We had a great stay at Maria's apartment - it is very spacious and charming with lots of character and very tastefully furnished with a beautiful piano and clean bathroom. As the other reviews warned there are 2 main roads either side so it is very noisy but it didn't bother us and we actually slept well. It's located close to the sea with small rocky bays where you can swim with the locals. It's very relaxed away from the more touristy areas. It's at least at 20 min walk to Ortigia so we drove in the evening. There's free parking outside. There was no breakfast but there is a cafe overlooking the sea just a minutes walk up the street and a fridge in the room. We also drove to the Cava Grande which was amazing! A walk down into the canyon where you can swim in clear pools of fresh water - paradise! Maria was very warm and welcoming, and we would recommend it as a good place to stay near the sea.