Mandra Chiusilla

Such great views!

The quiet setting is the only good thing. My room had cobwebs everywhere and an extremely uncomfortable bed. Hygiene was seriously lacking in the breakfast area too, where lots of cats wandered freely among the dishes and on the tables. The little road to the property is badly damaged, and you could seriously damage your car driving it. Absolutely not recommended.

The family running the place were very kind. I saw them at check-in and breakfast during the off-season. The rooms are large and clean, and the farmhouse has a lovely rustic feel, with the stone and wood visible. It's set in a valley with a sea view and nature all around. One thing to know: after leaving the provincial road, there's about a kilometre of dirt and concrete road to reach the property. A low car might have trouble. I drove a DS5, which isn't a tall car, and had to go very slowly.

The access road climbs 90 metres over about a kilometre. It's passable, but a bit tricky. Our rental car had a low front bumper, though it was fine as long as we took it slowly and watched out for potholes. A small fridge would also be handy for keeping a few bottles of water cold. We stayed in room 3, which was comfortable and charming, like a mountain chalet. It had an en-suite bathroom and a mezzanine with an extra bed. In the morning, Ginevra, Peppino's daughter, served a generous, delicious breakfast. Many thanks to both of them. Mandra Chiusilla sits on a ridge at 800 metres and looks out over a beautiful green valley. Peppino welcomed us warmly and gave us useful tips for our hike to Pizzo Carbonaro. He even called a good nearby restaurant to make sure we'd have a table and a warm welcome.