Enchanting Villa, with private pool and enchanting views of Etna Vulcano

Great views

Stunning views and outdoor spaces. Indoors was adequate but in significant need for an upgrade and cleaning.

Large villa with a stunning view. The sea is only few meters away, requires to walk down the hill. Wonderful experience! You can hear the waves and Etna looks down on you with majestic look.A/C included but you can use only five machines at the same time. If all the bedrooms are in use and need cooling, you must take turns. We used all of them (didn't know the rule) because it was very hot and this caused the fuses to break down and we lost almost all the electricity.Helpful staff, but they didn't speak English. Very friendly Italian couple who were available if needed.The villa itself was huge. Kitchen was tiny, but we managed still quite well.

Villa Stella is not for everyone, but for those who can overlook and/or deal with its quirks and flaws, the location, spaciousness, and above all the pool with a fantastic view offers a relatively reasonable place for a large family to gather. Finding the house the first time is a challenge, so be sure to get the GPS coordinates from Nando, the absentee property manager. The lovely caretakers, Gianni and Francesca, do not speak English but are expert in the use of Google Translate, so with our smattering of Italian we were able to communicate well. Gianni is a handyman and was always willing and ready to help whenever we called him. Francesca is a great cook, and we benefited from that with a wonderful family pasta lunch in the outdoor dining room. One great aspect of the house is the many outdoor gathering places, including a shady patio, dining area, pool deck with shade hut, huge tile patio and outdoor kitchen. Beds are comfortable. The two suites have updated bathrooms with showers, and there are three other full bathrooms and two half baths. The washer works well, but be prepared to hang laundry to dry. The kitchen is small but adequate, with an old fridge, decent range and excellent new dishwasher. The best thing about the house is the view-looking out over the Ionian sea with smoking Etna in the distance is extraordinary. The main issue with the house is poor maintenance- the owners seem content to do the least possible work to keep the house functioning.

My husband, my friends and I had a beautiful stay at this charming villa overlooking the sea! We even got to see Mt. Etna erupting one morning from the patios and gardens! Everything went very smoothly from check-in to check-out. We even opted in to a beautiful dinner prepared for our group after a long day trip up Mt. Etna and the several-course meal was divine, ending with a magnificent homemade tiramisu! I will be recommending this place to friends and family who have already started asking where I found it!

The villa was perfect for our trip, the weather was lovely, accommodations were comfortable and spacious. Would return in a heart beat.

Check in was a nightmare. Family was supposed to meet host at airport with a cot - but he was no where to be found. Directions to villa were very scattered but finally arrived met by housekeeper and shown around the villa. It was old and in need of some updating but very comfortable for our party of 10. Beds and bathroom were very clean and comfortable. Pool was lovely although it was still warm enough to swim in the sea. All in all a wonderful holiday.

The villa is in a beautiful spot with a view of Mt Etna. The hosts were very friendly and accommodating, not much English and our Italian was worse. Translation app helped a lot. There were 12 of us and the kids were in the pool most of the day. It’s in between Catalina and Syracuse so you definitely need a car. The villa itself is older and in a quiet area and large sitting areas outside and inside.. Kitchen is small and no toaster but we used the oven.

My wife and I invited friends to join us for a week at Villa Stella. We all had a wonderful time enjoying the prime property on a cliff overlooking Mt Etna and Mediterranean Sea. The property and building is just amazing place to enjoy with friends. The stonework needs a lot of pointing and areas of rebuilding but am amazed at the work that was put into the building in its construction years past. I am a long distance swimmer and was in heaven having quiet waters to swim in. The only issue which is common in the Mediterranean now days are the jellyfish population. If I return I would bring a full body suit and gloves to better prevent possible stings on my long swims. On one stroke I punched down into the center of the bell and luckily did not get stung as the tentacles are on the underside. A car is a must to enjoy the exquisite restaurants in nearby brucoli which is a 15 min drive. recommended for high end dining is Straventa and Castello. The closest restaurant has great laidback fare across the bay on the beach is Il Triangolo. The only drawback is like I said needs a lot of work to make it perfect but if that happens I probably couldn’t afford to stay at it,so as long as you are fine with a few imperfect items you will love it.

This place is amazing. The beach is a few steps away down the hill You can swim to a secluded rock beach The pool is a refreshing saltwater luxury The house is spacious well furnished The kitchen is amazingly stocked compared to properties we usually rent We cook at home for most of our trip because we like being together and Doing our own thing. The property managers who checked us were kind and helpful and available. You do need to follow the booking instructions in terms of directions and contacting the property managers prior to arrival There is plenty of parking the property managers handle the garbage for you, which is nice in Italy, which has this very complicated garbage sorting system I Would love to come back to this property with friends and family

This house was amazing for our family of six. There was more than enough room for all of us, and the outdoor space was so great we spent most of our time soaking up the sun and view from the beautiful pool and multiple sitting areas. The pictures don't do justice to the gorgeous blue sea and views of Etna. The property owner, Nando, was always quick to respond and extremely helpful when we had trouble finding the house on arrival. The host, Gianni and his wife, were so sweet and accommodating during our visit. We didn't want to leave. If you're coming to Catania, do yourself a favor and stay at this house!