Apartment by the Sea is a private apartment on the second floor of Villino Reina, a family home in Mondello, a 6-minute walk from the beach.

Thirty-eight square meters designed for three guests: one double bedroom, one single bedroom, a balcony overlooking the hills of Capo Gallo, and a fully equipped kitchen for those who love to cook—though just a short walk away you’ll find some of Mondello’s best rotisseries and takeout restaurants for those who’d rather not cook while on vacation.

The cottage was completed in 1948 by my great-grandfather. During the war years, only the basement had been built as an air-raid shelter; when the sound of planes ceased, a house began to take shape above the shelter. Today, it is still home to my family, a full four generations later. The interior staircase—painted to look like marble by local craftsmen and polished by hand—and the pomelia vine that climbs up to the first floor and fills the facade with its fragrance when it blooms are the two details that guests always notice first.

The apartment is located on the second floor, with no elevator, and is not directly on the waterfront: it’s on a quiet residential street, not a tourist thoroughfare. Those looking for a beach right outside their door or an elevator will find other, more suitable options; but those looking for a real home, with a real history, in the part of Mondello where the people of Palermo live, are in the right place.

Free Wi-Fi, air conditioning in every room, fully equipped kitchen. I’ll welcome you in person, or my parents—who live on the first floor of the same villa—will be there when I’m away.
I’ll give you two useful tips about the area and then leave you to it: the house is yours for the duration of your stay.