Casa Genovese is run by a warm and helpful family. They welcomed us at the ferry dock and into their beautiful garden property, and made us feel at home. A lovely feature is an outdoor shower heated by the natural geothermals of the area - shower under the stars!! And their sweet cat was a superstar with her affectionate purring and companionship while sitting on the terrace.
They are located within an easy walk to everything you need: beaches, markets, restaurants (do NOT miss "L'angolo Dei Sapori" for delicious local dishes and roast chicken), and the base of the volcano walking path. The walk up at dawn was definitely worth waking up early for, and you can be sure to beat the heat at that time of day. We'd also recommend renting a scooter or quad to explore the remoter areas of the island. The seaside restaurant called Trattoria de Pina (near Gelso) is also fantastic. We shared the crudo as a starter and then moved onto pasta alla norma (the best of 3 I tried during our trip) and pasta sarde (reserve ahead to not miss this charming place). And there is a quiet beach near that restaurant called Spaggia Cannitello. You can rent chairs and umbrellas or freestyle it on the sand.