Property Description

Casa Candeloro: Apartment Céline – Sea-view Holiday Home in Sicily’s “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian”,  Stunning Cefalù

Of all Sicily’s charming towns and villages, Cefalù, at the heart of the island’s north coast, might be the hottest in 2023. Fresh from providing the backdrop to glamorous Hollywood productions, from the latest Indiana Jones blockbuster to the Emmy-winning HBO drama White Lotus, the perennially popular beach resort is poised to make the leap to the next level of prestige and popularity.

Yet despite this attention, the town retains a clear identity and a distinctive local character. The life blood of this close-knit seaside community is still its fishing industry, whether it’s the residents of the old town dragging their hand-finished nets down to the cove at dawn, or Gordon Ramsay hunting for octopus on camera. The unique skyline, fabulous beach and storied history may attract more visitors and more production crews, but at the heart of this town, the old traditional ways still prevail.

One of the most historically significant areas of the town is the old Jewish quarter, tucked behind the walls of the beautiful cathedral, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site some years ago. Here, just one street from the water’s edge as the sea laps the dramatic remains of the settlement’s megalithic sea defences, stands Casa Candeloro, a small kernel of Cefalù’s history.

On the top floor, with an uninterrupted sea view from the bedroom and terrace running along the south wall, is Apartment Céline, a freshly renovated, one bedroom property in an unbeatable location. Between the historic cathedral and the Mediterranean, overlooking a gorgeous walled garden belonging to the diocese and a stone’s throw from Cefalù’s most sought-after restaurants and bars, its contemporary design perfectly compliments a truly timeless location.

For an investor who is looking for a no-strings, hassle-free way to purchase a sea view holiday home in Sicily, the immaculate Apartment Céline will bring a handsome return.

The Property

Stepping from the small shared landing into Apartment Céline, you pass down a short entrance hall into a kitchen-living room lit from both sides, thanks to French doors onto the balcony and an internal window which lets in the light and sea view visible through the bedroom. This carries sunshine throughout the whole space, without compromising the division of the daytime and sleeping areas.

The bedroom is a modest but comfortable size, with room for a double bed and storage. A round archway is partially preserved in the easterly wall, breaking up the neat lines of the white plastering. Underfoot, as through the entire apartment, the floor is an immaculate, freshly laid parquet.

In the living room, the eye is immediately drawn to the balcony that overlooks the very centre of the old town. With the cathedral, Cefalù’s signature rocky outcrop and the green hillside at its foot all in clear view, the view is an explosion of warm Mediterranean colours under a blue sky that is completely cloudless far more often than not.

Apartment Céline’s renovation was realised to the very highest standards, and improvements made include thermal cladding, a relaid roof, double glazing and a double ceiling. The new property is infinitely more modern and energy efficient than its previous iteration, but retains the essential character of the old palazzo building.

It is not currently fitted with either radiators or air conditioners, but the necessary connectors are in place to install either or both, and the insulation means that you can be confident of a carefully chosen temperature, whatever the season. All of the utilities are freshly added, both for water and electricity, meaning that you can furnish and move into Apartment Céline in no time at all, and with total confidence in your purchase. This beautiful sea-view holiday home in Sicily is ready and waiting for you.

The terrace is finished by hand-made tiles produced by the renowned ceramicists of Cotto Meli, an independent producer from the town of Collesano, just a few kilometres up into the hills of the Madonie Natural Park.

Surroundings

Apartment Céline is right at the heart of the old town of Cefalù, with places to eat, drink and buy groceries right outside your door. The cobbled streets lead past clothing boutiques, pharmacies, museums and a small library. The town hall, right around the corner, hosts art installations and there are regular performances in the main square in summer and during festivals.

There are strict limits on vehicle access to this part of the town, but owning property like Apartment Céline does entitle you to a car permit. The nearest parking is only 80m away.

A perennially popular tourist destination, the town of around 10,000 residents attracts visitors from around the world with its rich history, monumental architecture, and idyllic beaches. The maze of winding medieval streets that forms the historic centre leads straight to the lengthy beach, an unspoilt two kilometres of golden sand.

Cefalù’s coastal position means that a fresh sea breeze takes the edge off the hot Mediterranean climate, with long, warm summers and short, mild winters. These same offshore winds make the stretch of coastline to either side of the little town popular with lovers of all manner of water sports. The crystal-clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea offer ample opportunities for scuba diving and snorkelling.

Cefalù is also surrounded by stunning natural scenery, including the Madonie Mountains, which rise up to an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. The mountains are home to a variety of flora and fauna, including rare species such as the red kite, peregrine falcon and the indigenous Madonie pine tree.

In addition to its natural beauty, Cefalù is also a hub for culture and entertainment, with a lively night life and a range of cultural events throughout the year. It hosts a film festival, another for street performance, and its beautiful theatre stages concerts and recitals by all manner of talented local and international artists.

Just an hour along the coast, Palermo is Italy’s fifth largest city and comfortably Sicily’s most important. You can fly in just a couple of hours to all of Europe’s major travel hubs from the conveniently located Falcone-Borsellino International airport.

Potential

If you’re looking to invest in Sicily’s buoyant tourist industry, Apartment Céline is a fantastic place to start. Well-presented one bedroom properties in Cefalù are easily capable of generating an annual income of up to €20,000, if sensibly marketed and well run.

We would like to offer the help of our sister company Solemar Sicilia, longtime specialists in the vacation rental industry, to help you generate the return your investment in Sicily deserves. Their extensive experience matching discerning travellers to high class accommodation makes them the perfect partners if you would like to see your purchase work for you in the times when life forces you to be elsewhere.

Of course, if you are planning a full-time relocation to the island, you may have different priorities. Our popular Welcome to Italy package provides support with all the practicalities of relocation, from registering with the municipality to getting your telephone connected. If your Italian is a little rusty, we can even offer discounts at the excellent Solemar Academy, a language school accredited by Italy’s foremost association of Italian teachers, ASILS.

As an extra incentive, our first-hand involvement in the restoration of Apartment Céline means that we are able to offer our services in the sale of the property entirely free of our usual charges to the purchaser. This means that a huge €15,000 is immediately knocked off the final cost to you.

If you would like to see a very similar property for comparison, take a look at the next-door Casa Candeloro: Apartment Odile.

We don’t think this beautiful sea-view holiday home in Sicily is going to stay on the market for very long at all, so pick up the phone or drop a line to our friendly international team today!

Drone Shot