Staff WriterPicciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa has swung open its doors for the winter season, and if you’ve ever wanted to see Mount Etna in a mood you won’t find on a postcard, now’s your chance. At this time of year, the mountain isn’t just smouldering away like an old Italian uncle — it’s dressed in snow while the fairways below stay defiantly green. Only Sicily could pull off a contrast that theatrical.
This winter, guests can carve their way down the slopes at Piano Provenzana — a mere half-hour from the resort — before swapping ski boots for spikes on Sicily’s first championship 18-hole course. If that feels a bit energetic, there are guided excursions and snowshoe trails that let you wander Etna’s lunar terrain at a saner pace.
After years of seasonal hibernation, the resort is now running year-round, fresh from an extensive renovation and its launch under the Curio Collection by Hilton. The winter rhythm is quieter, calmer, and perfect for those who prefer their luxury served without the summertime bustle. Meanwhile, Taormina’s festive season offers all the culture, lights and chaos you might crave before you retreat back to volcanic serenity.
Special winter packages are already live on the resort website, including a 15% discount on winter stays. Guests can unwind in the refurbished spa, drift in the heated indoor pool, or tuck into seasonal menus built around local produce. And when the clouds clear, the views across snow-dusted Etna are the sort that make you put your phone down and actually look.
The resort is also rolling out a New Year’s Eve celebration from €315 per person, complete with a gala dinner, live music, spa access and a firework display over the volcano that should give Etna a run for its money. Direct bookings, naturally, are open.
For golfers, a dedicated winter package bundles three nights’ accommodation, breakfast, dinner, spa access and one green fee on the championship course. Rates start at €131 per person per night for a seven-night stay on a bed-and-breakfast basis, or €167 for half-board. For anyone who’s ever wanted to tee off in the shadow of a volcano, this is the moment.
Reopened in May after a full renovation, Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa now offers 100 rooms and suites within its historic manor house, many overlooking vineyards, ancient woodland and Etna herself — a view that never gets old, unless you do. Dining comes courtesy of Il Palmento for laid-back lunches and La Ghiandaia for evenings steeped in Sicilian flavour.
Owners Mario Paoluzi and Andrea and Francesco Scrofani put it plainly: “Welcoming guests again in winter marks an important new stage for us. Etna in this season is powerful and peaceful at the same time. To ski with a sea view, to walk across volcanic snow, then return to play golf or enjoy the spa, is an experience that feels truly Sicilian and very special. We are delighted to offer our guests a new way to enjoy the mountain.”
Beyond the resort, visitors can dip into Etna’s wineries, medieval hill towns and film locations immortalised by The Godfather and White Lotus. And as part of the Hilton family, Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa participates in Hilton Honors, giving members access to perks including discounted rates and Digital Key access.
In short: come for the snow. Stay for the golf. Leave wondering why you ever settled for ordinary winter breaks.
