We enjoyed staying in this lovely well-equipped home, high in the hills with fantastic views down to Taormina and the sea beyond. This is a very spacious house with many comfortable seating areas, both inside and out., and comfy beds. The plunge pool was a welcome treat at the end of hot days. Our host Andrea was extremely helpful. It’s a short walk up to Castelmola and there are several other great hiking trails nearby.

Beautifully peaceful location. Ate outside every day on the terrace, enjoying the views of the hills and the sea far below. Andrea was very kind and left us fresh eggs for breakfast. We really enjoyed our stay at Casa il Faro.

Bit of a winding drive down to Taormina and the coast although we soon got used to it.

Absolutely stunning and unique mountainside villa Such an authentic Italian mountain side villa complete a little friendly goat that would visit us. We loved how much space was in the home , we loved the views, the pool, all the different patios, the spacious rooms, bathrooms, amazing kitchen, brand new flat screen tvs , 3 of them, washing machine, amazing host Andrea who was always available if we needed something ! We were blown away by rhis accommodation! A true hidden gem !

There was a/c in master bedroom and family room. a/c in second bedroom would be great. There was a fan in there which was nice.

Beautiful views, lovely helpful host. Property has great potential

We chose this villa largely because of the very high ratings and glowing reviews, so I have to admit we found it difficult to reconcile those reviews with our experience. The owners themselves were absolutely delightful – friendly, helpful and very respectful of our privacy. Despite living next door, they kept very much in the background, which we appreciated. We also appreciated the plentiful towels, laundry service, the welcome bottle of wine and, most importantly, the amazing views. However, the villa itself felt much more “rustic” than we had anticipated – rustic with a capital R! We appreciate the charm of Sicilian buildings and that faded grandeur can be part of their character, but for us this villa felt more faded than grand. Everything felt rather tired, cluttered and in need of some refreshing, and unfortunately it didn’t always feel or smell particularly fresh. The kitchen in particular felt as though it belonged to someone’s great-grandmother, with rather ageing appliances that we felt would benefit from an update. We also chose not to use the BBQ, as it was clear that it had seen plenty of use from previous guests and could really have done with a thorough clean. And then there were the cats! We love animals, but the sheer number of cats around the property, together with the persistent smell of cat odour, was difficult to ignore. I’m fairly sure the cats spent more time on the sun loungers than we did! Finding cat urine on the doorstep when returning in the evening wasn't quite the welcome we were hoping for. The mosquitoes also deserve an honourable mention! We would strongly suggest that a few plug-in repellents in the bedrooms would make a considerable difference – although perhaps the local mosquito population has already included the villa in its holiday itinerary! Sadly, despite the wonderful views and the kindness of the owners, we actually found ourselves wanting to get away from the villa for a few days simply to have a break from...