Booking a place from the U.S. in a foreign country based on photographs is tricky at best. But with Carlo's place, the reality was far better than the pictures. The villa more than met our expectations. The house is spacious, functional and comfortable; the grounds are marvelous with its carpet of green grass, prickly pear fruit, pomegranate tree and palm trees. And there's a great view of Mount Etna with its smoldering cauldron of lava. The location is minutes from the beach and restaurants, and a great launching place for day trips to the must-see sites of Sicily's eastern coast. It is close to Taormina to the north, and not much more than an hour's drive by expressway to the ancient city of Siracusa to the south.
The facilities were made the more enjoyable by the care, kindness and attentiveness of its host. Carlo was there to greet us in fluent English and to see to our every need. He was accessible at all times and helped to make our nine-day stay all the more memorable.
I recommend a stay at Carlo's villa without reservation.