The Green Seaside Apartments

The accommodation was perfect. Clean , modern and very peaceful. It was well equipped so a true home from home.

Overall we were impressed with the property. It’s in two parts really. As there was only two of us space wasn’t an issue. The apartment itself was very clean and being on the first floor had a lovely aspect over the garden and pool. The bathroom was nice and the bedrooms were too. The air con worked well in one bedroom but was positively freezer like in the second. The front aspect of the place is very nice, lovely gardens and good pool. The whole block however seems to be split into two bits. The four front apartments in the good bit with access to the pool but to the sides and the rear it’s all showing signs of age and looks very jaded. The owners obviously knew that the pool and garden area would be overrun by the folk in these apartments, who I would guess didn’t have access to the pool and garden area, so kept a close watch on proceedings. I couldn’t actually decide if these apartments were rented out or owned and lived in outright. We had no issue with any of them, but it was an aspect we didn’t anticipate. The families with young children could be boisterous in true Italian fashion but it added entertainment. Outside the front there was a road that separates the apartments from the beach. I wouldn’t call it a main road but it was the route along the coast so was pretty busy. I would imagine in high summer it would be jammed. I got the impression from the initial viewings on the site that the apartment was either beach side or with views of the beach but it was neither. Again this wasn’t an issue for us two but if you had children and thought you could let them on the beach and keep an eye on them, well you cannot. A car is essential. There are lido’s along the beach and public free areas but unless you want all your time on the beach then you need transport. We actually found it quite a decent spot to set off from. Etna was a bit of an uphill drive to the base station but Taormina is close and for Godfather fans the main movie sites are close by and easily reached. We drove about most days and always found some interesting spots. There are some excellent vineyards on Etnas northern slopes. The local restaurants were close by. We stayed local every night to avoid driving and by and large the food was very good in most and excellent in one or two. It’s typical Sicilian but nothing wrong with that, it’s what we go for in the first place. In summary we think it’s well worth a visit. Couldn’t fault the owners, enjoyed it all.

Property was very clean, all ameneties as described, pool area lovely and relaxing. All the staff we dealt with were fantastic and helped us in every way, especially Giuseppe! To stay at this property I would advise hiring a car to access other parts of Sicily. Would recommend this property.

We had a late flight and did not arrive in Fondachello until around midnight but we were met by a lovely lady who showed us our private parking spot (with locked gates to the gardens/garage). She then showed us everything we needed to know about the apartment, garden and local restaurants. It was perfect for our family of 4 with views to Etna from the back and the lovely gardens and pool to the front. The balcony runs the length of the apartment so plenty of space with outdoor tables and chairs for eating and a comfortable sofa for chilling out. There were specific times we could use the pool but this was not a problem as there was loads of time! Many days we had the pool to ourselves for the morning if we were not going out until later, I had a swim at 9 every morning and there was never anyone else there-I will miss this! Often around 5-7 it was also very quiet. The apartment had enough to make basic meals,I would say an extra pot would have been helpful but as we mostly ate out in evenings it was never much of a problem. Fondachello is a little town but close to so many lovely places such as Etna (which we saw erupt,kids were very impressed!), the very lovely Taormina and Giradini Naxos, Botanical gardens, Alcantara gorge but also only around 1.5 hours from Syracuse. I would definitely recommend the apartment if you want to see this area of Sicily. I'd also recommend Iceberg for ice cream, a 5 minute walk away. We will be back to aee other parts of the island we missed!