Castle near the sea with private pool, park and views of the sea and of the Etna

We had a really glorious two weeks in this lovely, characterful house. The swimming pool is wonderful, filled by the water from the well. The village of Stazzo is a five minute walk and has its own lava beach and a selection of restaurants. Slightly further afield but still walkable is Santa Tecla with more restaurants but especially a lovely fish restaurant. There are lots of interesting things to do within easy reach, Mount Etna, Taormina, Catania, Syracuse and Ortigia to name a very few. The owner of the property, Liliana lives very unobtrusively on the ground floor but is extremely helpful when necessary. She very kindly organised a boat trip for snorkelling and dolphin watching for us. On arrival she very kindly produced a delicious cake and bottle of wine.

The Castello is very different from the run of the mill villas and appartments

Our group of 8 had a wonderful holiday here at Castello Claves. Perfect spot to unwind, and also lots to see (by car) in the surrounding area.

Easy walking distance to restaurants, but good facilities to self cater and eat on the picturesque balcony which benefits from the prevailing sea breeze. We stayed whilst it was very hot, however the castle was cool and didn't feel hot at all.

Gardens and pool were magical with lots of sunny and shady spots and sun lounges.

Our host Lilianna was wonderful.

We will never forget this holiday!

The swimming pool is a real plus and the property is full of character. The proprietor is was very friendly and helpful. However, the facilities do need some updating from simple things like the blunt corkscrew to the very rickety beds. The access to the tower bedroom can only be for young and fit people and is a long way from the bathroom. I appreciate it is a difficult building to use aircon in but some fans to move the air would help. With some upgrading it would be wonderful.

The property is stunning. The photos do not do justice to the size of this place! Set in gorgeous gardens, with hammocks, swings, olive and lemon trees, the villa is steeped in history. We all loved all the historical photos of the place. The pool was so refreshing and the pool area offered a good selection of shade and sun.

The living area is set on the first floor, with the tower rooms. The rooms were cool and airy and the beds were comfy. There is a full kitchen with dishwasher, washing machine and a HUGE oven/hob. We spent a lot of time on the terrace, looking out over the gardens, but there is also another huge roof terrace on the second floor which had great views out over Mount Etna.

Liliana is a great lady :) we were always made to feel welcome, and upon arrival there were loads of goodies in the fridge together with a yummy chocolate cake. She loved having the babies around, and they loved having the run of the place!

Liliana was very helpful at getting our days out booked, and has so many great stories from her time in this historical place.

All in all, it was a great week away, made better by the accommodation. The one v. small negative (for me) was that Stazzo is quite quiet, with the restaurants not really open at lunch. We were making our own most days, but would have nice to have this as an option. However, Blue Bar on the harbour does a great selection of gelato and cannolis :)

Thumbs up!