I highly recommend a stay in Villa Maria!
The room was perfect for a chill solo trip on a budget - it was cute, clean, and really well located. It was super easy to get there without a car, and the sea was just a few steps away. There were some fancy seafood restaurants, but I opted for more budget-friendly options such as €2 arancini from the pastry shop, €3 panini during the day and €6 focaccia in the evening from Panificio Micali, and heaps of granita con panna at Lido Maraone.
Livio was really nice, easy to communicate with, and always helpful!
Although I did check out some of the neighbouring attractions (such as Taormina and Isola Bella), the best part of my stay was near the accommodation: watching the sunrise and full moon on one of the big rocks at the beach, starting the day with breakfast at Bar Etna overlooking the sea, having a dip in the clear water every afternoon, walking along the coast looking for interesting pebbles, and stumbling across a karaoke night in front of Bar San Giovanni.
The closest beach is free and full of lovely big rocks and pebbles, but if you walk further down towards Naxos there are some sand beaches too. The weather was definitely good enough for a dip even in October! I also recommend walking to Taormina - when you get to the top a beautiful garden is there to greet you with a lovely view.