The apartment in mediaeval Cefalú
4 Guests
2 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
Right above the water on Cefalù's delightful sea-front, Brezza di Mare is perfectly located for a holiday at the centre of one of Sicily's most beautiful and historic towns. Recently refurbished to a high level, this is the apartment to rent in town!
Looking to know more about Brezza di Mare?
Our team has visited each of our villas, so they can share the finer details and help explore flexible date options
Winner of Condé Nast Traveller’s 2025 Best Villa Rental Company in the World
Keyholder highlights
- Unique seafront position
- 1-minute walk to a beach
- Easy walk to cafés, restaurants and shops
Gallery
Looking out from the kitchen diner to the sea-front terrace.
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Part of Cefalu's long sandy beach.
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Cefalu's sandy beach and transparent waters are just a short stroll away.
The lovely kitchen diner with its access on to the sea-view terrace.
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Brezza di Mare's terrace overlooking the sea.
Includes
- Sole use of the villa and the grounds
- The support of our Villa Specialists to help you select your perfect villa
- The expertise of a dedicated team to help you fine-tune the logistics of your trip and to plan a range of experiences, many of which are exclusive to The Thinking Traveller
- A Local Specialist available during your stay for emergency support
- A comprehensive guide to your villa and its surrounding area, including our restaurant recommendations, cultural highlights and other activities
- An easy-to-use online holiday planner to keep all your booked experiences and services in one place, ensuring that nothing gets missed during your stay
- The ability to coordinate and share the details of your trip with your group via Your Account
- All sales taxes, electricity, gas, Wi-Fi, linen, bath towels, pool and/or beach towels
- A mid-week cleaning and linen change service (the latter is available on request, prior to your arrival)
Excludes
- Flights
- Car hire
- Transfers
- Meals (unless otherwise specified)
- Tourist taxes (tassa di soggiorno) levied by many town councils in Italy. The amount varies by location and usually amounts to between €1-€5 per person per night
From the Guest Book
Read the insightful reviews from travellers who have experienced this villa and our service firsthand.
The views and the location of Brezza di Mare were amazing. It was beautiful and comfortable and convenient - in an amazing location right in the heart of Cefalu. We loved the ease of waking up and going for breakfast. You are an easy walk to everywhere and Cefalu was an amazing city. Amazing local support that was extremely responsive to anything we needed.
SS September 2025
We loved, loved, loved Brezza di Mare and also fell in love with Cefalu all over again. Our first visit in over 20 years and we were right to return. So happy we chose The Thinking Traveller. I cannot say enough good things about Brezza di Mare! It is a stunning villa, beautifully furnished and the pictures on the website are very accurate. But what the pictures don't show you are how cosy and comfortable it is - the amazing beds and the huge sofa with its cushions - and how well equipped! Everything we needed was there, from coffee machines, to cheese graters, to hair dryers to pots and pans...the list goes on! Above all, the views from the balcony were heavenly. You overlook the beach and face the sunset. We must have taken a thousand pictures! You are right in the centre of Cefalu, walking distance to everything with shops nearby for whatever you want. There was also a generous welcome pack when we arrived. Thank you to all for giving us this amazing experience.
ER August 2025
The location of Brezza di Mare is great and could not be beat. It's comfortable and quiet and the views were incredible. We had a fantastic and wonderful experience.
Domenick Bianco August 2025
The views from Brezza di Mare were magnificent and everything was there as we needed and as described. Everyone was so helpful.
Victoria Cornforth May 2025
Brezza di Mare more than lived up to our expectations - the facilities, cleanliness and of course the views and location. Also the services offered by the team and the efficiency of meeting any requests we had. We're looking forward to revisiting.
Dennis Brennan May 2025
The location of Brezza di Mare was perfect and the villa was spacious, comfortable and clean. Our stay was absolutely wonderful! Would we return? Yes, we loved Cefalu and Brezza di Mare was perfectly located to enjoy the beach and the town.
Verified guest, August 2025
Excellent
4.7/5
1,174 Reviews
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The Area
Brezza di Mare is in the old centre of Cefalù with its Norman Cathedral commissioned by Roger II, shops, restaurants and long sandy beach. Its central position on the Tyrrhenian coast makes for easy day trips to Palermo (58km), Santo Stefano (35km), Solunto (55km). Cefalù is nestled beneath the Madonie Mountains, with peaks up to nearly 2,000m and a wealth of small villages with a history almost as long as that of Sicily.
