Villa Papardo

The garden and pool were a huge part of what made our stay at Villa Papardo so good. The grounds are beautifully laid out, with mature palms, shrubs, cactuses, traditional Scillian pottery and lighting in the evenings. It’s clear they’ve been cared for over many years. The pool is a great size and mostly shallow, with a wonderfully deep section at one end. The water was clear and a lovely temperature, and Placido kept the pool area in good shape throughout our visit. From the property, we had privacy and a fantastic distant view of mount Etna. Placido made us feel welcome even though we arrived late and tired. He showed us around and shared plenty of suggestions for restaurants, shops, sights and nearby villages. He was always available while still giving us space, and helped with restaurant reservations because our son has special dietary requirements. He also cleaned the pool while we were out and helped us get the internet working again after a lightening storm. The villa was spotless and finished to a high standard. Inside, there’s a spacious living room, a lovely hand painted traditional kitchen and two large bedrooms. At the other end, there’s another big space that worked well as a bedroom for two of our children. The bathroom has a huge tub and a walk in shower. It’s a basement conversion, but the skylights and large living room windows keep it from feeling too dark. It stayed cool without air conditioning, though the air conditioning worked very well too. We even saw a major eruption from Etna not long after arriving. Watching it from beside the pool at night with drinks felt surreal. Ash fell in the early morning, but Placido had cleaned the terraces and pool by the time we finished breakfast, and the ash never became a problem. Our five star review is well deserved. Thank you, Placido!