I normally only write short reviews but for Carlo and Angela's villa it deserves a longer review.
It is a beautiful, charming and peaceful retreat. if you're looking for somewhere to get away from the busy-ness of the world, this is the place.
Location
It is ideally situated just outside Giarre. Far enough out that it's quiet and peaceful, but close enough to things you might need. We walked to a hypermarket and it only took us 25 minutes each way. That said I'd recommend hiring a car, because Sicily doesn't have many pavements for pedestrians! With a car, everything you need is within 5-10 minutes drive. Even though it's close to the town, it's tucked away on the outskirts, so it's quiet. You can sit in the garden and see Etna in the distance, it's a stunning view to have first thing in the morning as the sun is rising.
The Garden
You have a really large space to use as a garden. There's plants, flowers and bushes of all kinds, a vegetable patch and fruit trees throughout. The trees and foliage help to quieten any noises from around you, so it's a very calming place to be. It's also very secluded, and feels very private. The outside sheltered seating area is cosy, and a lovely pool to dip into to cool off. It's a lovely place to just sit in the Sicilian sun and relax. It's beautiful to walk around and see what is around you - the black ash on the floor from last years Etna eruptions, contrasting with the white stones, the lizards you have basking in the sun, the lime trees next door - there's always something to look at. There's even an outside grill if you want to cook outdoors!
Inside
There's a main seating/kitchen area, with two large tables, and seating for lots of people. It'd be a nice place to get everyone together for a meal if you were away as a large group. Coming off this are three main living areas. Each one has a bedroom, bathroom and seating spaces. One even had another kitchen area and a second bedroom. All three areas are spacious, have lovely bathrooms with walk in showers, and a balcony running around the outside of the building linking them up. The fittings are all lovely, and tie in with the rustic feeling of the property. The one thing that isn't mentioned in the listing that is good to know, is that one of the living spaces is set up for disabled use. There's a ramp to get up the small step, everything is on one level (the other living spaces have raised balcony-like bedrooms which are really great spaces to be in), and the bathroom has handrails and is laid out for disabled or elderly person use. It's very thoughtful and convenient.
Each living space has it's own door and key, so you can lock each room separately and everyone can have their own space. If you were coming as either a large extended family, or a couple of families, it's ideal. Everyone has their own separate areas, but lots of open communal spaces they can use together as well.
Check in and communication
Carlo and Angela were lovely hosts. They met us at the property when we arrived, even though our flight was late, and showed us around. They had suggestions for places we could go visit, and left us some of their own organic produce that they grow on their land to try. The fridge was stocked with water, cupboards had coffee etc so we didn't have to worry about rushing straight to the shops for essentials. They made us feel right at home. And then they left us to our holiday. They were there if we needed anything, but they weren't constantly checking up on us and it never felt like you were being supervised, as some hosts can do. They allowed us the space to just enjoy ourselves, which we really appreciated.
Other thoughts
It is a rural location, so adjust your expectations accordingly. Phone signal was good, but there is no wifi. It is the perfect place to disconnect from the world because of that! Because it's a rural location you will have local wildlife around you. We saw gecko's most days, butterflies, dragonflies (I think, they were shorter than the ones we get in the UK) and others. If you're someone who doesn't like being around wildlife and you're looking for something spotless and sterile like a hotel, then you probably already know this isn't going to be for you. If you're someone who is happy to accept that being in a beautiful rural location means being closer to nature, with everything that entails, then this is the perfect place for you. Also their cats came over every morning to say hello!
You are about 45 minutes from Catania and all the tourist things there, and about the same from Mount Etna itself, so it's a nice location to explore from. Sicily is larger island than you think. It's also not very friendly for pedestrians (very few pavements) or cyclists (it's very hilly) so I'd recommend a hire car if you can. The villa has gates you can lock which makes it all feel very secure, with plenty of space for parking.
We looked at several places to stay in Sicily and I'm really glad we chose this one. It has everything you could need for a beautiful escape from the normal day to day life, I don't think I could ever tire of laying by the pool looking at the smoke rising from Mount Etna in the distance. Highly recommend this property if you're coming to Sicily!