Property Description

Escape to Complete Tranquillity Amidst the Olive Trees in the Spacious Grounds of this One-bedroom Country House near Marsala

This characterful cottage with 9,000m2 of land can be found midway between the historic towns of Trapani and Marsala on Sicily’s quietly beautiful west coast. With incredible convenience for the nearby Trapani Birgi airport but the peace and seclusion that comes from a position tucked between olive groves and vineyards in a rural and secluded area of the island, this is a dream spot to find a rustic Mediterranean getaway.

The cosy little country house near Marsala comprises a living room with kitchenette, a bedroom and two bathrooms, and a little wooden cabin in the grounds expands the sleeping capacity with a second double bedroom.

With the spacious grounds filled with olive and other fruit trees, a plentiful water supply and the possibility of adding a private pool, Casa Heike represents the dream of an isolated Sicilian lifestyle in an idyllic leafy setting. The large well-kept garden, the stables that give you the possibility of keeping livestock, the chance to produce your own organic olive oil. It’s a peaceful slice of paradise within easy distance of some of the island’s most enduring tourist attractions.

The Property

The square white building is distinctively Mediterranean – almost arabesque with its clean lines, private courtyard and pristine paintwork. The external motors of the air conditioning units and the solar powers that provide much of the home’s power are tucked out of site on the flat roof. It faces directly onto the quiet lane on which it stands, and from here the estate spreads out to the left and rear in a large square.

The house is reached through a little courtyard, and you enter into a large living room with a fully fitted kitchen along the left hand side wall. It’s simple but inviting, with a lovely light wooden counter top. The rest of the room is big enough to hold a sofa and armchair as well as a dining table. It’s cooled in summer by an air conditioning unit mounted on the wall, and warmed in winter by a wood burning stove.

A long thin bathroom runs behind the kitchen, with a walk-in shower at the far end. On the opposite side of the property a double bedroom is brightly lit with natural light coming from both a window and the glazed door which leads straight out onto the patio. This welcoming space also has air conditioning, and an en-suite bathroom containing a bathtub is finished with lovely mosaic tiles in a colourful pattern.

The style of the decoration indoors is somewhere between northern European cabin and the rustic south. Unpainted wooden doors separate the rooms, and the floors are laid with a large ceramic tile that’s easy to clean and perfectly Mediterranean.

Outside, a shady area for outdoor meals has been created between the house and the stable building. There’s a fixed metal frame for a canopy to extend this and a permanent bench seat built into the wall of the outhouse. The gardens are thoughtfully designed and beautifully manicured, with the scent of lavender in the air and a herb garden to bring your meals to new heights. As well as these functional additions there are also plenty of flowers and ornamental plants.

A spiral staircase leads up to the roof terrace, where you’ll find a hefty 8 kW photovoltaic system that will meet all your domestic energy needs. It’s even been attached to a storage battery to make sure that no power goes to waste. Water is also heated by solar panels.

An abundance of water from two sets of pipes means that the whole estate is well irrigated and everywhere you look are shady trees, providing a habitat to all manner of small wildlife. Rambling paths lead you between the mature olives, and the sounds of cicadas and birds are the only thing to break the silence. In the south-west corner of the property there is a 70,000-litre water cistern.

Wandering through the lovely grounds, which are fully fenced you reach the small wooden cabin whose walls are still in bare board. The double bedroom, however, is a cosy treat with a fine wooden roof, and a nice washroom painted in grey with a sink, WC and bidet.

Surroundings

Casa Heike has no direct neighbours, guaranteeing you peace and privacy all year round. However, the nearest shops are within walking or cycling distance, with a small supermarket just two kilometres away in Rilievo and a larger one only a little further afield on the road north to Paceco. This, a ten minute drive away, is the nearest proper town.

A train station in Marausa is only two kilometres away, and will connect you to Trapani and Marsala in about twenty minutes apiece. The conveniently located SS115 highway means that the driving time is similar. The nearest airport is incredibly close, only five minutes away, and there is a larger alternative just an hour up the road in Palermo.

The beach at Lido Marausa, only seven minutes’ drive from Casa Heike, is one of the nicest on the west coast, with a shallow entry to the water that makes it particularly suitable for families. The nearby lagoon of the Stagnone provides a wealth of cultural treasures, from the nature reserve and the ruins of the ancient Phoenician city of Mozia to the kitesurfing schools that fill its eastern shores. This last attraction is a huge draw for visitors to the area, and even if you don’t partake yourself some of your guests will love to try their hand at the exhilarating water sport.

You can find out much more about the province of Trapani, including the Aegedian islands, Medieval Erice and the famous salt pans in our complete guide to the region.

Potential

As the water supply to the property is plentiful and reliable, there is no urgent need for the enormous cistern. We think the best use would be to convert it into a swimming pool, which could be achieved for a moderate investment.

If you see the country house near Marsala as an investment in Sicily’s tourist market (and the location would certainly support that idea), the twin bathrooms and ample space in each of the larger rooms mean that it could be divided into two micro apartments. We would be very happy to offer consultancy or even project management on any kind of modifications you might want to make to the property. In addition, our sister company Solemar Sicilia has enormous experience in the field of vacation lettings and would be very well positioned to offer help or advice with that kind of project.

If, on the other hand, you like the idea of a permanent move south, but don’t want to be anchored to a single location, the off-street parking area is comfortably big enough to keep a caravan or motorhome. This would  give you the freedom to explore the whole of Sicily and beyond.

All paperwork, including the all-important certificate of habitability, is present and correct for the main home. However, this wooden cottage does not have the requisite permission – if you have questions about the implications of this our knowledgable local team are here to help and we will always be happy to refer you to a specialist if we can’t clear things up ourselves.