This is a traditional property renovated to a good standard on the edge of the old town with great views and a fantastic wraparound terrace to sit out and relax. If you want a piece of the real Sicily then don’t hesitate to stay here. The basilica bells just add to your cultural experience and you can even hear mass and the priest sing! Mario is charming and very helpful, he has thought of everything you might need and there are some lovely little personal touches in the property. We managed to negotiate the streets of the old town and park right outside which was challenging but fun - cms to spare in places! Plenty of restaurants within walking distance. Good base for a visit to Etna. Really enjoyed our stay here

We loved our stay in this apartment! It was our favorite during our three week journey through Europe. Mario was an amazing host, meeting us at the parking lot, helping make sure we were settled in comfortably. He even provided some initial grocery items like milk, fruit and sparkling wine! The apartment has three separate bedrooms with enough beds for our family of five. The AC was a lifesaver since we were visiting during a heat wave. We loved drinking our morning tea and evening wine on the balcony watching the locals move through the church square, listening to the church bells and watching the ocean and the trains go by. The kitchen was well stocked and easy to use. Acireale was a fun place to stay, we loved exploring the town and were lucky enough to be there during a day long dance performance from local dance schools in the Piazza. Mario's restaurant recommendations are good - make sure to try them! Mario also helped us arrange taxis and met us early in the morning of our departure to make sure we left for the train station on time. We'd come back in a heartbeat! Thank you for a lovely stay.

We stayed at Casa Aranci for 3 nights in late May, and we already miss it! Our host Mario is just wonderful. He was there from day 1 to help us become acquainted with this beautiful city as we were first-time visitors to the region. Casa Aranci itself was perfect for us, and its view of the Ionian Sea is breath-taking. So many thoughtful details throughout the place! We enjoyed walking to Piazza Duomo for dinner in the evenings and visiting the shops. We cannot wait to visit and stay at Casa Aranci again!

We had a great time and enjoyed Mario’s villa. Will visit again when we are in Sicily

The house is all that’s advertised and more. Mario not only made sure the house is well equipped, he made sure there’s shampoo and bath gel (most guests have their own but you might need it). A basket of oranges and sweets was waiting for us.

We had a lovely stay at Casa Aranci, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Mario and Eamon, the owners of this charming property, who were enormously kind and helpful not only in providing advice about how best to reach the many sights within the area, such as Etna, Catania, Taormina and Siracusa, but also in their assistance with making arrangements and negotiating with the local taxi service in addition to their recommendations on the many good restaurants within Acireale and elsewhere that would not otherwise be discovered by novice visitors. The well-equipped property, whose location is close to the church in Piazza Duomo, has a superb balcony from which to observe Sicilian life and enjoy beautiful sea views, especially at sundown with something cold and alcoholic; and is also in a great location to walk down to the quaint fishing village of Santa Maria La Scala to enjoy some excellent sea food and yet more beautiful sea views. The old town of Acireale is lovely and remarkably un-touristy given its proximity to Catania. It also serves as a convenient base from which to visit other significant sights on the Ionian coast; and if you like baroque architecture and very good, traditional Sicilian restaurants which are also very reasonably priced (e.g. €55-€65 for a family of 5, including starters, such as caponata and bruschetta, and main courses of pasta and pizza washed down with a 1 litre of good house wine) then Acireale is the place to be! Furthermore, we had the good fortune of our visit coinciding with Acireale's Carnevale that also occurs in early August, as well as in February, which was also thoroughly worthwhile experience. Finally, we had an excellent time in Acireale and on Sicily's Ionian coast, and this was in no small part due to the help of Casa Aranci’s very kind and hospitable owners, Mario and Eamon. We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Casa Aranci to anyone looking to explore this lovely part of the world.

