We really enjoyed our stay at Carmela’s villa. The residence is an enormous house/mansion and compound where the family have divided off certain areas for guests. So whilst you are free to interact with Carmela and her family, or possibly other guests if you’d like, it’s so big that you don’t need to. You have a private indoor and outdoor space. We had an outdoor kitchen which was perfect for early April and would be even better later in spring/summer. We could barbecue and cook in the evening with food we purchased from the local markets/shops. Two beds had been set up for our children in the main bedroom.
Acireale itself is a lovely old town with winding narrow roads. I recommend that you have a car if you’re going to visit some of the local towns in the vicinity.
Carmela’s son Nino took care of us for our whole stay. He was always able to provide tips, organize taxis, help with day trip recommendations, etc and was super considerate of what we could do with our two small children. He was filled with a warmth that made our visit to Acireale feel very special.