Villa Malu is the kind of holiday accommodation where you feel at home within minutes of arriving. The view across the swimming pool is breath-taking, especially on a clear day when the island of Vulcano can be seen in the distance. The harbour port of Milazzo is about a half hour drive away and we hired a boat there to visit three of the islands, including Salina where Alfredo’s serves the best Granitas on the planet. Skittichi, the Pizza restaurant about a five minute walk from the villa is also worth a visit. Castroreale is a beautiful hill-top town and we found the locals to be amazingly friendly and accommodating. The small butcher, bakery and general store all offered a friendly, nothing is too much hassle type of service. The very best thing about Villa Malu is the owner’s Uncle Guiseppi who looks after the place. He somehow managed to explain all of the important things – which rubbish collection is on which day, how to switch the pool-lights on and most importantly, where to find his amazing vegetable patch for a fresh supply of plump tomatoes, chillis and the plumpest figs.