what guests wrote
Katrin and Valentin, October 2024
Staying at Renata's place was truly wonderful. The apartment had a fantastic view of the sea and was in a perfect location, just a short walk from the beautiful beaches of Plemmirio. We had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. Renata was an excellent host, providing us with great travel tips for exploring the area. Highly recommended! Greetings from Salzburg.
Massimo, Raffaella and Noemi, August 2024
We stayed here 10 days.
The most incredible thing is the sea, a kind of aquarium with all kinds of fish and starfish that you would never get tired of diving and swimming in. And all this is less than a 5-minute walk away!
Instead, the figure of the stay is given by the line of the horizon that furrows your gaze when you stand relaxing on the terrace reserved by the ground-floor accommodation, the one in which we stayed: your gaze gets lost, your body relaxes, your mind regenerates through the green of the sea, the blue of the sky and the purple of the flowers in the garden. The beauty of the colors of Sicily, the scents of the Mediterranean that fill the air.
Renata's house is cozy and newly renovated, with loungers and deck chairs on the terrace for relaxing and reading. If you are looking for a corner of marine paradise, from which you can then drive to the many possible stops in search of the culture of eastern Sicily-archaeology, nature reserves, fishing villages, baroque towns-this is the right accommodation for you.
Renata is there to give you advice and suggestions, to offer you a coffee and a chat, but she also disappears to give you your own space and time, the kind you need to take back on vacation!
Michal and Lily, August 2023
Living space: the studio is spacious, tastefully decorated, and all the appliances/furniture is brand new. It is airy, bright, with two entrances and a large patio with a view of the sea and the East coast of Sicily. On a good day, you can see all the way down to the lighthouse in Capo Passero, the deepest land of Sicily and Europe.The view, especially during sunsets, is incredible, and instant mood boost in the morning.
Villa: a lot of parking space, gated, big garden with vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Lovely cats roaming about. The house is three stories and quite charming overlooking most other villas in the area. We stayed on the bottom floor and could still see the roofs and gardens of many other places nearby.
Surrounding area: Two small shops with the necessities within a minute's drive. A number of excellent markets (including fresh fish), restaurants, sights, hikes, etc., within 5 minutes. Everything you may need beyond that, including butcher and bakery, in Cassibile 15 minutes away by car. Excellent access to Syracuse and the East coast of Sicily, so a good base for day trips to Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Marzamemi, etc., [30-90 min drive], but really ideal for focusing on Syracuse. You will need at least 4 days to fully "see" it.
Immediate area: the beach is a 3-minute walk directly down from the villa. It is semi-organized, meaning, it is limestone slabs with occasional poured concrete platforms. Water access is off of those rocks. Probably not a good place for small children (for me this was a huge plus). The street has a row of villas, ranging from large L.A.-style millionaire glass-walled boxes to traditional cottages, and is narrow, which makes the crowds that come here for the beaches swarm the parking spots. I confess that being able to walk down to these beaches with the scramble going on is satisfying. There is also an organized beach very close (lawn, chairs with umbrellas, food, and drinks) mainly attended by locals nearby, too. Get there early to reserve a good spot. This area has terrific snorkeling, since it is a natural preserve park. If you time it right, you can swim alongside hundreds of fish in crystal clear water. Diverse fauna, healthy and big.
The host: I cannot fully report on Renata, because that would be the whole review and probably sound over-the-top and fake. She is a local and this is a house her father built; she is generous with everything, if you are open and considerate and happily she has a lot to give. Some highlights: cooking together, then sharing the meal during sunsets, sometimes with other locals, with lively and intelligent conversations; learned how to make a number of local dishes [pasta con la sarde, pasta alla Norma, caponata, eggplant rolls], including how to clean and eat fresh mussels [the man that taught me had hands that could cup a basketball and spoke only Italian]; 6am bike trek through the coast to the white cliffs with stunning views of Syracuse; snorkeling advice from someone who goes every day; visits to local artisans; multiple music concerts. Renata knows everyone, it seems, so a situation in which we were going to shop/restaurant under siege with a line outside and her saying "Ciao, so-and-so!" and us going in happened multiple times.
The sandwich shop at the market everyone wants to go to? Yeah, you get special "experiences" all right. Talk to Renata, arrange things with her, and you will end up with memories for life. I am sure we will come back here since we made a friend, but as I write this I realize that this is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered and will soon be under siege just like everything else here. Enjoy Renata's generosity, company, and her house while you can.
Shioban, June 2024
Renata's place is nestled within a natural reserve area, a few steps from the beautiful Sicilian sea. It's an ideal place to relax, and the apartment has everything you need. We particularly enjoyed having breakfast on the terrace taking in the view of the sea. The location is also quite strategic as you can easily reach Siracusa, but also other cities like Noto and Modica, which have lovely restaurants to go for dinner in the evening. Renata was very helpful and friendly during our stay, providing local recommendations. She also was very flexible on the check-in and check-out time. Overall we had a wonderful stay and would definitely stay here again.
Lorenzo, May 2024
Wir haben unseren Aufenthalt bei Renata sehr genossen! Der Ausblick auf das Meer und die Ostküste von Sizilien ist wunderbar und lädt zu gemütlichem Essen und Relaxen auf der großzügigen Terrasse ein. Die Unterkunft war sehr sauber und stilvoll eingerichtet, sodass man gerne auch mal Zeit dort verbracht hat. Die Unterkunft befindet sich in einem ruhigen gehobenen Wohngebiet, die steinige Küste ist in 5 Minuten zu Fuß erreichbar.
Pascal and Thierry, May 2024
Nous sommes enchantés par notre séjour chez Renata. L'emplacement est parfait: nous avions accès à la mer ou nous pouvions faire des sorties snorkeling. Nous étions à 15 minutes du centre ville de Syracuse. La maison est magnifique avec vue sur la mer, propre et bien équipée. Renata est une hôtesse parfaite. Toujours souriante, elle nous préparait le petit déjeuner, nous guidait pour nos sorties etc. Une de mes plus belles expériences Airbnb.
Renata war eine sehr aufmerksame und freundliche Gastgeberin, die gerne auf einen Espresso eingeladen hat und uns sogar kleine Geschenke, wie Zitronen oder selbstgemachte Marmelade vorbeigebracht. Dadurch, dass sie im oberen Teil der Villa wohnt, war sie jederzeit erreichbar und ansprechbar und hat uns wertvolle Tipps für die Umgebung gegeben.
Fabio, July 2023
Renata's house is the beach house everyone wants: sea view, maritime interiors, two minutes walk from the beautiful sea of Plemmirio reserve and 10-15 min drive from Siracusa/Ortigia!
