N’orma

  • Location: Countryside
    Coast with its long beaches and small coves: 45km (45 mins drive)
    Baroque city of Ragusa: 25km (30 mins drive)
    Restaurants: 6km
  • Comiso Airport (CIY): 15km (20 mins drive)
    Catania Airport (CTA): 85km (1h 15 mins drive)
    Airport transfer available on request
    Car recommended
    Free parking

Perfect location ot visit the Baroque city Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Syracuse and the beautiful coast.
Follow the slow pace of the countryside and just relax. N’orma is incredibly peaceful.
This is a food-lover’s paradise with many exceptional restaurants and wineries nearby.
In season you are welcome to take part in the grape harvest and olive picking.

Such a peaceful place by definition is a bit more remote. You need a car to move around.

Contact the owner directly for the best rates
Remaining characters: 382

No booking fees & best prices

Found your stay cheaper elsewhere? Contact us and we’ll always try to match the price. Guaranteed.

Do you need help?

Call us on +49 163 737 2509, M–F 9am–9pm GMT.

An introduction to N’orma

How would you describe N’orma in a nutshell?

N’orma is a small hotel in the countryside of Ragusa in southern Sicily. It is a rural farm, a baglio, a masseria, a typical Sicilian building with a square courtyard in the center and rooms that open up around it. People come here to stay, to share the space and the landscape. Without hurry.

What was your inspiration to renovate the house and open a small hotel?

Maurizio, my husband is Sicilian. From Catania. I was born in a small Ligurian village overlooking the sea where we now spend the winter months. We met in Milan where we both worked. Maurizio as a journalist for a leading Italian newspaper, and I as an interior designer. We were looking for a house in the country. Just for us.

This area fascinated us so we got married there. We choose Chiaramonte Gulfi because it is far away from the classic touristic destinations and here the landscape is of an extraordinary beauty. When we saw the house for the first time, abandoned and in poor condition, we immediately thought it was the right one for us.

How would you describe the atmosphere at N’orma?

I hope its charm lies in its essential frugality and authenticity, with no definite boundary between our home and the guests’ residence. Its charm is nothing but the legacy of the necessary, sparingly used by previous owners. We tried to establish a connection between the character of the old dwelling and contemporary living, preferring at times the first one and at other times the second.

There is no folklore at N’orma. The respect for the memory of a world that no longer exists is evident, but the house is well rooted in the present. The ceiling of reeds and walls blackened by a fire lit again and again are still there to witness the past and are now the backdrop for new experiences.

For what type of guests is N’orma ideal? And for whom is it not?

It’s the ideal place for those who see their holiday as an ideal opportunity for meeting. First with themselves and with their time, and then with us. Here they can follow the slow pace of the countryside. No worries. Away from the noise. To rest. For this reason we decided to create only two rooms, for 4 people. It’s the right number for us to pamper and care for. We prefer adults only, but in the case we get a family with children, we recommend they occupy both the rooms.

How far away are the nearest restaurants?

Forget your diet! The typical cuisine of Chiaramonte Gulfi is made from pork, beans and vegetable stuffed buns. The best place to taste this type of food is in the small village center, in an old trattoria called Majore. Here food has remained unchanged for decades. Alternatively you can sit at one of the tables inside the winery Gulfi, a few hundred meters from N’orma.

The most demanding palates can sample Ciccio Sultano’s 2 Michelin-starred cuisine. His dishes are a synthesis of Sicilian culture and cuisine, full of contrasts, contradictions and exotic influences.

But in this area food and wine are in full swing and there are many other restaurants to discover. Fruits and vegetables, olive oil, meat and cheese here are so extraordinary…

To you personally, what’s the biggest reward about opening N’orma?

This beautiful adventure called N’orma allows us to get to know other people. And with them other worlds, other cultures. N’orma is an open window onto the world. In this way at the end of each season we feel ‘richer’.

Each new arrival keeps us in suspense. Until now our guests were happy and my husband and I with them. British guests, leaving N’orma, confessed to us ’We came as guests and we’re going away as friends’. Well, I would say that this is the best reward.

Please tell us about the food.

Forget your diet! The typical cuisine of Chiaramonte Gulfi is made from pork, beans and vegetable stuffed buns. The best place to taste this type of food is in the small village center, in an old trattoria called Majore. Here food has remained unchanged for decades. Alternatively you can sit at one of the tables inside the winery Gulfi, a few hundred meters from N’orma.

The most demanding palates can sample Ciccio Sultano’s 2 Michelin-starred cuisine. His dishes are a synthesis of Sicilian culture and cuisine, full of contrasts, contradictions and exotic influences.

But in this area food and wine are in full swing and there are many other restaurants to discover. Fruits and vegetables, olive oil, meat and cheese here are so extraordinary…

N’orma outside terrace
Pool at N’orma
Rooms 15 + 25 terraces
Pool area
The pool
Kitchen
Breakfast and kitchen
Breakfast
Room 15
Room 15
Bath room 15
Shower room 25
Southern Sicily
The pool
Views
Views
Beach in the south of Sicily

N’orma rooms & rates

The two rooms overlook the pool and the olive trees and are designed as a natural extension of open space. They were once spaces for animals and crops and this memory has been retained: the manger is now the basin of one of the bathrooms and the wall with large feed holes is now the container of a fireplace that warms on cooler evenings.

Both rooms have a double bed, bath and a separate toilet, linen sheets and bath towels and cashmere blankets, facial and body cleansers, as well as WiFi. One room is wheelchair-accessible.

