Hostel Vela Vega

The beach is only a three-minute walk away, and when we visited in November the garden was green and full of inviting hammocks. Vela Vega has a distinctive communal setup inspired by permaculture, with two small apartments plus a shared apartment where rooms or beds can be booked separately or together, for example by a larger family or group. In the evenings, people cook and eat together, though joining in is optional. It works for a single night or a longer stay if you want a communal place to rest and recharge. For getting around the area, I’d recommend renting a car. Licata and Gela can also be reached by bus or train, and the hostel can pick you up there.

The room was tiny, with just a bed and wardrobe, and the common areas had no heat. Even with warm clothes, guests and volunteers often sat together in the evenings. My winter stay made it clear the accommodation seems better suited to warmer months: the rooms were cold, dimly lit, and the thin walls offered little privacy. Heating was listed on the website, but it was switched on only sometimes and still didn’t warm the rooms properly. Meals cost a flat €10 per day and were very basic vegetarian food, such as pasta and vegetables. There was no proper accounting, and I was charged for too many days. Given those conditions, the price felt unacceptable for what I got. I gave several days’ notice that I planned to leave early. Another volunteer chose to end her stay at the same time. My stay then ended abruptly, without the clarifying conversation I’d expected. The owner’s communication sometimes felt sharp and dismissive. I came away with the impression that organizing hotel operations mattered more than personal interaction.

I ended my trip through Sicily here, and it was a wonderful place to slow down, enjoy the sun, and take in the quiet. The rooms are lovely and carefully furnished, the spaces were clean, and there’s a fabulous kitchen for preparing your own food. I especially liked the beautiful garden and the terrace for looking up at the blue sky. The place is designed around permaculture principles. The villa is just steps from the sea, in a delightful setting where you can relax and meet the people who live there. Siri and her son, Paul, are intelligent, interesting people who love life, and spending time with them was a pleasure. Volunteers and friends also bring a colorful, international feel to the place. Thank you, and keep going with your projects!