Venue Spotlight · Santa Venerina, Etna
Kepos Etna Relais & SpaA Boutique Wedding Venue on the Slopes of Etna, near Taormina
A 4-star boutique relais among citrus groves on the slopes of Mount Etna, with a panoramic poolside garden for your reception, views of the volcano and the sea, its own restaurant and 15 suites, so the whole place can be yours.
Plan your wedding at Kepos with usIndependent Venue Spotlight
An independent Venue Spotlight by Marry Me in Sicily. We're wedding planners, not the venue: we don't own, run or represent Kepos Etna Relais & Spa, and this isn't its official website. We're simply sharing a place we love and helping couples plan their day there.
Where
Santa Venerina, near Taormina
Setting
A boutique relais on the slopes of Etna
Stay
15 suites
Exclusive Use
The whole property
The essentials for planning your wedding
Kepos Etna Relais at a Glance
- Location
- Santa Venerina, in the province of Catania, on the slopes of Mount Etna and a few kilometres from Taormina
- Nearest airport
- Catania-Fontanarossa, about 40 minutes' drive
- The property
- A 4-star boutique relais & spa surrounded by citrus groves, an organic kitchen garden and paths lined with aromatic plants
- Wedding spaces
- The panoramic poolside garden, the lower garden by the Jacuzzi, the indoor restaurant and covered patio
- Stay
- 15 suites, with exclusive use of the whole property possible
- Food
- In-house, by the relais's own restaurant, Nero di Cenere
- Wet-weather Plan B
- The indoor restaurant and covered patio
- Wellness
- The Acque di Lava Spa
- Availability
- Contact us for current rates and availability
Sicily Wedding Venues We Love
A Boutique Hotel Wedding Venue on Mount Etna
Kepos Etna Relais & Spa sits in the green countryside of Santa Venerina, where the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano roll down towards the Ionian Sea. It is a small, elegant relais, with calm, modern interiors, sweeping views and a real sense of Sicilian hospitality.
For a wedding, it is a lovely mix of boutique hotel and private estate: aperitivo in a garden by the Jacuzzi, dinner beside the pool with Etna watching over you, and 15 suites so your closest family and friends can stay right where you celebrate. Kepos describe their weddings as "rigorously chic, but with a rustic touch", and that feels just right.
Where Is Kepos?
A Wedding Venue between Etna, Taormina and the Sea
Kepos is in Santa Venerina, in the province of Catania, on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna and just a few kilometres from Taormina. It is around 31 km from Catania, and most guests fly into Catania-Fontanarossa airport, about 40 minutes' drive away.
It is a wonderful base for a wedding week on the east coast. Between the celebrations, your guests can explore Taormina, swim in the Ionian Sea or head up the volcano itself. If you are dreaming of a sea-view wedding in town, our Taormina weddings page and our Excelsior Palace Taormina spotlight are a good place to start.
The Setting
Citrus Groves, Volcanic Soil and Views to the Sea
Kepos stands in wide cultivated grounds where lemons, clementines and oranges grow alongside avocado plantations, all thriving in the fertile volcanic soil of Etna. Guests can wander between the trees, follow paths lined with aromatic plants, or simply sit and take in the view: the deep blue of the sea, the gentle slopes of the volcano and a sky that seems to melt into the land.
There is an organic kitchen garden too, which supplies much of the restaurant, and a real care for sustainability throughout. In spring, the scent of orange blossom, the zagara, drifts across the whole property.
Photos: Kepos Etna Relais & Spa, keposetnarelais.com
Wedding Spaces
Poolside Gardens, Terraces & a Plan B Indoors
Kepos has outdoor and indoor spaces that can be set up for each moment of the day, and shaped around the style you have in mind.
The Poolside Garden
The heart of a Kepos wedding: a panoramic garden around the saltwater infinity pool, looking out over the surrounding landscape, ideal for your wedding reception and dinner.
The Lower Garden by the Jacuzzi
A charming, more intimate garden, perfect for welcoming your guests with an aperitivo or creating a special moment during the celebration.
The Restaurant & Covered Patio
The indoor restaurant and its covered patio are your wet-weather option, so the celebration can carry on comfortably indoors if the weather turns.
The Citrus Grove
Kepos also suggest the citrus grove as a setting, among the lemon and orange trees, for a wedding with a more rustic, country feel.
A walk around Kepos
Kepos Etna Relais in Pictures
Photos: Kepos Etna Relais & Spa, keposetnarelais.com
An Exclusive-Use Wedding Venue
The Whole Relais, Just for You
Kepos can be booked for exclusive use of the entire property, including all 15 suites, so you and your guests can enjoy a private, relaxed wedding with nobody else around. It is the kind of place where a wedding day easily becomes a wedding weekend: welcome drinks on the first evening, the wedding the next day and a lazy morning by the pool before everyone heads home.
Not looking for the whole property? Tell us your plans and guest numbers, and we will talk you through the options for your date.
