We absolutely loved our stay in Massimos apartment in Catania, the location is a 20 min walk to the beach (be careful the drivers are crazy!) and a 5 minute walk to the Castello Ursino and the more touristy parts of town. Massimo made us very welcome, and although the language barrier made things tricky to start with he makes every effort for his guests. He welcomed us to his cafe (Red Bar) every morning for coffee and delicious pastries. We found the apartment difficult to find on our first day (probably down to our poor phone signal) and our host and his friend very kindly found us. The room we had was beautiful, with a balcony and a view of mt etna, and the common areas were always clean. If you're looking for a homely stay in a authentic, less touristy part of catania, choose this one :)