8/10 Good
Joanna W.
Jul 30, 2019
Liked: Cleanliness
Great base for visiting Sicily with some caveats
We (family of 4, with 7 and 9 yo girls) had a great time at Gaetano's property, were most of the other residents in the complex were Italian. Check-in could have been easier if a bank transfer had been acceptable as payment, though cash on arrival was not too much of a hassle (initial listing seemed to suggest that electronic payments would be acceptable, but this was only for the deposit).
Some other caveats: On arrival we had to sign a contract which made it clear that as the pool was managed by an eternal company, Gaetano could not guarantee usage of the pool during our stay, which would have been very disappointing for the kids. As it turned out, it was all fine, and we were able to use the pool, (swimming hats obligatory, closed for a 2 hour lunch break each day) but the kids playground was closed during our stay. The internet stopped working as it ran out of credit for the last 5 days of our stay, which forced the kids to entertain themselves. Speaking of entertainment, our Italian neighbours seemed to enjoy their evenings doing karaoke till around 23:00, which did not bother the kids, but would not classify the property as particularly peaceful and quiet. Finally, even though the property is close to the beach (mixed pebbles and sand), it was not as easy to walk there as the map suggests, as the nearby bridge that crosses the torrente Roccella stream next to the swimming pool no longer exists (i.e. there is no direct way to get to the Castello di Roccella on foot; by car it's easy).
Having said this, Gaetano was a friendly, accommodating host, and we had a lovely time as a family with evening barbecues in the well maintained, private garden. The property was clean and tidy and we spent most of the time on the lovely veranda. The location on the north coast was ideal for visiting the various sites (Palermo, Etna, Agrigento and Syracusa) on Sicily by car.
Joanna W.
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2018