Stay & Unwind
Wake Up with a View of Etna
The rooms and suites are light, calm and intimate, with natural materials, soft colours and Mediterranean light, and views over the gardens, the pool, the sea or Etna itself. Among them are pool suites with their own patio, Etna and sea-view suites, and larger Royal and Family Suites with two connecting rooms. Breakfast is served with a beautiful view of the sea.
The morning after, guests can unwind in the Acque di Lava Spa, with its heated outdoor Jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish bath and emotional shower, and massages and treatments using Sicilian ingredients such as prickly pear, olive oil and citrus, even outside in the garden on request. There is an outdoor gym too, for anyone with that much energy left. We will help you plan who stays where, and arrange nearby accommodation and transfers for the rest of your guests.
Food & Wine
Nero di Cenere: Sicily on a Plate
The relais's own restaurant, Nero di Cenere, tells the story of Sicily through authentic, refined cooking, with carefully chosen local and Italian ingredients, many of the vegetables from Kepos's own kitchen garden, and tasting menus inspired by the flavours of Etna and the Mediterranean, paired with a careful selection of wines. Catering for your wedding can be tailored to you, and we will help you shape the menu, the wines and every moment around them.
For guests staying a few days, there are Sicilian cooking classes too.
Beyond the Wedding Day
Personalised Experiences on Etna and the Coast
Kepos offer a selection of personalised experiences to make a destination wedding even more memorable: guided excursions on Mount Etna, quad tours, private boat trips along the coast and even private helicopter tours, plus private transfers for airport runs and days out. There is a little boutique of local products and crafts too, perfect for a last-minute guest gift.
Ceremonies
Saying "I Do" at Kepos
Kepos has outdoor spaces that can be set up for your ceremony, and a symbolic ceremony in the gardens means you can marry and celebrate without leaving the property. Our celebrant service is a lovely way to make it personal.
If you would like your marriage to be legally recognised, we will tell you what is possible for your date and guide you through the paperwork; our legal documents guide and our post on civil vs religious weddings in Sicily are a good place to start.
Why We Love It
Etna, the Sea and Real Sicilian Hospitality
That View
Etna on one side, the Ionian Sea on the other, and a panoramic pool garden in between.
Truly Private
Exclusive use of the whole relais and all 15 suites, so it feels like your own Sicilian retreat.
Food from the Land
Nero di Cenere cooks with local produce and vegetables from Kepos's own garden.
Made for a Wedding Weekend
A spa, a pool, citrus groves and excursions on the volcano, so your guests can make a holiday of it.
Destination Weddings from the UK
Your Kepos Wedding, Planned from Start to Finish
We have been planning weddings in Sicily since 2010. Lina looks after you in English from the UK, while her aunt Sabina is on the ground in Sicily, so every detail is checked in person.
We take care of everything, from your date, ceremony and menu to flowers, music, photography, transport and guest accommodation, right through to coordinating the day itself, so all you have to do is enjoy it. Read our guide to getting married in Sicily from the UK and browse Our Weddings.
Common Questions
Kepos Etna Relais & Spa FAQs
Kepos is in Santa Venerina, in the province of Catania, on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna and a few kilometres from Taormina. Catania-Fontanarossa airport is about 40 minutes' drive away.
Yes. Exclusive use of the entire property, including all 15 suites, is possible, so you and your guests can have the relais to yourselves. We will check the options for your date with the venue.
Yes. There are 15 suites, so the two of you and your closest family and friends can stay where you celebrate. We can arrange nearby accommodation and transfers for everyone else.
Receptions usually take place in the panoramic poolside garden, with aperitivo in the more intimate lower garden by the Jacuzzi. The citrus grove is another lovely setting.
The indoor restaurant and covered patio are the wet-weather option, so the celebration can carry on comfortably indoors. We plan the Plan B with you from the start.
The in-house restaurant, Nero di Cenere, serves refined Sicilian cooking with local ingredients and vegetables from the relais's own garden, and the wedding menu can be tailored to you.
Yes, if you would love a peaceful boutique venue with views of Etna and the sea, a short drive from Taormina rather than in the busy town centre. It is a wonderful base for a wedding week on Sicily's east coast.
Simply get in touch with your preferred dates and guest numbers. Contact us for current rates and availability; we will check dates with the venue for you and plan every detail with you from there.
Explore More
Discover more wedding venues in Sicily we love, including the Excelsior Palace in Taormina, La Chiusa Country House near Noto, Borgo del Carato near Siracusa, Dimora delle Balze in the Val di Noto and Casale degli Aranci near Castellammare del Golfo, read about the best time to get married in Sicily or browse Our Weddings.
Plan Your Wedding at Kepos with Us
Tell us your dates and guest numbers. Contact us for current rates and availability; we will help you plan every detail.
About this page: this Venue Spotlight is an independent feature by Marry Me in Sicily, a wedding planning company. We don't own, run or represent Kepos Etna Relais & Spa, and this is not the venue's official website. For the venue's own information, visit keposetnarelais.com.