Antonio was a great host - quick to reply, gave lot's of useful info, and offered to pick up from/drop off at the airport. He's also very warm and welcoming and likes to share about his city. Typical Italian greeting.

The apartment is very charming, fully stocked, and in a fantastic location in central Catania, and near the Old Port. You have all you need and more, including dishes and cookware to prepare meals, towels and sheets, and plenty of soap, shampoo, and skin care products. We've left the umbrella we purchased for the beach, so others may enjoy.

The decor is lovely, and the air conditioning kept us cool even in mid-August. If internet access is important to you, be sure to check with Antonio if it is working properly.

If you're looking for a beach holiday, the sandy beaches are just south of the city. It is not realistic to walk, as there are many highways, but the bus terminal is a 5 minute walk away, and despite the bad reputation for buses in Catania, we were lucky. We waited one time 20 minutes for the bus, but usually it was like 5 minutes. It's worth it to go far from the Port, as the water is much cleaner. You can choose to pay to enter one of the Lidos for about 5€/day and the chair will cost you additional depending on the size/style. There are public beaches too, which you can usually find a way to get on for free, so just bring something to lay on. It's worth getting away from the nearest public beach because it gets quite packed and rowdy with loud and dirty people. Further down the coast it's much nicer.

In the city, there are many treasures to discover at walking distance. Antonio was right to insist we visit the Monestary. You can get a guided tour for like 5€. The self-guided visit of the Roman amphitheatre and Greek theatre is cool to do at night - opened until 10 or 11. Tons more too...

Finally, I'd say it's definitely worth it to do an Etna tour. The half day tour is more than enough time to see the craters at 2200m. Unless you're going to spend the extra cash to go to the very top, the full day tours aren't worth it.