We stayed at Villa Galatea during the first week of June 2015. We rented the two bedroom apartment at the rear of the property which we found fantastic. My wife and I had our two young sons (8 mths and 4 years old) and my mother in law with us and the apartment covered all our needs.

A hire car is an absolute must as it is a very quiet village.

One thing that was a real bonus and did not appear in the photographs was the kids play area with a set of swings, wendy house, large trampoline (with safety net) and a hammock /swing chair. Our four year old was in heaven. The pool is beautiful but is not ideal for very small children as the shallow end is still too deep for an average 4 year old to touch the bottom. We spent a lot of the time in the pool with the kids. There is a small beach in the centre of the village but it was a bit untidy when we were there. This made the pool even more valuable asset.

When the children were knapping I would take the opportunity to go out of the rear gates and take the short path down to what feels like your own private cove. There are steps down into the sea and the snorkelling is excellent. I saw various species of fish and sea life.

If you want privacy and peace and quiet you will struggle to find a better place. If you are after night life then this is not the place for you. As the other reviews have said it is a small fishing village with three or four restaurants. It is a very fish centric place and the family run restaurant 10 meters from the end of the Villas driveway is fantastic. The best fish we have ever eaten and also did good pizza. There is a nice bar / gelato place in the centre of town where the locals all gathered in the evening for a stroll and a chat and they were all very friendly.

There are two small stores in the village and a large Supermarket in Giarre about 10 mins drive away. Whenever we wanted a meat fix we would go to the supermarket and cook for ourselves back at the apartment. The guys behind the butchers counter at the supermarket surprisingly spoke very good English and were extremely helpful. I found a Nero d'Avola for 6 euro in the supermarket which would easily cost you £15 - £20 in a UK supermarket. It was an excellent wine which went down very nicely in the evening when the kids had gone to bed. It was a lovely way to finish each day, sitting on the patio with the sea on one side and the view of Etna on the other with a nice glass of wine and some nibbles. There is also an undercover outside lounge area with rattan furniture which was a nice cool place to chill out when it got too hot.

Giarre is also the best place to join the Autostrada. Taormina is about 30 mins north towards Messina and well worth a visit. Also a drive up to the summit of Etna which took about 45 mins.

One thing I would recommend is a Sicilian phrase book as the caretaker Giuseppe does not speak any English at all. He is ever so helpful and will do whatever he can to help.

Now we know the lie of the land I can definitely see ourselves going back to Villa Galatea and would have no reservations in recommending it to any type of traveller.

Just returned from 10 day stay at Villa Galetea. Apartment is comfortable and well equipped, although lacked air conditioning and the internet connection was hardly ever available.
The villa is set in beautiful private gardens and has lovely views of Etna, the village harbour and out to sea. There is a lovely pool and if you wish swimming from the rocks just outside the villa's rear gates. Pippo, the keyholder, is very friendly and helpful.
There are 2 mini markets in the village and a supermarket and bank about 10 minutes drive away. The village is unspoiled and has a welcoming bar offering snacks, ice cream etc and 2 restaurants (one offering just fish and the other a slightly wider menu with pizza and occasionally meat dishes).
Overall a great base for exploring the Catania area of the island.