Cefalù is on the main train line linking Palermo with Messina, and from mid-June to mid-September is connected with the Aeolian Islands by a daily hydrofoil service.
Getting to and around
Catania airport:
174km-109miles-2hr05Palermo airport:
110km-69miles-1hr25Trapani airport:
185km-115miles-2hrComiso airport:
201km-125miles-2hr30Closest open-air car park:
5mins walkPiano Battaglia ski-lifts & walking trails:
50km- 30miles-1hr15Tindari:
114kms-71miles-1hr20Palermo:
73kms-45miles-1hrLocal Experiences
Culinary experiences in North Sicily
Every civilisation that dominated Sicily was inspired by the produce this fertile land offers. In western Sicily it was the Arabs, French and Spanish who shaped the roots of the local culinary tradition, which went on to grow throughout the centuries into the unique, rich and eclectic specialities we find there today.
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Boat Trips in North Sicily
Stretching from Messina, the closest point to mainland Italy, to Palermo, the island's capital city, the north coast of Sicily is home to some stunning beaches and seascapes, many fascinating towns, including Cefalù, and three separate mountain ranges, essentially continuations of the Apennines: the Peloritani Mountains to the east, the Nebrodi in the middle and the Madonie towards the west. With peaks rising to nearly 2,000m (6,500ft), the north coast area features some of Sicily's most beautiful landscapes, vast areas of agricultural land and myriad picturesque villages to explore.Just off the coast there are the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago made up of seven inhabited islands, each offering its own distinct atmosphere, sense of hospitality and charm.
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Private boat charters in West Sicily
Transparent waters lap dramatic, time-scarred sea stacks and weather-beaten cliffs, home to tumbling prickly pear trees and 16th and 17th-century watch towers. The old tonnara (a tuna fishing hub) is set evocatively between the cliffs, and a little time spent snorkelling here will be time well spent indeed. Then it’s off again, sweeping through the limpid waters of Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve, whose towering mountains rise majestically from the sea. Idyllic pebbly coves break up the sheer rocky masses, and before you know it you’ll be rounding the headland and sailing west to Sicily’s most northwesterly town, the fishing village and seaside resort of San Vito Lo Capo, renowned for its golden sands, electric blue waters, and delicious fish couscous.
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Guided tours in North Sicily
Sicily's historical legacy is as varied and immense as any in the Mediterranean. Elymian, Greek, Phoenician and Roman archaeological sites dot the island, and age-old cities, towns and villages testify to the comings-and-goings of innumerable invaders, each of whom left their own indelible artistic and architectural treasures...Thanks to this incredible variety, however, Sicily's history can be a little confusing! That's why we recommend you hire the services of one of our guides if you're planning on visiting one or more of the island's numerous historical sites.
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Private guided tours in West Sicily
From first glance, it would seem that the Saracen and Norman rulers of Sicily could have had very little in common. The former had arrived from North Africa and were part of the Golden Age of Arab civilisation that had made such huge strides in the fields of mathematics, economics, agriculture, science, poetry, and architecture. The latter were an offshoot of the Vikings from the frozen north of Europe, adventurers and hardened warriors.When the Normans ousted the Saracen forces in 1090, however, there was no obliteration of all things Arabic. Indeed, the men from the north were hugely impressed by what they found, and rather than destroying Arabic culture, they embraced it. Many institutions were retained, Islam was tolerated, and Saracen landowners were allowed to keep their estates. North African habits were adopted by many Normans as they acclimatised to life in the middle of the Mediterranean. Souks prospered, cool Arabic courtyards were de rigueur, and many Normans, including some of the sovereigns themselves, lived more like Emirs than knights. Where the fusion of cultures really stood out, however, was in the architecture.
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Culinary experiences in West Sicily
The west of Sicily is a great destination for food lovers. Inland, the scenery is dominated by vast expanses of vineyards and olive groves, and some of Sicily's best wines – for example those of the Alcamo, Trapani, Erice and Marsala areas - and olive oils are produced in this corner of the island. Restaurant menus offer a fabulous array of fresh fish and seafood dishes. Fish cous cous is one of the signature dishes, a tradition that is celebrated every September at San Vito’s international Cous Cous Fest. Other stand-out specialities include busiate al pesto trapanese - a homemade pasta served with a pesto of tomatoes, garlic, almonds and basil - and spaghetti alla bottarga - salt-cured tuna fish roe grated on steaming pasta.
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