I wish I could give this spot 10 stars instead of 5, because it is the honest truth that this is hands down the best experience we've ever had with any host. You won't just be treated like guests here, you'll be treated like family. And that sort of cultural immersion from such kind and hospital people makes memories that will last a lifetime. It was hard for us to leave. We made some really special friendships here.
To make a long story short, we were meant to spend 3 weeks at an AirBnb in Palermo. But as soon as we arrived, we realized there was a gas leak. After a full 24 hours of the Palermo hosts refusing to intervene, AirBnb's safety team relocated us to Vincenzo's spot. And we couldn't have been happier with where we ended up.
You can't beat the location--it's only a 5-minute walk from the most beautiful, golden beach with warm, turquoise waters. The terrace is the highlight of the apartment, with a gorgeous sea view, and a calming effect. We arrived during off-season, so although many stores were closed, it was nice and quiet without any tourists around. The beach was practically private for us. There's a coffee shop just around the corner (open year-round) with fantastic pastries. There's also a wonderful restaurant (opens at 7pm for dinner) with great Italian cuisine just a few minutes away on the beach. That said, I would recommend having a car for this location--no public transportation during off-season (October to March), so the closest grocery store for us was a 30-minute walk away. Although Carmen was always happy for us to come along when she went into town, so we never had trouble accessing the essentials. This was the perfect place to spend 3 weeks, and we would have loved to stay even longer.
We only gave Vincenzo, Carmen and Concetta 2 hours' notice of our arrival for a 3-week stay, and they were BEYOND accommodating. Though Vincenzo was away for work during our stay, he was still very communicative from the get-go. When we arrived, Carmen and Concetta greeted us with open arms, and they even provided us with groceries (pasta, sauce, wine, fruit, water, etc.) because they knew that we were arriving from a stressful situation. They live in the same building, and so they were always available for any needs we had.
But those details just scrape the surface of what was a remarkable experience for us. Carmen and Concetta truly took us in with incredible warmth, and showed us top-tier Sicilian hospitality. Their friends became extended family to us as well. We shared so many memories over drinks, excursions, shared meals, and so many laughs. There were tears when we left, because it truly felt like we were leaving family behind. We couldn't have asked for a better, more culturally rich experience. We can't wait to return to visit our famiglia italiana again!