Look no further. Choose this one. A real taste of authentic Sicily. Stayed here as a group of five friends – outstanding location close to all sights and amenities. Centrally located in the heart of the Piazza, panoramic views over a glistening sea. Spacious and airy bedrooms, with ensuites and roomy, hand-crafted wardrobes, functioning shuttered windows and balconies, overlooking magnificent church. You immediately feel you are in the hub of Sicilian life. The Townhouse is well appointed in a classical style with touches of modern décor. Very versatile, suits an entire family or group like ours or separate couples: The top floor has well-equipped and comfortable living and kitchen space, for family group dining. Handy adjacent bathroom. The magnificent central ocean view on a wide panoramic balcony is THE place to sit, sip and wonder in awe , morning or evening. Pure heaven. A short 5-10 minute walk to a very well stocked supermarket – fresh produce, reasonably priced, you can spend the week working through their cheese and wine, envying Sicilian lemons and everything else Italian. Also nearby picturesque Cathedral and Churches, welcoming coffee shops pastries, cakes and lunches. Excellent range restaurants – authentic Italian . Here also are the artisan shops, bakeries, smart retail, pharmacy etc. A walk down to the cliff to beautiful town of Santa Maria La Scala for sunning swimming and lunching and a welcome return bus. . We were also able to arrange a day out with a very comfortable taxi drop off and pick up to Taormina, which is not to be missed. Absolutely spectacular. We didn’t hire a car as we didn’t really need to. Maybe for longer visits. Used the taxis recommended. Hosts so helpful with arrangements and airport pickup. This is truly a very comfortable and well-appointed base to explore and enjoy. Well run and maintained with thought and care. Rooms/floors have individual locks and the solid front door is very secure. It felt very safe. The area felt safe. Plenty of hot water, spotlessly clean, as the accommodation is large. Plentiful fresh linens. large fridge, good washing machine/drying space, to minimise packing, extendable dining table, plenty of chairs. Spare beds for children and enough space to move around. Well loved and looked after accommodation. Even the plants looked perky. A great find. Recommend. A magical stay at Casa Aranci -

Look no further. Choose this one. A real taste of authentic Sicily. Stayed here as a group of five friends – outstanding location close to all sights and amenities. Centrally located in the heart of the Piazza, panoramic views over a glistening sea. Spacious and airy bedrooms, with ensuites and roomy, hand-crafted wardrobes, functioning shuttered windows and balconies, overlooking magnificent church. You immediately feel you are in the hub of Sicilian life.The Townhouse is well appointed in a classical style with touches of modern décor. Very versatile, suits an entire family or group like ours or separate couples: The top floor has well-equipped and comfortable living and kitchen space, for family group dining. Handy adjacent bathroom.The magnificent central ocean view on a wide panoramic balcony is THE place to sit, sip and wonder in awe , morning or evening. Pure heaven.A short 5-10 minute walk to a very well stocked supermarket – fresh produce, reasonably priced, you can spend the week working through their cheese and wine, envying Sicilian lemons and everything else Italian. Also nearby picturesque Cathedral and Churches, welcoming coffee shops pastries, cakes and lunches. Excellent range restaurants – authentic Italian . Here also are the artisan shops, bakeries, smart retail, pharmacy etc. A walk down to the cliff to beautiful town of Santa Maria La Scala for sunning swimming and lunching and a welcome return bus. . We were also able to arrange a day out with a very comfortable taxi drop off and pick up to Taormina, which is not to be missed. Absolutely spectacular. We didn’t hire a car as we didn’t really need to. Maybe for longer visits. Used the taxis recommended. Hosts so helpful with arrangements and airport pickup.This is truly a very comfortable and well-appointed base to explore and enjoy. Well run and maintained with thought and care. Rooms/floors have individual locks and the solid front door is very secure. It felt very safe. The area felt safe. Plenty of hot water, spotlessly clean, as the accommodation is large. Plentiful fresh linens. large fridge, good washing machine/drying space, to minimise packing, extendable dining table, plenty of chairs. Spare beds for children and enough space to move around. Well loved and looked after accommodation. Even the plants looked perky. A great find. Recommend. A magical stay at Casa Aranci -

