Sicily / Live It!
A View with a Room

The view here follows you around like your shadow. It changes with the hours, the light, the seasons.You can't escape it. That's just fine because it's absolutely magnificent! Now add the perfect room to go with this view and you'll be "living it" at the Hotel Raya.

The Raya is located on Panarea. The most stylish of the Aeolian Islands, off the northeast coast of Sicily. It looks out over the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the volcanic island of Stromboli & other islets in the distance. The Raya is splendidly situated up in the hills for panoramic vistas all around. The higher up your room, the better the view (and the better your physical condition should be to make the trek). But whichever of the 30 rooms, the view is always there.

But it's not the only reason to book the Raya. Antonella, the all-round concierge, makes you feel right at home on this island where tourism has yet to tread too heavily. And the facility itself is as chic as it gets. Without overdoing the décor, it's stylishly done-up, keeping in tune with the simple island lifestyle of Panarea.

Whitewashed buildings with a stroke of Sicilian ochre color are part of a well thought out mediterranean ambience. Plenty of covered outdoor terraces to escape the sun. Blues & white. Brightly tiled bathrooms. Comfy beds. Raya bathrobes. Teak terrace loungers to put up your feet and enjoy the view.

The landscape is naturally extravagant. Following the maze of pathways up to your room, you'll be overwhelmed by colorful flowers clinging to old stone walls & overhead arbors. You'll pass herbs that grow into hedges. Lemon trees with fruit the size of baseballs. Erotic looking aloes among the many varieties of cactus.

Intimate carved spaces form the public areas down below. The bar/lounge & restaurant are lit up by oil lamps at night. This is a hot spot come summer. The Raya's nightlife is the best on any of the Aeolian Islands during high season, when their disco becomes the place to be. Spring and Fall are ideal if you prefer a less crowded island (and weather that's not as hot). But that's not to say Panarea is ever "crawling" with people.

Be sure to wander around the port and surrounding area (by foot is the best & safest). There's not much to it in size. Check out private villas as you pass them by. Peek into courtyards. Take a break at a café to enjoy a granite di limone, a drink of lemon ice. Visit the few local shops.

And don't worry...no matter where you roam, you've taken the view with you, with plenty left over when you get back to your room!