We had the most wonderful holiday at Castello Claves. The castle, grounds and pool are even better than what the pictures show, and the location is ideal if you fancy a quiet, non touristy beach spot. Lilliana, who owns the castle and lives downstairs, was lovely, very hospitable and friendly, and happy to help us with anything we needed from organising taxis to ordering pizza!
All the rooms in the castle have great character, and the place is beautifully decorated. The tower rooms especially are magical, unlike any room i've slept in before, it really was a unique experience. The balcony space is huge and we enjoyed many delicious meals out there. The pool is a really good size too, surrounded by picturesque grounds and very comfortable sun loungers and beds. The sea is only 200 yards or so down the road, and the little town of Stazzo looks out onto it. There were not sandy beaches near us, but instead wooden structures on the volcanic rock that made it easy to climb down and go swimming. There were a couple of nice restaurants in Stazzo and little bars serving delicious granita on the seafront, but the best meal we had was at Lorenzo's in the neighbouring town of Santa Tecla. We ate incredible fish and seafood, and drank fantastic wine, all at a very reasonable price. The walk was only 25 minutes or so, and it was an easy amble down the little roads. We did not have a car during our stay, and if you wanted to go further a field it might be wise to hire one as transport links weren't great, but with the heat (37c some days), we were very happy to just enjoy the lovely grounds, pool and town of Stazzo. It was only 10 minutes to a little shop and to a few restaurants/bars, plus Lilliana can organise you a cab for a good price (we used this for airport connections, a bigger supermarket trip and a trip to the waterpark, Etnaland, which was great fun). We also enjoyed a snorkelling excursion with Mario, which was a really nice half day out.
All in all we were very impressed with Castello Claves and the surrounding area. Would recommend highly for families or bigger groups looking for a standard pool/beach villa holiday but with a Castello Claves with a twist.
Thank you Lilliana!