A beautiful quaint Italian property very near a Catholic Church (whose bells I am now missing)! The view from the top third floor is spectacular looking at the sea and you can do a bit of people watching as the locals go about their business. You also get the early morning sun which you can enjoy sitting on the balcony with your expresso! And in the evening just as stunning with your glass of prosecco or Italian red! There were five of us in the party staying here and we certainly had plenty of room. The town is 5 mins away - with plenty of restuarants and coffee shops. The owners of the property also left us taxi details and people to contact for excursions which we made the most of. We visited Taormina by by car and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves but I am so glad that we stayed in Acireale as I felt we were more in an Italian environment away from too many tourists. Every day we walked to Piazza del Duomo where there is the most incredible coffee shop with cakes, ice cream and assortment of Italian pastries. It is directly opposite the huge church. And every day it took us ages to actually chose what we wanted as we tried to taste everything. The staff were so friendly and patient! At night we always went somewhere different to eat - and believe me I would not be able to say which was the best restaurant! They were so good!!! There are also excellent walks by the sea and a lot to explore. I will definitely be returning to Casa Aranci as I think I have found my new 2nd home! Thank you to the owners of Casa Aranci and their family nearby who were always willing to help and give advice!

With just enough updates to make the whole stay great. Great hosts made our stay a great experience.

This house became very special to us as it's very welcoming ,homely ,tastefully decorated,well equipped and modern.The owners couldn't have been more helpful with advice about the area and tips on restaraunts etc.We loved Airiceale and it's people,buildings and culture.Its not as "touristy" as Taormina so we feel that we had a more "genuine" experience.Airiceale has restaurants,cafes,shops,historic churches and squares and very nice people.Prices at cafes and restaurants are very reasonable for delicious food(pizza,pasta,fish,meat),beers and wine. We would advise hiring a car after a day or two when you get more used to the narrow streets and the sometimes eyebrow and hair-raising drivers in Sicily.Casa Aranchi -great! Airiceale -great!

Eamon and Paola were very gracious hosts. We had everything we needed and more. The view from the balcony was beautiful and relaxing. Streets a bit tight but with Paola’s help we managed and it only added to the charm!!

Streets are narrow so small car is good. Trip to Mt Etna was interesting.

Eamon was helpful in emailing us lots of useful information before our arrival. When we contacted him during our stay he was quick to respond. So a very good stay in a spacious apartment, the church bells were a bonus! Many thanks. Paola who saw us in was on hand across the road if you needed anything, she only speaks Italian which is logical as we were in Sicily! Great fun!

The place is very nice and very spacious. Paola was very welcoming. The home was in a perfect spot. We explored Acireale the first day. There is a lovely nature walk only steps from the casa. We ate a few local restaurants and none disappointed. La Locanda di abbatizza(4min walk) was our favorite. We also took day road trips to Catania and Taormina once again the casa was in the perfect spot to do so with out driving forever. We would definitely stay there again when we come back.

This apartment in beautiful Acireale was a fabulous place to stay. It is large, has very high ceilings, wonderful balconies and lots of sun. It is perfect for two couples ( altho we were one) but would work with a few children also. The way it is set up leads to a lot of privacy; each floor can be closed off. One floor up there is a bedroom and large bath with a tub; one floor above that is another large BR, a smaller one, a bath, and a wrap around balcony. The third floor has another bath, and the most wonderful open space with a big galley kitchen, washing machine, wonderful eating area and magnificent balcony with plants, eating area, view of the sea, and a spiral staircase leading to the rooftop with a view of both the sea and Etna It is on a pretty street, on a beautiful square with a church and within easy walking distance of the square, the market, and multiple wonderful places to eat. Bells ring in the church on "our" square from about 6:00-10, but they are pretty, and even without earplugs, they did not bother us at all. The best thing about the place is the hosts. They sent us extensive information about the town - where to eat, what to do, suggestions about places to explore, and about day trips from the area. We had the most contact with Mario, who lives in London, but grew up in Acireale, and comes back frequently. He is so friendly and kind; we spent lots of time with him, and that contributed to our fantastic stay. Even when in London, he responds almost immediately to all emails. His English (and Italian) are perfect, and he is also fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Paola lives across the street and she let us in and explained everything - even tho she speaks almost no English. She is lovely We are not the only ones who love to stay there - the people before us stayed for months! We will recommend his apartment to everyone, not just because it is wonderful, but because the hosts put so much effort into making sure the guests have a perfect time. I would go out of my way to stay there; it did turn out to be the perfect base to explore the east coast of Sicily.

