"la Casina del forno con piscina fra Catania e Siracusa "

swimming pool view of Etna and sunset

Excellent accommodation with a beautiful view from the terrace. We had a great time with the children, using the stay to relax and recharge with fresh energy that this place truly provides. The owner, Enzo, is very hospitable and friendly, and was happy to give us advice on where to go and how to plan our trips. The accommodation is about half an hour from Catania, but no less attractive because of it. For rest and relaxation, it is ideally located away from the city and its hustle and bustle.

The location is very scenic, particularly the view of Etna from the pool terrace when the skies are clear. There are also beautiful sunsets available! The property is comfortable, not enormous but high ceilings make it feel spacious. The kitchen area is well-equipped, with a proper hob and oven, and a small freezer as well as a fridge. Good bathroom with a nice shower. Comfy bed and quiet at night. We didn't use the pool (in early April) but it was available, very clean, and had the weather been warmer we certainly would have used it. Host Enzo is very helpful and communicative. Lentini (which is nearer to the property by car than Carlentini) is a busy town with rather manic traffic and not really a tourist destination, although it does boast an excellent pizza takeaway with a few tables outside and has good supermarkets. But if you avoid going through Lentini you can reach the autostrada quickly and get to Catania, Augusta and Siracusa easily. All are very good places to visit. Ragusa (for fans of Montalbano) takes a while longer but is amazing...

As noted by a previous reviewer, the house is a converted barn or stable and there's not a lot of natural light inside, there are only three windows about a metre square each (plus a small one high up and one in the bathroom). Most of them face south, so daytime light would be ok, one faces west for evening light, but there's only a blank wall to the east so mornings are not bright at all. The weather was cold for our first few days and the heating struggled to keep the space warm, high ceilings and stone floors are a definite disadvantage in that respect. Probably nice to have in the summer though! It wasn't really clear from the listing and pictures that neither the pool nor the outside eating area is adjacent to the house, they are accessed by going around the owner's residence, although to be fair, he has made a separate pathway just for guests to use. But the eating area was too far away for us to bother carrying all our things there. The other outside seating (with the oven) is next to the house but is in the shade all day apart from the later evening, so not a breakfast option at this time of year.

Quiet — except when the gate was being opened, for example in the morning :)

The “private house” is more like a garden cabin or a large garage next to the owner’s house, which you can actually see in the photos on Booking. Inside it’s dark, with a strange smell. Cheap, tacky furnishings. No doors between rooms. We paid for 4 adults (we were 2 adults + 2 children). The kids slept on a sofa bed in the kitchen, which had to be folded and unfolded every day because of the lack of space. The washing machine didn’t spin properly, so the laundry came out soaking wet, etc. The arrival and surroundings weren’t great either.

Amazing location in the hills with views of sunset and etna. Perfect base to do various day trips to etna / coastal cities. Great bbq facilities. Very helpful owner. We really enjoyed our stay here as a family of three.

Magnifique jardin avec piscine sur vue imprenable sur la vallée et l’Etna. Accès à une belle place barbecue et sa cuisine extérieure. Merci de nous avoir aidé à commander les pizzas

La cuisine sommaire mériterait quelques accessoires supplémentaires : torchon, couverts à salade. Les saladiers en plastiques ne sont pas très agréables d’utilisation. La climatisation ne fonctionne pas. Les canapés en palette ne sont donc pas très confortables

Magnifique vue sur l'etna avec de très beaux couchés de soleil.

Værtens gæstfrihed, roen og selvfølgelig udsigten