One of the most unique locations I've ever stayed at was the Hotel Villa Athena. It's a small but classy (5-star) hotel situated in Agrigento's Valley of the Temples, a Sicilian archaeologic site that is also on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
I've previously shared our views of the Temple of Concordia from the balcony of our room. Concordia is a well preserved Doric temple dating to the 5th century B.C which sits just 200 m from the Villa Athena. Frankly the view was the reason we choose to stay at this place, which is not cheap (we visited in the off-season when rates were at their lowest, and thought it was worth the expense). In this post I wanted to share some general information about this unique property.
(Temple of Concordia)
The Hotel Villa Athena dates to the 18th century and was once a private residence, surrounded by ancient olive and almond trees (which were in bloom when we visited). Today it offers 27 spacious, comfortable and modern rooms, many with views of the archaeologic site. Be sure to check out the pool and interesting gardens dotted with historic artifacts as you explore the grounds.
(pool at the Hotel Villa Athena)
The following photo of the hotel's lounge provided last weekend's One Clue Mystery Photo. It was solved by Professor Abe and George G -- congratulations to both!
There is a famous restaurant on site, the Terrazza degli Dei. We thought we'd give it a try and after our first meal made this our exclusive restaurant in Agrigento. The food was really terrific, and fairly priced.
(breaded and fried tuna meatball)
(Sicilian roast pork and potatoes)
(Lamb chops)
It's easy to walk from the Villa Athena to the archaeologic site or to the archaeology museum, both well worth exploring. There's much more to see when in Agrigento, but we focused on the archaeologic site and enjoying the amenities of this fine hotel.
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