Perfect place to stay. We spent 17 nights in this wonderful house in a lovely location in Castellammare del Golfo. The house fronts onto a small picturesque quiet square which has only one entrance/exit. The rear of the house overlooks the busy harbourside. The house is just perfect. Truly Sicilian. Extremely comfortable with every amenity you need. The views from the balconies are wonderful. We never tired of sitting on either terrace watching the boats and general hubbub of the quayside below. Within a two minute walk there is pizza parlour (Bio Pizzeria Bella Vista), restaurant (La Madrice) and bakery all excellent. Within a ten minute walk there is a wide choice of bars and excellent restaurants (Cumpa and Egesta - to name a few). Castellammare del Golfo is ideally situated for sight seeing; Palermo, Segesta, Erice, Trapani and boat trips. There are excellent beaches a 20 minute walk away. The hospitality we were shown by Marco and his family was truly amazing. We arrived to find they had provided us with all of the basic food essentials as well as wine and fruit. In addition we were given pasta, cake and even limoncello all homemade and delicious. Marco gave us lots of good advice about the area. Thank you so much to Marco and his family. We fully recommend renting this property.

Meine Frau, mein Schwiegervater und ich waren im Juli zu Gast in dieser schönen Ferienwohnung. Da das Objekt für einen ortsfremden, anfangs, schwierig zu erreichen ist, machte uns Marco den Vorschlag uns am Ortseingang zu treffen und uns zur Wohnung zu bringen. Dort angekommen fanden wir einen schönen Innenhof vor mit direkter Parkmöglichkeit. Nach einer ausführlichen Besichtigung der Wohnung hat uns Marco noch etwas über den Ort und seine Familie erzählt und uns Ausflugstipps gegeben. Das Haus ist sehr gut aufgeteilt. Vom Hof aus kommt man zur mittleren Etage welche eine gut ausgestattete Küche beinhaltet, mit einem wunderschönen Ausblick auf den kleinen Fischerhafen und die Hafenpromenade. Wir waren sehr überrascht über die bereitgestellten Lebensmittel welches u.a. Eier, Toastbrot, Tee, Wasser, selbstgemachten Limoncelli (sehr lecker), div. Backwaren und eine große Auswahl an Obst beinhalteten. Explizit möchten wir uns bei Marcos Mutter bedanken, welche uns eine frischgemachte, noch warme, Cassata al Forno, selbstgemachte Caponata und verschiedene Gebäckspezialitäten zubereitet hat. Alles in Allem Köstlichkeiten. Marco ist zu beneiden. Ich habe um die Rezepte gebeten und diese auch freundlicherweise erhalten. Danke nochmals. Das obere Geschoss ist mit einem Doppelbett, Schränken, Kommoden einer Klimaanlage und Deckenventilator ausgestattet und hat ein eigenes Badezimmer mit Dusche und WC. Toilettenartikel und Handtücher waren ausreichend vorhanden. Das untere Geschoss hat einen angeschlossenen Balkon, welcher wunderschön mit Blumen bewachsen ist, mit einem Tisch und Stühlen, perfekt für ein Abendessen oder zum gemütlichen Zusammensitzen. Es ist wie das obere ausgestattet und ebenfalls mit angeschlossenem Badezimmer und WC. Es hat an nichts gefehlt. Alles in allem eine sehr schöne und gepflegte Unterkunft und sehr zu empfehlen. Es war eine wunderschöne Woche. Wir werden sicher wiederkommen.

10/10 Sat here with a glass of NERO D’AVOLA and a couple of crostini with Marco`s mum`s caponata ( we couldn't leave it, it was so scrummy, brought the last bit back in a jar ) and wishing we were back in ll Mare Dentro, brill accommodation, on arrival Marco met us and showed us around, the house is extremely comfortable and homely, Marco had supplied us with a fantastic first evenings dinner of pasta al forno, and a Sicilian Cassata ( to die for, SERIOUSLY ) and stocked the larder with more local delicacies, home produced Olive Oil ( amazing ), an excellent Limoncello, biscuits, tea, coffee, bottled water, milk, Home-made Orange jam ( sensational on croissants ) which he also supplied and a magnificent bowl of fruit. This is an ideal base for day tripping or just chilling out with a good book, we sat on one of the two terraces every night as the harbour was a constant source of entertainment, we had anticipated eating out more but the house was so comfortable and relaxing after a day on the beach at Scopello or getting back from one of our excursions that we didn’t bother. Most evenings we had a stroll around the harbour and an early aperitif at one of the bars, and then back to the house to eat as the local Deco supermarket had a great delli counter with a vast array of meats, seafood, cheese and veg to sample, We have both fallen in love with Sicily and especially this house and the attention to detail Marco and his family provide, we have discovered Shangri-La and cant wait to visit again.

