Verified review
8/10 Good
MARTIN P.
3 Aug 2019
Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family beach holiday in low key, locals resort
The villa is situated 5-8 minute walk from the local beach on Fiori Sud; a wild strip of fine sand and calm turquoise waters. The beach is clean and has bamboo flotsam washed ashore which is cleared daily back to the sand dunes. There are various "lidos" providing drinks and food, some with music, lounge rentals and private areas. Don't expect 5 star service as (fortunately) this is primarily a locals place with a genuine Sicilian atmosphere and almost exclusively Italian tourists.
Other beaches are accessible via a short drive; Porto palo 2.5 km away is also lovely and has many fine restaurants (Lo Vittorio, although I think the secret is out!)
The villa itself is a bungalow including a small mezzanine upstairs with a fold-out sofabed. Downstairs there are two shower rooms, three bedrooms (one double bed, and bunk beds in the others). Small, but sufficient for a young family of 4 (6 would be ok and 8 would be a squeeze). The kitchen/diner is great, and opens out onto a poolside patio with dining area for meals, and comfy lounging area for sundowners, close enough to to the pool to check on swimming children. The pool is set in a lovely garden, includes an outdoor shower and many sun loungers. There are also two other seating areas at the back and side of the property offering plenty of shade. Double car port and electric security gates also, and a local mini mkt 2 mins walk away for essentials.
We loved the laid back nature of the area, and the villa is great value compared to other more expensive villa options. However, there were a few minor added extras (tourist tax, cleaning fee and pro-rata electricity bill) which took the shine off a bit. Maybe we didn't investigate the costs properly. The villa is also a bit tired (bathrooms intermittently smelled of drains, sinks slow draining, loose integrated kitchen cabinet fronts). There was also quite a bit of sand inside when we arrived, which stings when the cleaning bill was €150. The bed linen and towels were charged extra, but perfectly fresh and clean. There was also only one a/c unit in the kitchen, and therefore you needed to cool the whole villa, rather than just a smaller bedroom.
But the negatives are very minor when we spent most of the time outside or at the beach. The local food and wine is amazing, and the locals are all friendly and nice with a huge compassion for families.
The Perrys
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019