The property is very clean and spacious with a lovely terrace off the top floor living/dining area. There is also a further roof terrace at the top of the house for those seeking uninterrupted sunshine. The house is well fitted out and comfortable with airconditioning in each room. It is only a few minutes' walk to the centre of Acireale and there is always something going on in one of the piazzas! There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance including the Mescan immediately below the house. There is a Deco supermarket within walking distance and larger supermarkets accessible if you have a car. There are plenty of places to visit if you have a car (but make sure it is a small one as some of the roads are very narrow) - we visited Etna, Siracusa/Ortygia, Taormina, Gole Alcantara, Acitrezza, Acicastello and Catania plus a number of beaches up and down the coast. The best sandy beach we found was in Catania, south of the port, where there are a large number of lidos where you can pay for entry/sunbeds and spend the day. The nearest place to the house to swim is in Santa Maria la Scala, which you can walk down to from the house although the walk back up is quite testing - there is a decking platform down there which has sun beds for hire and a decent bar/restaurant. If you are travelling with kids, we also recommend Etnaland, near Misterbianco, which is a large waterpark by day with lots of rides and in the evening, the other side of the park opens as a theme park, again with decent rides (andno queuing - at least when we were there!). Our host, Mario, was extremely informative and hospitable, providing plenty of info before and after arrival and Paola, who is the housekeeper, was very welcoming, charming and very helpful. In summary, we loved our stay at Casa Aranci and had an amazing holiday.

Nous avons passé de superbes vacances avec ma fille. L'appartement est très propre et possède une terrasse avec une vue exceptionnelle dans un quartier calme. Le dépaysement est assuré! Merci à Paola pour son accueil chaleur et Emon pour sa flexibilité qui nous a permis d'arriver un jour plus tôt suite à un problème d'annulation du vol à notre départ de lyon (France)

Thank you for an amazing stay in Sicily! Mario and Eamon are the perfect hosts and I would definitely recommend Casa Aranchi....we spent a week here in mid August. Casa Aranchi is beautifully spacious, immaculate accommodation, with all amenities and amazing views over the Med. A great location with beautiful restaurants, supermarket, pharmacy and lots of other shops and the piazza within 5 mins walking distance. We enjoyed lovely walks down the hill to the beach and were within an easy drive to Mount Etna, where we spent a morning exploring, as well as a day trip to the beach in Taormina and a day spent at the Aqua park at Etnaland. So much to do and was enjoyable for all as we had children and grandparents with us. Mario and Eamon gave us so much information about what to do and where to go and were even able to assist with a driver to take us on our day trips! Having Paola the housekeeper across the way was a godsend - she was amazingly helpful! This was our first trip to Italy as a family and we all enjoyed the beautiful sights and architecture of Catania/Acireal, a truly authentic Sicilian experience. The people were so lovely and friendly and we had the most amazing time....thank you Mario and Eamon....we look forward to going back again next summer!!! Ghazala, Trevor and kids xx

We spent ten days as a family of four, in this fabulous property! The house itself was spotless, plenty bedrooms for all of us and a fabulous terrace with a marvellous view.. We travelled to giardini, Taormina, castelmola which was a quaint village in the mountains.. Also travelled south to Ragusa. Car hire was available in acireale. We would like to thank Paola for her kind help too. She made a huge difference and was a pleasant assistance to us. Town was very Sicilian experience . We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We loved casa aranci!! We hope to return again in the future. Thanks for the tips about the lovely restaurants too Mario and eamon

we just came back home after our stay in Casa Aranci we enjoyed the accomodation and the city Acireale. We made some trip to Taormina, Giardini, Catania and the Etna The look at the volcano in eruption by night from the top of the house was fantastic The view to the sea from the terrace was gorgeous Paola welcome us with plenty of kindness and we thank her very much

We had a very pleasant time at Casa Aranci. The house exceeded our expectations. A spacious terrace with stunning sea views. And an additional terrace with stunning views of the active Mount Etna. We saw the lava flow. In addition, the housekeeper had made the house tiptop in order. The stay in the city suited us well. Shops and recommended restaurants nearby. Or just to eat an ice cream in the evening. The carnival provided a cheerful crowds. From Catania we visited Syracuse, Etna, Agrigento and Taormina. Syracuse and Agrigento fascinating to their excavations, the spectacular Etna with the extraordinary landscape and Taormina too touristy. In addition, we have been a few times to the beach. The water was lovely; the outward and especially return journey was heavy. We will definitely recommend Cas Aranci to anyone who wants to visit wonderful, friendly, somewhat chaotic but definitely delicious Sicily!

