I visited the sleepy Italian island village with 40p beers and £1.80 bottles of wine… right by our family villa

IT’S early afternoon as we settle at a tiny wooden table on the cobbles outside Cafe Sant Antonio in the sleepy Sicilian village of Pollina.

Sitting at 2,500ft above sea level, the historic hamlet on the northern coast delivers astonishing views of the Madonie mountains and Tyrrhenian Sea.

But it’s not just the views that have our eyes widening as we peruse the cafe menu.

My husband chooses a beer for £1.50. My glass of wine sets us back £2.15.

A little peckish, a snack is in order.

I opt for a piadina, a traditional Italian flatbread stuffed with oozing mozzarella and slices of ripe tomatoes.

More than enough for lunch, it costs just £3.

The other half goes for a meaty panini roll generously filled with prosciutto ham and cheese for £3.50.

The food is fresh and delicious.

And paying just over a tenner for the two of us to enjoy it while admiring the picture-perfect views is even more delightful.

Pretty Pollina is one of those wonderful hilltop Sicilian villages you have to visit, much like Corleone — although it doesn’t have the latter’s infamous Mafia history.

We walk off the cheese with a turn around the twisting medieval alleyways and step-filled streets, passing a scattering of shops and bars with elderly gentleman shooting the breeze outside.

Local beers cost just 40p in the supermarket, a bottle of rosé only £1.80

A few turns later, we find ourselves at the Pietra Rosa amphitheatre, carved directly from the pinkish rock.

As if we couldn’t feel more smug, it turns out we also have the place to ourselves.

Sicily in mid-September is a delight.

The summer crowds are gone, but we’ve got glorious blue skies and wall-to-wall sunshine with temperatures hovering in the high 20s.

And we make the most of every last drop of that sunshine at our beachfront villa, Ad Astra in Finale di Pollina.

Part of the collection hand-picked by Wish Sicily and with direct access to the beach, this much-loved family holiday home has been recently refurbished — and its white walls sparkle in the sunshine.

Inside, there are four generously-sized bedrooms, three bathrooms and a lounge diner decorated with charming family treasures.

The well-equipped kitchen leads on to the real star of the show — the spectacular outdoor space.

A shaded terrace runs the length of the back of the villa, with a huge dining table and comfy cushioned lounge furniture.

Beyond that is a substantial pool for daytime dips and a hot tub, perfect for a soak on the slightly cooler evenings.

Add to that a lovely lawn with sun loungers and two outdoor kitchens, this villa really is set up for making the most of its spectacular setting.

Glass walls frame the expansive sea view, and through the little gate, more hammocks, sofas and tables are set up under parasols on the pebbly beach.

A shaded terrace runs the length of the back of the villa, with a huge dining table and comfy cushioned lounge furniture

With bikes, paddle boards, snorkel gear and pool toys aplenty, everything you need is on hand.

Stocking up for al-fresco meals and drinks as the sun set was easy — the local shops and restaurants in Finale di Pollina again had us raising our eyebrows at the bargain prices.

Local beers cost just 40p in the supermarket, a bottle of rosé only £1.80.

At the pizzeria, a takeaway margherita set us back £4.

Another great find was the rustic Beach Club Costa Turchina, a three-minute walk along the beach from our villa.

Luxury escapism

This family-run restaurant offers superb local dishes at great prices.

A huge bowl of shell-on langoustine prawns and pasta was from £10, freshly deep-fried seafood from £8 and a juicy steak the size of a dinner plate for £14.

For 2026, the owners are expanding and are offering yurt stays with private hot tubs in a field next to the restaurant, and you can hire bikes, scooters and boats from the club as well.

We had a hire car from the airport and it definitely gave us the freedom to explore.

The seaside town of Cefalu was just a 30-minute drive along the winding coastal roads and perfect for a day trip.

Parking right by the seafront, we wandered along the promenade by the wide, sandy beach and into the old town, passing the many shops and restaurants in the tiny alleyways.

At medieval sea gate Porta Pescara we joined the Instagram crowds to take our obligatory shots before wandering past the quirky Lavatoio Medievale — an ancient wash house fed by a river that falls into the sea.

The seaside town of Cefalu was just a 30-minute drive along the winding coastal roads and perfect for a day trip

The 12th-century cathedral with its soaring twin towers and elaborate Byzantine mosaics was well worth a visit, with a reviving drink in the square below it just as delightful.

Lunch was back on the seafront.

The Porta Ossuna restaurant and pizzeria had a table right above the beach for us to enjoy the freshest of salads with burrata and prawns.

Lovely as lunch was, it was still a joy to arrive back at adorable villa Ad Astra for a snooze in the sunshine on the terrace before yet another astonishing sunset enjoyed on the beach, alongside crisp, cold wine and fat olives bought on our day out.

The villa proved the ultimate in laid-back, luxury escapism.

And travelling out of season meant no crowds, just peace and sunshine.

This Sicilian secret was something beyond all the movie myths of the infamous crime families.

And the only protection you’ll need to pay for here is suncream.