La vacanza a Castellammare del Golfo è arrivata in maniera inaspettata, una ricerca accurata nei primi giorni di agosto ci ha segnalato la bellissima casa dei signori Vasile. Le immagini sul sito, che già preannunciavano la particolare bellezza dell’esposizione della casa con l’affaccio sul porticciolo, l’eleganza e la cura degli arredi, si sono concretizzate e impreziosite per l’accoglienza curata e generosa che i proprietari ci hanno riservato al nostro arrivo. Con grande sorpresa (lasciatemelo dire, perché finora non ci era mai capitato nei nostri viaggi) abbiamo ricevuto in dono (nella fase di consegna delle chiavi) un’infinità di cose buone: una enorme varietà di prodotti dolciari per la colazione, le castagnole (dolci tipici con la ricotta), numerose composizioni di frutta fresca, un tronchetto gelato, una scatola di amaretti, una bottiglia di vino, nonché tutto il necessario per far fronte comodamente ai primi giorni di vacanza. E come se non bastasse, la signora Vasile aveva preparato per noi un timballo di anellini siciliani per la cena e condiviso la caponata e un paté di pomodori secchi con tonno (conservati in accurati vasetti di vetro nel frigorifero) e il limoncello. La casa, estremamente pulita e pronta a ricreare atmosfere degne di set fotografici, ha accolto agiatamente cinque persone e noi abbiamo trascorso 12 meravigliosi giorni (dall’11 al 23 agosto), svolgendo i numerosi itinerari segnalati con precisione dal sig. Marco: San Vito Lo Capo, Erice, Favignana, le saline di Trapani. Particolare menzione va riservata alla giornata trascorsa alla Tonnara di Scopello, omaggio della famiglia Vasile, che ha impresso nei nostri occhi (e negli scatti fotografici delle mie figlie che hanno totalizzato innumerevoli “like”) i ricordi indelebili di un mare splendido e un paesaggio naturalistico spettacolare. L’apprezzamento mio e della mia famiglia per la casa e per l’ospitalità con cui siamo stati accolti dai signori Vasile è totale, e restituisce per le continue attenzioni (all’inizio della seconda settimana è arrivato un vassoio pieno di panzerotti fatti in casa dalla signora) e per la tempestività usata per risolvere un problema legato alla temporanea mancanza di acqua, l’idea di una grande serietà e professionalità nel fare turismo, dove ogni cosa è pianificata e pensata per far stare bene gli ospiti in vacanza. La consigliamo a tutti per una vacanza particolare e noi ci auguriamo di poterci ritornare già il prossimo anno.

Our family of four stayed here for 6 nights in February and really enjoyed it. What made our stay special was the warm welcome from Marco who is a kind, helpful and very knowledgeable host. There were special touches from his mother Marianna who had made us cake, pasta al forno and caponata. There was also Marco's father's limoncello, family olive oil, wine, loads of fruit, bread, biscuits and all the basics you need. Marco and Marianna also very kindly bought me some delicious chocolates for my birthday. The house is very well equipped and comfortable and was spotlessly clean on arrival. It was in a perfect position for us, on the edge of town within walking distance to everything we needed. The views from the balconies are stunning - perfect places to sit and watch the world go by. It is a good base for exploring the area. We went to the Tonnara De Scopello, Zingaro nature reserve, Trapani salt pans, Monreale and the thermal pool at Segeste, all of which we'd recommend. We had a great holiday and were all sad to leave. Thank you Marco and Marianna for being a perfect host and hostess.

Ho soggiornato con la mia famiglia dieci giorni nel mese di Agosto. La casa e’ molto bella con una visuale sul porto e un particolare non da poco...con la possibilità di parcheggiare davanti casa...in ogni momento della giornata! I proprietari della casa molto accoglienti e “sorprendenti” nel vero senso della parola...ci torneremo 😍

