Giardino Arancio

You’ll definitely need a car to get around, but this is a great base for exploring Sicily and Etna, or for a quiet holiday among the orange trees. The hosts were polite and helpful, and everything was great. The rooms were very clean and decorated really nicely.

The setting is lovely, with a nice pool and views of Mount Etna. The rooms are pleasant, though the cleaning could be better. I can’t give this place five stars because the owners weren’t flexible with our needs and their manners bothered me. They seem fully set up for trekking tourists, while our group had booked almost the whole house for a different purpose. From the start, we felt they didn’t want us there and made no effort to adapt. For example, if you got to breakfast five minutes after it ended, you couldn’t even get a coffee, not even if you paid, while the buffet was still out. We weren’t leaving early for day trips, but our rooms were never cleaned, including those of families with children who specifically asked and had different needs. One member of our group was traveling with a baby and suggested in a Booking.com review that they be more flexible with bookings, while still giving them 8 points. The owner replied very aggressively, sharing details about why we had traveled, personal information, and even people’s names. I want to point that out now, not only because it’s illegal, but because I strongly advise against staying there. There are beautiful places with nicer hosts.

A little thing to keep in mind is the mosquitoes. There are nets on all the windows, and the hosts did what they could, but mosquitoes may still get into the room or bother you in the garden. Spray for outside or a plug-in repellent tablet device should help, so bring something along. Otherwise, we had a spacious ground-floor suite with two rooms and a bathroom, plus a large shared lounge, dining room, and well-equipped kitchen. There’s also a garden with a pool, surrounded by a huge orange and kumquat orchard. Breakfast in the garden was very good, especially for anyone who likes sweet breakfasts. Julien and Jacklin were great hosts and gave us lots of tips for Etna, beaches, and restaurants, including vouchers for free snacks at the cable car top station bar. They communicated well on Whatsapp before we arrived. This is ideal if you’re traveling by car, with plenty of parking in the yard and the motorway exit close by. There’s a large nearby supermarket with a great selection of Sicilian and other wines and cheeses, plus salads and ready-made food.

The highlight of our Sicily visit was going up Mt Etna with Eva and Julie. They’re mountain guides, so we could leave straight from the guest house in the morning for an informative guided trip, with a picnic lunch provided. We spent two wonderful days at Giardino Arancio, a guest house full of charm and character. Eva and Julien were lovely hosts. A big thank you to them.