We stayed a week here and couldn't have been happier. Federica was a warm and easy host. The pictures are accurate. Clean and updated, and a comfortable size for us, a couple and a 7-year-old (who loved sleeping in the loft above the couch). It offers a great mix of experiences: the beach just downstairs has calm water and is no more than 3ft deep for a ways, so many local families came during the day. But every morning we'd wake up to a serene, empty beach with lapping waves and colorful fishing boats, and by about 10am there'd be a number of kids in the water for our son to play with. For adults, it was easy to swim past the shallows into deep water. The tables you see downstairs in a photo is one of 2 bars with ice-cream/paninis on the beach. During the day and evening the beach and streets were quiet and social, very relaxing. And in the evening, the 2 cafes and street filled with young folks, vespas, and music, making us feel part of a summer celebration every night. If you're worried about the noise, the windows kept out the sound. We used the AC a few times and can attest that it functions very well. The town of Sant'Elia is tiny but even as it filled up for beach and nightlife, we saw only two other non-Italian visitors during our week there--this seems really rare and special. Brides & grooms arrived each day for photos too, so it's clearly known for its uniqueness even in so picturesque a place as Sicily. Federica's downstairs relatives were often sitting outside on the street with other neighbors and all were incredibly welcoming, doting on our son, and happy to talk with us. You can walk to the grocery store (at the top of the hill) and a produce truck (I think Federica's cousin) stopped downstairs each day. Even Federica's dad once came by with a huge sack of his garden tomatoes & peppers! For dinner, the next port over (Portocello) is walkable with good options. On the way are 2 mini-carnival spots our son enjoyed (bounce houses, bumper cars, etc.) Our best meal was at a place just up the street near the grocery store called Donna Luisa -- a young family runs it with fresh local fish, meat, produce, and daily menu of classic family-style dishes--on a patio with a view. Federica will also have recommendations for restaurants in the area. One last pro to mention is that we were able to do easy day-trips to major sites, one day we drove to the unforgettable Casale Romana at Piazza Armerina and on another we drove to Segesta and then to Palermo for a day of sightseeing. Both times, we were able to leave after 9, take our time at the sites, enjoy a great lunch, and still be back for dinner at the beach. We highly, highly recommend booking this place while it's still available!