Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Italy / Taormina area / Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges
Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges
Taormina area, Italy · Independent · Core Luxury
The resort is named for Carmela Torrisi Faro, the hostess, and in 2009 she turned a 19th-century residence into 18 suites and eight lodges between Etna and the Ionian Sea, at Carruba di Riposto. The Faro family also runs Piante Faro, a nursery of 600 hectares that sends Mediterranean plants to more than 60 countries. A few minutes away, their Radicepura park holds five hectares and more than 5,000 varieties, and a garden festival has run there since 2017. Pietradolce, the family winery on Etna's north slope, has poured since 2006.
- 26 rooms
- Opened 2009
- Neighborhood: Malpassoti
- Rooms from 269 sq ft (25 m²)
About Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges
- In 2009 Carmela Torrisi Faro turned a 19th-century residence into the resort: 18 suites and eight lodges between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea.
- The family nursery, Piante Faro, covers 600 hectares and exports Mediterranean and subtropical plants to more than 60 countries.
- Radicepura, their botanical park a few minutes from the lodges, holds five hectares and more than 5,000 plant varieties, with a garden festival since 2017.
- Pietradolce, the Faro winery on the north slope of Etna, was founded in 2006 and farms its vines organically.
- Venerando Faro, a Cavaliere del Lavoro, built Piante Faro with Carmela Torrisi and their sons Mario and Michele, and the resort is the family's house for guests.
History
Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges lies in the countryside of Carruba di Riposto, between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea in eastern Sicily, at the heart of an internationally renowned botanical estate. Its centrepiece is a 19th-century patronal villa — a residence with more than two centuries of history — set within a lush garden created by the plant-growing Faro family, whose nursery surrounds the property.
In 2009 Carmela Torrisi transformed the historic residence into today's eco-resort, blending finely restored exteriors true to the original style with modernized interiors. The intimate property offers roughly 26 keys — around 18 suites and rooms together with 8 garden lodges, several with private pools — immersed in an Eden-like botanical landscape.
The setting
4 km from Taormina. 6 km from Corvaja Palace.
Restaurants and bars
- La Cucina Di Donna Carmela — Restaurant · Italian
Experiences
- Etna yoga retreat — Listed as a retreat offering on the Live green theme of the hotel's site.
- Wine tour — Listed as a wine tour on the hotel's site; no further detail in this document.
- Etna tour — Listed as an Etna tour on the hotel's site; no further detail in this document.
- Botanical tour — Listed as a botanical tour on the hotel's site; no further detail in this document.
Amenities
- Expert Wedding Planners on request
- Dedicated professional staff for events
Open Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.