Tino (Alberto's father) gave us a wonderful welcome and couldn't have been more helpful or generous. From meeting us from the airport to guide us up the tricky driveway to popping by the first morning after our arrival to bring us supplies for our little one, he went over and above usual host duties.
The villa itself was immaculate when we arrived and the view was absolutely stunning. We were unlucky to have mixed weather so didn't make as much use of the pool as we had hoped as it was chilly!
We had a toddler with us and the villa was huge so she had plenty of space to run around. We just wish we had filled the villa - there was only 3 of us and it was almost too big!
There are plenty of villages and towns locally, however we went to Taormina a lot as it offered the easiest food options (with a little one we couldn't eat too late which is the norm!) which was a 30-40 min drive.
Would highly recommend this villa for a large party with slightly older children. You will do quite alot of driving (which can be hairy at times!) but if the weather is good and you can use the pool you may not need/want to get out and about so much.
There are of course sights to see with less than an hours drive - etna was a highlight. We enjoyed our stay and next time will bring more people!