We enjoyed a lovely holiday here for a week at the beginning of October. The house is located about 10 mins drive from the old town of Ortigia. The house itself is very private with a large terrace which is partly covered and has wonderful views across the bay to the Old Town. There are a few steps down from the terrace to the lower deck where you can swim safely in the sea and there is a ladder for easy access to the water. Apart from a few initial small rocks the sea bed is all sand. It is a perfect location for exploring the historic and beautiful cities in the area, such as Noto, Regusa Ibla, Scicli and, of course, Syracusa with its old town of Ortigia. Mount Etna and Taormina are about 90 mins drive north. Mariella is a wonderful host, very informative and responsive to any of your questions or needs. All in all we had a great holiday here.