At N’orma you can spend the day at a slow pace: you can relax in the sun, enjoy bicycle trips, swim in the pool, walk through the fields or play boule. But you can also take a Sicilian cooking class, or read one of the many books from our library or listen to music. And in the evening you can watch a movie under the stars.

  • Room 15 for 2 people / 40 m²
    295 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • 1 Shower room (ensuite)
    • 1 Baby cot (on req.)
    • Terrace
    • Air conditioning

    Room 15 used to be an old stable and features a king-size bed, an open shower, separate toilet and a beautiful terrace. The tuff flooring and the white walls show off the modern handmade Caltagirone tiles which embellish the bathtub and the walls.

  • Room 25 for 2 people / 38 m²
    295 / night
    • 1 Double bedroom
    • 1 Bathroom (ensuite)
    • 1 Shower room (ensuite)
    • 1 Baby cot (on req.)
    • Terrace
    • Fireplace
    • Air conditioning

    Room 25 used to hold grain at the farm and features a king-size bed, an open shower, separate toilet, a beautiful terrace and a fireplace. The amber colour of the walls and floor is in tune with the original rustic furniture and with pieces of contemporary design.

Included in the rates
Rates include a delicious breakfast, complimentary WiFi, hairdryer, linen sheets and bath towels and cashmere blankets, face and body cleansers and pool towels.
Optional extras
Light snacks, lunch and dinner are available on request. Dishes change every day depending on the season and meals are traditional Sicilian dishes with a modern touch. Personal shopper (you will be taken to the best shops and discover handicrafts and food specialties), personal trainer, water aerobics, bicycles, cooking classes on request.
Children & Extra beds
Children are welcome if both rooms are rented. Cots are available but no extra beds.
Minimum stay
3 nights
Check in time
after 15:00
Check out time
before 12:00
Closed December 1 to March 31

Facilities & services

  • Children welcome
  • Swimming pool
  • WiFi
  • Air conditioning
  • Terrace
  • Concierge service
  • Babysitting on request
  • Fireplace
  • Garden
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Music system
  • Business / Remote work facilities
  • Movies/DVDs
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycles
  • Hair dryer

We can arrange tours and excursions, or book a personal shopper who goes to food markets and shops. Guests can visit the wineries of the Wine Road and participate in the olive and grape harvest. Our area provides many possibilities. We offer them according to the tastes of our guests.

During the day one can have a snack for lunch or take a picnic basket, an aperitif beside the swimming pool and then dinner. This offers a choice of dishes, simple but prepared with great care, which change every day and combine Sicilian tradition with modernity.

Things to do in Sicily & Chiaramonte Gulfi

  • Art / Culture
  • Wine tastings
  • Cooking classes
  • Wildlife / Animals
  • Yoga classes
  • Hiking
  • Cycling

Guests who prefer an artistic holiday can discover playful architecture and outrageous monuments of the Sicilian Baroque with its amazing churches, palaces and gates adorned with friezes and laces.

Besides the Baroque cities of Modica and Scicli, I always recommend to go to Ragusa and walk down Corso Italia. At the end of this long road, Ibla suddenly appears. It’s the oldest part of the city with narrow winding cobbled streets, small squares of incomparable beauty, and churches and bell towers that rise almost suddenly between the roofs. Ibla is a vision that moves me every time.

N’orma reviews

5 of 5 stars
Verfied Welcome Beyond stay
Thank you for a lovely holiday .
The rooms , service and the place is amazing .
We enjoyed every minute .

We would love to come back
Elisabeth �.
stayed at N’orma
5 of 5 stars
Verfied Welcome Beyond stay
Having chosen N'orma for our honeymoon was the best choice!
We did a round trip in Sicily and the best place where we stayed was here!
Two room boutique hotel, outstanding place, amazing hosts, Sicilian beautiful countryside, the best breakfast I have tried so far... they make your stay such an special one.
We are definitely coming back!!
Adriana and Pablo
Adriana A.
stayed at N’orma in October 2022
5 of 5 stars
Verfied Welcome Beyond stay
Truly a special stay. Maurizio and Andreina have created a true paradise and every detail was perfect. The location, the interiors, the nature, the hospitality, the abundant breakfast. We only wish we had stayed for longer!
Kiran T.
stayed at N’orma in June 2022

The location of N’orma

N’orma is located in the Chiaramonte Gulfi countryside, 14km north of Ragusa. In my opinion, this is the most charming and certainly the most characteristic region of all of Sicily.

We’re located in a mountainous area which is rich in pastures and cereal crops. It’s a very fertile land full of citrus trees and olive groves, vineyards, conifers and eucalyptus. And on the horizon, the sea…

It takes about 45 mins to get to the sea. The best way is to go towards Comiso and continue to Santa Croce di Camerina. Stretching west for many kilometers, the coast is dotted with long beaches and small coves. You’ll be spoiled for choice where to spend your day and dive into the blue of the Mediterranean Sea.

When is the best time to visit Sicily?

Of course, every season has its own beauty. Flocks of birds make a stop here to continue to the north or south on their migration. It’s the sign for the change of seasons. Spring and autumn, for opposite reasons, represent the triumph of nature. Bright green grass, flowers in the meadows and on the side of the roads, deep blue sky and clouds circling fast characterize the spring scents. The warm colors, from yellow to red and brown, the ripe fruit of the olive trees and grapes identify the harvest season. At that time wineries and olive mills are full of new life. In summer, the light becomes blinding and the heat of the day lessens gives way to pleasant evenings. But even winter has its merits.