ROCKROSE RETREAT
a 5-night springtime retreat on the island of Pantelleria
5-10 MAY, 2025
PANTELLERIA, SICILY — ITALY
The windswept island of Pantelleria is ruled by its extreme elements. My newest ROCKROSE retreat embraces both faces of this unique place with food/wine explorations featuring the best local ingredients and a bit of introspection in wondrous natural spaces.
rockrose [cisto/cistus creticus] is a medicinal plant that has been used therapeutically since ancient times on the rocky coasts of the Mediterranean. It’s been used to treat stress/anxiety; to aid in calming and relaxation, and it was used on Mount Olympus to heal Greek warriors. Rockrose is a “fire-follower” with seeds that can remain dormant for many years then stimulated to sprout by wildfires. Their pink/purple and white flowers speckle the black volcanic landscape of Pantelleria in springtime.
REGISTRATION: BOOK BY DECEMBER 15
Solo Traveller (private bedroom x1 and private bathroom) €2,450
Double Occupancy (private bedroom x2 and private bathroom) €1,945 per person
Local transportation, accommodations, all meals/bevs and activities are included during the retreat. Flights to Pantelleria are not included.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
communal family meals
lazy lunches with island friends
in the fields with our favorite local plant expert
hiking in the national park with a guide
deep dive into wine, capers, and honey
distillation workshop + olfactory experience
island accommodations
ACCOMMODATIONS | Le Case del Principe Pantelleria
Le Case del Principe is a group of dammusi houses, tucked away on a private area of the northwest coast. These houses were built in the 1970's by Prince Paolo Sallier de La Tour and his wife Costanza Tasca d’Almerita.
Our carefully selected location is one of the very few places on the entire island where you’ll have direct access down to the sea. Guests will be hosted in shared dammusi houses. There are three large dammusi available and each house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious terrace overlooking the sea, indoor dining room, and outdoor patio with table/chairs/loungers. Each bedroom is set up with bed linens, bath towels and extra blankets.
ABOUT | The Cheeky Chef
Linda Sarris is a food/wine travel consultant and private chef based in Palermo, Sicily. From her sun-lit kitchen studio above the 1,000 year-old Ballarò food market, Linda works as a freelance writer, social media manager, and culinary communications consultant while still traveling regularly for private chef work with clients in the fashion and music industries. Under her brand, The Cheeky Chef, she is self-publishing a Sicilian food/wine ‘zine and designs a series of Mediterranean culinary/lifestyle retreats and travel experiences. Her travel guidebooks, Moon Southern Italy (2022) and Moon Sicily (2024) have been published with Hachette Book Group.