Reignite our Fuse
A small-group retreat for curious travelers who want to live western Sicily from the inside — and, if they're ready, learn exactly how to buy a piece of it.
How this started
Instead, I ended up standing in the middle of an empty stone house in Salemi — a hilltop town in western Sicily most tourists have never heard of — doing the math in my head and thinking: I could actually do this.
I'm a travel consultant now based in Salemi, Sicily, living a hybrid life between the U.S. and Italy. I've traveled through Europe and Brazil, but Italy is my soul place — the language, the rhythm, the food that tastes like the food you thought only existed in your grandmother's memory. A few years ago I found Salemi: a hilltop town in western Sicily not on anyone's radar — and bought a house there. I'm renovating it firsthand, navigating the local process and building relationships with the people who know how things actually work.
I created this retreat because I kept getting the same messages: How did you do it? Can I come see it? So here's my answer — come for a week. Stay at a private villa near the Gulf of Castellammare. Eat, swim, explore. Visit my house in Salemi and learn exactly what went into buying it. And if you've ever had a quiet thought about owning property in Europe — not someday, but actually — I'll walk you through the real numbers.
This retreat is for people who want to feel a place, not just see it.
This retreat is for you if
Live Sicily
A week of boat tours on the Zingaro coastline, mornings in the Belice Valley, cooking in the villa kitchen with local ingredients, watching the sun drop behind the Stagnone salt pans, and wandering through Palermo's Ballarò market before it gets loud. None of it is staged. None of it is curated for Instagram. Western Sicily has a depth that takes more than a few days to feel — this retreat gives you a full week to actually settle in.
Buy Sicily — if you want to
On Day 4 you'll walk into my house in Salemi mid-renovation. You'll see what a real project looks like — exposed stone walls, a staircase stripped to its bones, the quiet that only exists in hill towns at midday. Then we sit down for a one-hour workshop I call "The Real Numbers" — closing costs, notary fees, agent commissions, comune incentive programs (yes, towns still offering houses for €1, and yes, real conditions attached), and everything I would do differently if I were starting over. Afterward, the afternoon is free to schedule house visits if you want to keep exploring. Some guests come with no intention of buying. That's completely fine. But if you've been circling this idea for years, this is where the wondering stops.
The Itinerary
You arrive, you exhale, you meet the group over aperitivo and a welcome dinner at the villa.
A private boat tour along the Zingaro nature reserve and a stop in Scopello — one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Sicily, full stop.
A morning visit to a working farm in the Belice Valley, a free afternoon, and a cooking class at the villa that night using what we found.
The heart of the retreat: walk the town, step inside the house being renovated, and spend one hour in The Real Numbers workshop. The rest of the day is yours to schedule house visits if you want them.
A slower morning with an optional yoga session, then the day opens up: a guided walking tour of Castellammare del Golfo, a beach day on the coast, or simply pool, book, terrace, nap. You choose the pace.
Donnafugata winery in Marsala, the Stagnone salt pans in late afternoon light, and a sunset dinner that earns its name.
Morning at the Ballarò market, then your choice: personal shopping with a local stylist through Palermo's best vintage spots, or a free afternoon on your own terms. We return to Castellammare for our farewell dinner.
Full itinerary available upon inquiry.
Signature Sessions
Day 4
You walk through the door of a house that's somewhere between what it was and what it's becoming. This isn't a showroom — it's a work in progress, and that's exactly the point. After the workshop, the afternoon is open for you to schedule visits to other houses if you want to keep looking.
The context is the lesson.
Day 4 · 1 Hour
A one-hour session covering what most people can't find online: the actual cost of buying property in Sicily start to finish. Notary fees (mandatory, non-negotiable), agent commissions from both sides, closing costs, the comune incentive programs and their real written conditions, the difference between a ruin and a renovation project, and what I wish I'd known before I signed.
This session turns research into a decision.
The Villa
The villa sits just inland from the Gulf of Castellammare — private, quiet, and genuinely beautiful in a way that feels earned rather than designed. A pool, a terrace that catches the late-afternoon light, and a kitchen big enough to actually cook in. Most meals happen outside: breakfast as the morning cools down, dinners that stretch past dark.
Your Host
A travel consultant now based in Salemi, Sicily, living a hybrid life between the U.S. and Italy. She speaks English and Portuguese fluently, understands conversational Spanish, and is studying Italian — enough to get into real conversations wherever she goes. She's traveled widely through Europe and Brazil, but Italy is her soul place — and western Sicily, in particular, is where she decided to put down roots. She bought a stone house in Salemi and has been renovating it firsthand, navigating the local process and building relationships with the people who know how things actually work.
Included
Not Included
Investment
Dates
June 6–12
2027
Group
5–7
Guests only
Duration
7 / 6
Days / nights
Investment
$3,500
Early-bird single occupancy
$3,800
Regular single occupancy
$3,300
Double occupancy
$800 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot. The remaining balance is due 60 days before the retreat begins.
Payment plans available through WeTravel — choose the deposit now or split the full balance into installments.
Prices increase in October — the $3,500 early-bird rate is only available before then.
Spots are limited intentionally — this is a small group experience, not a tour. I review every reservation personally and follow up quickly to make sure this is the right fit.
Spots are limited intentionally — this is a small group experience, not a tour.
FAQ
Not at all. Many guests come purely for the travel experience — the coast, the food, the farms, Palermo. The Salemi day and the property workshop are part of the itinerary regardless, and they're genuinely interesting even if buying a house in Sicily isn't on your radar.
Both. The small group means solo travelers actually get to know people, and the free time built into the week means you're never locked into someone else's pace. Couples are equally welcome — just mention it when you apply.
The villa has a limited number of private rooms as well as shared arrangements. Private room availability is allocated at booking — first come, first served. All guests share the common spaces: terrace, kitchen, pool.
Nothing extreme. The Zingaro boat tour involves some walking on uneven terrain if you go ashore, and the Salemi day includes walking a hill town. Comfortable shoes are the main requirement. The pace is relaxed by design.
Yes, and it's encouraged. Palermo is 45 minutes from Castellammare and worth at least a day or two on its own. Mention it when you apply and I'll put recommendations together for you.
Click Reserve Your Spot and send a brief note. I'll follow up within a few days for a quick call — not to sell you on anything, but to make sure this is the right fit for both of us. Once confirmed, a $800 non-refundable deposit reserves your place, with the remaining balance due 60 days before the retreat. Payment plans are available through WeTravel and will be linked shortly.
The Invitation
June 6–12, 2027. Reserve your spot with a $800 deposit. The remaining balance is due 60 days before the retreat.
Payment plans available through WeTravel — link coming soon.
Reserve Your Spot — $800 Deposit