear view. This is a really special view, one that you wouldn’t normally expect at this price point. Also visible now are the red exterior of the external roll-down blackout blinds, matching the trim of the roof and the handrail.

At the rear of the home, a big long living room of over 30m2 faces south, drawing direct sunshine in the afternoon. The marble tile is replaced by a simpler terracotta floor, but there is still that brand new air conditioning.

The kitchen is fitted with a white counter top and matching double sink, plus a huge amount of cupboards. The fittings will definitely remain; the electrical appliances are negotiable.ele It connects to a well-sized dining room lit by French windows onto the eastern terrace, and cooled by a fourth and final air conditioning unit. The wooden beams of the ceiling are exposed here, beautifully varnished and leading the eye straight to the far window and the second terrace. This is about a third of the size of the primary one to the front but the views make the same great impression.

A spacious family bathroom has been finished in a light tile pattern. There’s a box shower, and especially large and well-lit mirror and white ceramic fittings.

The windows are all double glazed, with those on the bedroom side in aluminium and the ones on the side of the living and dining rooms in wood, to comply with a request from the condominium committee who want to preserve the character of the building. The fee for maintenance and cleaning of the communal spaces comes to a very reasonable €40 euros per month.

It is connected to municipal pipes for water and sewage, and there is an additional 1500 litre cistern on the roof. There is no methane gas supply, the gas hobs in the kitchen being powered from small portable cylinders, but the pipes come right to the floor of the flat so it would be cheap and easy to connect to that. Hot water is from an electric boiler.

All paperwork is in order, including the all-important certificate of habitability.

Surroundings

As you would expect from this sea-view apartment outside Palermo, the nearest beach is just a ten minute walk, the sandy bay of the Olivella a beautiful spot to swim all year round, especially in the mornings.

Santa Flavia train station is just five minutes from the property. The noise from this is almost non-existent, certainly outweighed by the benefit of being able to get from your front door to the centre of Sicily’s biggest and most important city in under half an hour. You can also drive it in a similar time. Getting to the airport takes about 50 minutes, but you can also do this by public transport, with direct rail connections on offer in the summer months.

15 minutes walk brings you to the quaint little marina of Porticello. You’ll love the simple charm of this small harbour, and the great fish restaurants almost directly on the quay. Our office is located just one street away, so you know you’ll get all the best local recommendations – and that the area comes with our most meaningful personal endorsement!

Heading inland, all the shops and services of Santa Flavia are within walking distance. When you need a bigger supermarket you’ll find them in Bagheria, the so-called ‘City of Villas’, which is just two kilometres up the road.
If you need to head there to meet someone or keep an appointment it’s easy on a bike, and only half an hour on foot.The famous archaeological site of Solunto is 1km to the north, on top of the hill which overlooks your roof terrace.

The building itself is not the most characterful, but don’t be put off but the current state of the second floor balcony – the owner is in the process of renovating the apartment and soon it will be good as new.

Potential

There is no need to spend any more money of Appartamento Caterina, as the renovation work has been done very well. The only real drawback that we would note here is that the large building underneath the rear terrace doesn’t do much for the view. Perhaps you could screen it off somehow with a bit of fencing that would keep the gaze up, towards the hills and sea. However, to find this much space in such good shape, so convenient for the train station and at this price is a really good opportunity.

If you would like any help managing the logistics of moving into your new home, ask us about the advantages of our popular Welcome to Sicily relocation service.