This was our second stay at the villa but the first time we stayed in the ground floor apartment. It is incredible. The pictures do not show you the 14-foot ceilings, beautiful floors, or nearly floor to ceiling windows, not to mention the direct Mediterranean sunrise view from the master bedroom. It is spectacular! There is a table on the porch where you can sit in the sun and watch the sea for as long as you like. There are little fishing boats at all hours of the day and night and you can walk down to the rocky beach through a private gate. We also picnicked in the yard just outside. This is the rare AirBnB location, or any location in Italy for that matter, with super-comfortable beds.
This is a little walk from Ortigia but it is closer to the archaelogical park and museum, as well as an incredible bike path along the coast just to the north. But the apartment is so fabulous that you may want to skip these attractions and just stay at home and watch the sea.
Mario and Roberto are excellent hosts and great communicators. This is my favorite AirBnB stay of all time and I hope to return some day.
Downsides? Not much. The ground floor apartment doesn't have a dishwasher and you'll get mosquitoes if you leave the windows open but that's about it.