Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa is the only hotel on Mount Etna with its own championship course: 18 holes laid out in 1989 on the volcano’s north slope, threaded between vineyards, oak woods and black lava stone, with the summit smoking above the fairways. After an €18 million renovation, it reopened in 2025 as part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, and the Sicilian owners have kept investing since. My one-line verdict: arguably the best base in Sicily for golfers who also love wine, as long as you come for the course and the countryside rather than for glamour or the sea.
This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Quick facts: Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa
- Location: SS120 km 200, in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, province of Catania.
- Rooms and suites: 100 rooms and suites in a historic manor house, with private villas beside the course being completed.
- Brand: Curio Collection by Hilton, so Hilton Honors points and benefits apply.
- Price level: upper mid-range for Sicily, well below the island’s top beach resorts. Golf and half board packages are common.
- Season: the 2026 season opened on 13 February after a short winter break for works. The resort stayed open through winter 2025, but ask the hotel about winter 2026 and 2027.
- Nearest airport: Catania Fontanarossa, about 65 km, roughly one hour by car.
- Best for: golfers, wine lovers and couples who want Etna’s north slope on the doorstep.
Check prices and availability
Spring and autumn are the prime golf seasons on Etna, and tournament weeks fill the house. Compare dates before you lock in flights.
Location and getting there
The resort sits on the SS120, the road that runs along Etna’s northern flank from Linguaglossa towards Randazzo. This is the heart of the Etna DOC wine country, and the drive in is lined with terraced vines, lava walls and old palmenti, the stone wine presses that dot the slope. The course lies at around 650 metres above sea level, in a natural amphitheatre facing the volcano. That altitude matters: summer evenings are noticeably fresher than on the coast, and winter mornings can be properly cold.
Catania Fontanarossa airport is about 65 km away, roughly an hour by car if traffic around Catania behaves. The hotel offers a paid airport shuttle, quoted from €140 one way, so a hire car is often better value, and you will want one anyway for wineries and the coast. Taormina is around 45 minutes away, and the medieval village of Castiglione di Sicilia sits on its rock a short drive from the gates. Car hire desks and private drivers are both available at the airport.
Rooms and suites
The hotel has 100 rooms and suites in a restored manor house, with traditional Sicilian architecture, stone and wood, and what Hilton describes as historically inspired décor. Many rooms look out over the course, the vineyards, the woods or the volcano itself. Standard features include air conditioning, a minibar, flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi, and some rooms are pet-friendly.
- Rooms: the core of the house, comfortable rather than lavish. Views vary a lot, so the outlook is the detail to pin down.
- Suites: more space and extra amenities. Hilton does not publish sizes or a full list of categories, so ask the hotel for floor plans before you pay the supplement.
- Private villas: a set of villas next to the course was still being completed in early 2026. Ask the hotel whether they are bookable on your dates.
Set your expectations correctly: this is a characterful golf hotel with a fresh renovation, not a design-led five-star. The real luxury is the view of Etna from the terrace.
Dining
The owners’ 2026 announcements describe three restaurants. Two are clearly named and described by the hotel; for the third, ask the hotel what is running when you visit.
- La Ghiandaia: the main restaurant in the hotel. It serves the breakfast buffet (07:00 to 11:00) and dinner, with an à la carte menu of Sicilian and Mediterranean cooking and a wine list that leans on local Etna labels.
- Il Palmento Osteria & Pizzeria: in the clubhouse, a two-minute walk from the hotel. It was refreshed for 2026 as the resort’s relaxed daytime restaurant, serving Sicilian dishes and pizzas, with outdoor tables in summer; ask the hotel whether it also opens for dinner on your dates. This is the natural stop after the 18th.
- Clubhouse bar: drinks and light bites overlooking the course.
An honest note on Michelin: none of the resort’s restaurants appears among the starred restaurants in the Michelin Guide 2026, and I could not find a named head chef. For a starred dinner, Shalai in nearby Linguaglossa holds one star in 2026, and Taormina has several starred tables. Book one evening out and enjoy simple Sicilian cooking with Nerello Mascalese at the resort on the others.
Check rates at Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa
Spa and pools
The Ætna Spa & Wellness was refurbished as part of the renovation. It is a compact hotel spa rather than a destination spa, but it is well judged for tired golfing legs.
- Heated pool with hydromassage: indoors in the spa, useful in the cooler months.
- Finnish sauna and Turkish bath: plus an aroma and chromotherapy shower and a herbal tea corner.
- Treatments: face and body treatments and massages, some using Sicilian citrus.
- Fitness area: a gym for those who need more than 18 holes of walking.
- Outdoor pools: the owners describe two outdoor pools, with cabanas you can reserve that include two loungers and a welcome glass of prosecco.
Outdoor pool opening is seasonal, and at 650 metres the water is most inviting from June to September. Book treatments in advance during tournament weeks.
Sport and activities
Golf on the lava
The Picciolo course is why you come. Designed by Luigi Rota Caremoli and opened in 1989, it is often described as the oldest championship course in Sicily: 18 holes, par 72, around 5,870 metres from the back tees. That is short on paper, but it does not play short. Fairways are narrow and tree-lined, there are real elevation changes, and dark lava stone from the 1916 eruption lines several holes, especially on the back nine. Accuracy beats length here, and the views of the crater keep distracting you.