The accomodation was fantastic we arrived with police escort for we had 6 people and a big car and could not get down to the house so the policeman parked us in the car park and walked us to our house and waited till we were safe inside what a great start to our stay it continued that way everything and everybody were fantastic it snowed on Etna what a site and we loved the church chimes thanks for all the information on eats and getting around and it was a wonderful stay we were made so welcome I would recommend casa aranci as a place to stay it was clean spacious convenient location a great town thank you eamon and mario

I recently stayed at Casa Aranci with my partners family, there were 7 of us from the ages of 2 up to 78 and this beautiful house suited everyone's needs! From the moment we arrived we experienced a real Sicilian experience, the town where the house is located is just charming and completely authentic, so make sure if you do not speak Italian take a phase book to help, although we found the locals to be extremely helpful and more than willing to try! I would recommend hiring a car, but the roads are very narrow around the house so Mario (The owner) gave us a tip to park the car nearby in a car park, which was fantastic and we had a 7 sweater car, so perfect. The house it's self is stunning with amazing views and on a clear day you can see Etna, it has everything you would need for a real home from home stay. It is spotlessly clean and decorated to a high stand. Make sure you ask for the owners recommendations for dinner, we had some spectacular meals within walking distance of the house, the best being a restaurant called "Vecchia Aci" near the house, we had a an excellent meal here, try their special Fillet Steak! The house is near to many other towns, Catania, Mount Etna, but also has the sea, churches, shops and restaurants all within walking distance, so perfect for us! thank you again to Mario for giving us lots of information and some great recommendations!

We stayed at this wonderful house recently on our first visit to Sicily. Mario the owner provided us with lots of useful information about the area and how to make the most of our visit. The house is in a fantastic location for exploring the area with amazing views of the sea and church. We spent many hours watching life unfold in the square below us and found the driving 'ethos' of the Sicilians highly amusing! The house is a great size, spotlessly clean and equipped with everything you could possibly need for a great get away. Unfortunately we had a bit of a drama on our last day. We had travelled all the way back to Palermo airport (3 hours away) when I realised that I had left my passport at the house! We couldn't get flights back until the next day. We rang Mario who was amazing and a great source of reassurance who said we could have the house for an extra night with no charge. We drove back and were met by the lovely Paola who with the help of her son Diego proceeded to help us with the seemingly impossible task of printing off our tickets (Ryan air would have charged us £70 per ticket for the privilege). We quickly realised that 'internet cafés are virtually unheard of here! Even with this 'blip' we are already looking forward to visiting this beautiful country again and would like to thank everyone at Casa Aranci for a memorable stay.

this home is wonderful. we felt confortable immediately. the level of cleanliness is very apparent. we had everything we needed to make it a memorable week. Sitting on the terrace every day and night and drinking a lovely glass of wine and looking at the beautiful water view was a daily ritual we looked forward to. the church was a great addition to the whole feel of the trip. we watched sicilian life unfold, including a wedding. the fish/fruit/vegetable market is a must. we visited it daily. we walked all the streets of the town as well and enjoyed it immensely. there was plenty of room for 5 adults to have all the privacy and togetherness that we wanted. the homes location was also very convenient as a jump off spot to areas on the east and south coasts. do not listen to any car rental agencies and get a big car. mario warned us but we fell for the sales pitch because we were 5 adults. it was very interesting to say the least..a standard shift SUV. By the third day I, (as the designated driver - my husband would have ended up in jail) had it down but i would strongly suggest a small to medium car for any driving in sicily. Paola was very helpful for any daily questions we had, including leading me through the streets with my big SUV. I am home now in the US and dreaming about Acireale and Sicily and looking forward to my next visit. thanks marianne