Jena & Michael
We're Jena and Michael, your hosts. We're Americans with Italian roots who met in an Italian language class back in college — and fell in love over our shared passion for language, travel, and culture.
Over the years, we've spent time all across Italy: hiking in the Dolomites, tasting our way through Bologna, living and working in Milan, and exploring Rome, Tuscany, and Pompeii — wandering ancient streets, getting lost in art museums, and eating more gelato than we care to admit.
But Sicily has always had our hearts — it's the part of Italy we love most. We've been visiting this beautiful island together for over 20 years, and Cefalù in particular holds a very special place in our story. It's close to where Michael's mother was born, and Michael himself has been making the trip to Cefalù for over 45 years. This is a town he has known since childhood, and watched grow from a quiet fishing village into the destination it is today — while keeping everything that makes it so extraordinary.
"From our very first trip here together, we dreamed of one day having a home in this magical corner of the world. That dream came true with Amuni a Mari."
We're so excited to share it with you. Whether you're here for the beach, the history, the food, or simply to slow down and let the pace of Sicilian life wash over you — we hope Amuni a Mari feels like home from the moment you walk through that green door.
About the Apartment
Amuni a Mari — let's go to the sea in Sicilian dialect — is a fully renovated apartment on Via Vanni in the medieval heart of Cefalù. It's our home away from home: we spend most of our summers here, and we've filled it with things we love — Sicilian artisan ceramics, local artwork, proper linen, a real Nespresso, and enough books and board games to keep you busy on a rainy afternoon. We've thought about the details because we know from decades of visiting what makes the difference between a place you sleep in and a place that feels like yours.
The rest of the year, we're thrilled to share it with guests from around the world — people who love this corner of Sicily as much as we do, or who are discovering it for the first time. We hope Amuni a Mari gives you a taste of what has kept us coming back for so long.
Our property manager Stella is local, warm, and genuinely helpful — she's the person you'll meet on arrival and can call if you ever need anything during your stay. We're reachable on WhatsApp from wherever we are in the world, but Stella is always just around the corner.