By Giovanni Vallone (President of Il Console Association, writer, author)

Closest Market:  5 kms - Closest restaurant: 2 kms - Closest Piazza (or center): 5 kms

This gorgeous villa is located 5 kms away from Brucoli (photo), a very very nice fisherman village where you can enjoy, along the promenade, restaurants, coffe, shops.

Just two kilometers away here it is the sandy beach of Agnone Bagni.

We are in the eastern side of Sicily, the homeland of Etna volcano that with its inactive volcanoes (the sons of Etna), caves, forests, lava grounds … lasts about 10 km

I suggest you to enjoy our Etna tour

We are in the middle between Catania and Syracuse, both 30 kms away.

In Catania I suggest you to park the car in Piazza Alcalà than have a walk: let's start from the worldwide famous Pescheria (photo, outdoor fish market), then to Piazza Duomo (the hearth of Catania) and from it take the Via Etnea, the main street of the town, a pedestrian walking full of shops, cafe and wonderful buldings in Baroque style. Let's walk for about a kilometer, visiting the Roman amphitheatre (in Piazza Stesicoro) until arrive to the Villa Bellini (Catania's public garden).

The Playa of Catania (beach) is almost 20 kms away and is close by Piazza Duomo. In this area there are many lido (private beaches where you can rent umbrellas, deckchairs, have a meal in a cafe ...) and I suggest you to enjoy the Lido Verde, partner of MammaSicily.

Other places worth a visit, in Catania area, are: Acitrezza and Acicastello (5 km’s), both fishermen hamlets, where lava flow of millenia ago has modelled the landscape: in Acicastello you can find a stunning castle in lava stone overhanging the sea and in Acitrezza the Faraglioni (sea stacks).

Siracusa (Unesco’s), and its Greek masterpieces it’s almost 30 km’s away. In the picture you can see the gorgeous theatre.

The center of Siracusa is the wonderful island of Ortigia (photo): a masterpiece of beauty.

Another tips is the visit of Pantalica (Unesco’s, 20 kms), with its more than 3000 graves carved on the rock, a river, a forest and a sort of mistery all around.

Taormina, the pearl of Sicily, is almost 60 km’s away: it’s a magic place with the amazing Isolabella and its narrow streets rich in history, a sort of vintage atmosphere and fashion: cool!

If you are nature lovers, here there are two great places: Vendicari (50 kms) and Cavagrande del Cassibile(30 kms) where nature, archeology and birds live together in perfect harmony.

You are in the Sicily of Baroque style, so you can't miss the amazing Noto (photo, 30 kms) an Unesco's world heritage.

Its time to eat something and my tip is to do not miss the Pasta alla Norma and to have, at least once, a typical Sicilian breakfast: granita and brioche!

Of course, we suggest you to enjoy our Silvana's Cooking Class, just few kilometers away from the villa.

And, of course, fish, fish, fish … and visit the outdoor fish markets (Riposto, Acitrezza, Catania).