The renovation redid all the bunkers and tee boxes, and the winter works before the 2026 season upgraded tee complexes, resurfaced buggy paths and thinned vegetation to improve light and sightlines. There is a driving range, chipping and bunker practice areas, a putting green, a pro shop, lessons and buggy hire. The course has hosted Ladies European Tour events in the past, and in 2026 it hosts the Turkish Airlines World Amateur Golf Cup on 31 May for the second year running, plus an international amateur open from 20 to 22 November. Check the calendar, because tournament days affect tee time availability.
That is why the resort appears in our guides to golf hotels in Sicily and the best golf resorts in Italy. For a hole-by-hole comparison with the courses at Verdura, read our guide to golf in Sicily at Verdura and Il Picciolo. Green fees and package rates change through the year, so ask the hotel or check the tee time booking page.
Wine on the north slope
The resort makes no wine of its own, but some of Etna’s best-known estates are a short drive along the SS120 towards Passopisciaro and Randazzo. Golf in the morning and a winery lunch in the afternoon is the ideal rhythm here, which is why the hotel features in our guide to wine hotels on Mount Etna. Book tastings ahead and use a driver; our Mount Etna wine tours guide explains how.
Tennis and everything else
Tennis players should note that the resort does not currently advertise tennis or padel courts, which is why it is not in our list of tennis hotels in Sicily. If you need a court, ask the hotel before booking. In winter, the ski area at Piano Provenzana is about 30 minutes away, and the hotel can point you to guided excursions and snowshoe trails on the volcano.
What’s nearby
- Castiglione di Sicilia: a hilltop village with a ruined castle and views across the Alcantara valley.
- The Alcantara gorges: basalt canyons carved by the river, a classic half-day outing.
- Etna summit craters: guided tours by jeep and on foot from the north or south side, weather permitting.
- Taormina: about 45 minutes away for the Greek Theatre, Corso Umberto and the sea.
Il Picciolo vs other Sicilian luxury hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa | Castiglione di Sicilia, north slope of Etna | 18-hole par 72 course on lava terrain, wineries nearby | Golf plus Etna wine |
| Verdura Resort | Sciacca, south-west coast | 45 holes, clay tennis courts, large spa, private coast | Serious golf and tennis weeks by the sea |
| Monaci delle Terre Nere | Zafferana Etnea, east slope of Etna | Own organic wines, farm estate, pool villas | Wine lovers and slow travel |
| Grand Hotel Timeo | Taormina, above the Bay of Naxos | Gardens beside the Greek Theatre, sea views, spa | Non-golfing partners, glamour |
In short: if golf is the main event, Verdura has more holes, more sport and the sea, but it is on the other side of the island. If wine matters more than golf, Monaci delle Terre Nere makes its own. Il Picciolo is the one place on Etna where you can do both from the same terrace.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Golfers who want a characterful, demanding course on site with tee times on the doorstep.
- Couples where one plays and the other tastes wine or hikes on the volcano.
- Hilton Honors members who want to earn and use points in rural Sicily.
- Travellers who prefer countryside and cooler evenings to beach crowds in July.
It does not suit:
- Beach lovers: the sea is a drive away, and there is no beach club.
- Tennis or padel players, as no courts are advertised.
- Food lovers who want a Michelin-starred restaurant in-house.
- Travellers expecting a polished five-star or a big destination spa.
Charlotte’s tip: play early, taste late
Book a morning tee time, when the air is clearest and the crater stands sharp above the fairways, then drive ten or fifteen minutes along the SS120 for a long winery lunch. Ask for a room facing Etna rather than the gardens: on a clear evening, the glow from the summit is worth more than any upgrade.
Practical tips
- Booking: book directly or through partners, but compare golf packages, which often bundle green fees with half board and spa access. Hilton Honors members get extra benefits when booking direct.
- Best rooms to request: rooms facing the volcano or the course. Ask whether the new villas are open if you travel as a group or family.
- Season: April to June and September to October are ideal for golf. July and August are hot by day but fresher than the coast. The 2026 season opened on 13 February; confirm winter dates with the hotel.
- Dress: golf attire on the course, smart casual for dinner, and a warm layer for evenings at altitude.
- Kids: families are welcome and the outdoor pools work for children in summer, but there is no published kids’ club. Ask the hotel about childcare.
- Name check: the resort trades as Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton, while older listings may still say Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa. They are the same hotel.
Check prices and availability
Compare room views and golf packages, and check whether your dates clash with a tournament on the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Il Picciolo open all year?
Not always. It stayed open in winter 2025, then closed briefly for works and reopened for the 2026 season on 13 February. Ask the hotel about winter dates.
How far is Il Picciolo from Catania airport?
About 65 km, roughly one hour by car. The hotel’s paid shuttle is quoted from €140 one way.
Can non-guests play the golf course?
Yes, the course takes visiting golfers and tee times can be booked online. Bring proof of handicap and ask about green fees when you book.
Does Il Picciolo have a Michelin-starred restaurant?
No. None of its restaurants is starred in the Michelin Guide 2026. Shalai in nearby Linguaglossa holds one star.
