Balestrate is a great location for making day trips. It' s not touristy. More locals, which reflects in the restaurants and gelaterias, which are full of ice cream loving Italians! Small shops nearby for excellent local food fare (burato cheese, proscuitto,wines, fresh bread and fruits). The roof top terrace was great for catching some sun in early April.

We had a wonderful vacation here. The property was just like the pictures. There wasn’t anything we could say negative about it. The property owners are excellent. They offered transportation to/from the airport for a decent fee. They hooked us up with a rental car for cheap. They brought us beach towels to borrow. The property is on a street that locals use a lot. It’s quiet at night, because the bedrooms are on the backside. The Sisa (Grocery store) is around the block. The restaurants are so good. This was our first time in Balestrate, and we will be back. We felt to welcome by the town. Balestrate is walkable, but you will want a rental car for seeing other towns. The AC worked great, when we needed it. The rooftop terrace was amazing for seeing the sunsets over the bay. If you want taken care of by a nice local family, book here. They were always available to answer questions when we asked.

Nice flat, amazing view from the roof terace 👍

The apartment is even better than the website pictures suggest. Anna responded quickly to my initial inquiry and answered our questions in subsequent emails. Her husband, Daniel, speaks English, which helped with communication. Anna and Daniel let us check in early. Daniel and his sister greeted us warmly, showed us where to park on the street in front of the building, helped carry our bags to the third floor, and showed us around. They made sure that we could get onto the internet, tried out all the burners on the stove, and answered questions. The place was spotless and spacious with multiple balconies, many windows, and wonderful views of the sea. The large rooftop terrace was a bonus. Anna and Daniel were friendly when they were cleaning other apartments in the building, but never intrusive. Balestrate is a wonderful coastal town to get a feel for what it's like to live in Western Sicily. We walked all over town and enjoyed interacting with local merchants in grocery stores, restaurants, and other business establishments. The young woman at the tourist information booth in town was especially helpful. Everything we purchased at the SISA grocery store around the corner from the apartment, pastry shops, gellateria, and the weekly Monday outdoor market was fresh and delicious. We cooked some meals in the apartment, but ate out, too. Frutta di Mare da Giovanni was our favorite - ate two lunches and two dinners there during our three week stay. We loved the rotisserie chicken from Chicken's Corner and the gelato from a couple of different places. The roasted chestnuts sold on the street and the arancini (rice balls) were fun to eat, too. Because it was off season, there was ample free parking at the beach; we swam nearly every afternoon. The beach was uncrowded and the water was warm. My husband and I traveled with a friend, who was with us for the entire three week period. We were joined by friends from England for the middle week; there was ample room for all of us! We loved the large kitchen table, where we sat for hours of good food and conversation. We took day trips to Palermo, Monreale, Scopello, San Vito lo Capo, Marsala, Erice, Mozia, Contessa Entellina (an Albanian village), Alcamo (large outdoor market every Wednesday), Segesta, Castellamare del Golfo, and several other nearby towns. Got more than our money's worth. Grazie, Anna e Daniele!