Nous avons réservé ce logement pour une semaine en juillet, nous étions 2 couples. La localisation est juste parfaite : près du château normand, avec place de parking dans la cour, au coeur du quartier vivant de Castellammare del Golfo (restaurants, commerces à proximité), vue magnifique sur le petit port de pêche ... A notre arrivée, Marco nous a accueilli comme des rois. Sa gentillesse et ses multiples attentions nous ont tout de suite fait ressentir que nous étions les bienvenus dans sa maison, comme s'il recevait des amis de la famille : les frigos étaient pleins (fruits, boissons ...), son adorable maman nous avait préparé un délicieux plat de pâtes ainsi que d'autres spécialités locales. Nous avons longuement discuté à notre arrivée et Marco nous a donné de très bons conseils sur les lieux à visiter, les restaurants ... Dans la maison, il y a beaucoup plus que ce que l'on s'attend à trouver sur un lieu de vacances : des serviettes de toilettes, aux savons en passant par le bouquet de fleurs, le parasol, les chaises longues, des courses de première nécessité (pack d'eau, boissons, oeufs, sucre, café ...). Rien à dire sur la propreté et la disposition des pièces (une pièce principale à l'étage du milieu et 2 chambres avec salle de bain aux étages supérieur et inférieur). Nous avons apprécié les terrasses et la climatisation (indispensable les mois d'été !) Castellammare est parfaitement situé pour visiter la partie Ouest de la Sicile car proche des grands axes. Nous avons beaucoup bougé la journée mais étions ravis de nous retrouver dans un lieu agréable le soir. Cela a contribué à rendre ce séjour inoubliable ! Grazie ancora a Marco e alla sua mamma per il meraviglioso accoglio. Speriamo du ritornare un giorno a Castellammare ! PS : le cassatelle erano buonissime !

It was the first time we went to Sicily and not having been there before, it was hard to chose where to stay and what to see. "Il mare dentro" had wonderful reviews so I opted for it. Indeed it was a fantastic apartment, right in the oldest part of town. The living room and the two bedrooms overlooked the harbour and made every day and especially every morning a nice and cozy moment. Drinking our first espresso while looking at the activities in the harbour was very pleasant. The balcony in one of the bedrooms was very spacious and it had a table. It was very pleasant to eat dinner there a few nights. Overall the apartment was spacious, very nicely furnished and smartly structured. The host made all the efforts necessary to make our stay as comfortable as possible. We were impressed by the generosity at our arrival: we found wonderful food waiting for us! The communication was at all times very pleasant and interesting (Marco is a highly cultivated man!). When travelling it can be hard to feel at home but in this case we felt immediately very welcomed and pampered. I highly recommend “Il Mare Dentro”.

Casa bella, accogliente e in posizione da cartolina con vista porto. Su 3 piani, pulita e fresca. Proprietari gentilissimi, generosi e ospitali, non ci hanno fatto mancare niente, info e accoglienza compresi. Beautiful apartment, on 3 floors, clean, fresh and cozy home. Mr. Marco and Family are kind, generous and helpful for any possible need. We suggest this beautiful experience !

My husband and I love to travel and usually don’t revisit places because we feel there are so many more places we still need to explore. But we couldn’t help returning to Il Mare Dentro. In fact we have stayed at this wonderful abode 3 years in a row now! And have enjoyed our time there so much we are returning again later this year. As we enter the property through narrow cobbled streets and over a tiny very narrow bridge into the Arab-Norman Castle courtyard, we marvel at how lucky we are to be able to stay in a situation such as this. As others have said, the owner’s description portrays the property well. Be assured the house is spotlessly clean and the pride of the family that own it. Although to date just my husband and I have stayed, there is plenty of room for 4 people with a bathroom upstairs and another downstairs adjacent to the lower bedroom. We enjoy eating our meals on the balcony overlooking the harbour entertained by all the activities of the local community, a authentic taste of Sicilian life. Every morning when the fishing boats return we witness the locals buying their seafood directly from the fishermen. My husband managed to purchase some excellent super fresh seafood for our dinners as well regardless of his very limited Italian. The locals were very understanding and coped with the sign language, ever so helpful. It is just a short walk to nearby markets to buy fresh fruit and vegetable, a local shop where they make various types of fresh pasta on site (sold by weight, unbelievable cheap and delicious) and a local butcher who will make up the very best pork and fennel sausages while you wait - if they don’t already have them hanging over the counter. Il Mare Dentro is a perfect location to base yourselves to visit the surrounding area....the ancient Greek Temple Segesta, the wonderful hilltop town of Erice , Scopello and swimming at the beautiful Tonnara di Scopello to name but a few. These are just some of the things that draw us back to this property and its amazing location. But more than that, it is the hospitality of the family that own this property. We just can’t say a big enough thank you to them for making our stays at Il Mare Dentro so memorable and straight forward. Marco has always made every effort to ensure all our needs are met even helping us through the process of paying a parking fine when we unfortunately misunderstood the signs on our first visit. Nothing is too much trouble for him. And his Mama leaves us a wonderful meal to start off our stay plus plenty of yummy food supplies so we can settle in after our long flight. Some of the produce is from their own garden and kitchen making it all the more special. The Caponata was divine!!! It was wonderful to meet Marco’s Mama who also came to greet us last year. When we arrive at Il Mare Dentro it feels like we are returning home! We are counting down the months till we return. Last year we had to hurry home for a family emergency hence the delay submitting this review. An invaluable hint – opt for a small rental car no matter where you wish to travel in Sicily!