Villa Allegra - Holiday home at Catania (Vaccarizzo)

Holidays at nature paradise "Oasi del Simeto"

Where the Simeto river flows into the Ionian Sea on the east coast of Sicily lies nature reserve "Oasi del Simeto" with its fascinating flora and fauna. The plain of the Simeto River is dominated by 'omnipresent' Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano. At the foot of Mount Etna lies the lively coastal town of Catania.

About 13 km south of Catania, in the protected area of the nature reserve and only a 400 m walk from the wide sandy dune beach, Villa Allegra lies in a private park with villas and holiday accommodations, which is known to be a preferred residential area.

Vacationing at Villa Allegra

The south-facing house is laid out for 4 persons, more specifically for 2 adults and 2 children.

Villa Allegra has got a kitchen-dining-living room (incl. 4-burner gas stove, oven, refrigerator with freezer compartment), which opens onto the roofed south-facing terrace, two bedrooms (double bed; twin beds) and a bathroom (shower/WC/bidet; hair dryer, towels).

The twin bedroom is suitable and intended for children; the sofa in the living area might be used as a sleeping facility for a 5th person (only a 3rd child!).

Furnishing of Villa Allegra also includes SAT-TV, washing machine, fly screens and children’s bed. Air conditioning with heating device (extra charge for use) is found in the living room and in the double bedroom. At the holiday home there are two bicycles which you can feel free to use.

Outdoor area of Villa Allegra

From the roofed, south-facing terrace with adjoining arbor a spiral staircase runs up to the sunny roof terrace. The roofed terrace on the north side of the house, where you also find a grill* (see possbile extra charge below) and an outdoor shower at your disposal, might be the perfect place if you prefer a bit of shade in between or on particularly hot days. 

The small, beautifully laid out garden is home to a great variety of Mediterranean plants as well as to classic arance rosse, Sicilian blood oranges, and sweet tangerines.

There are two parking spaces on the fenced property. We strongly recommend (renting) a car for your stay at Villa Allegra, just to make sure you can get around and do your daily shopping, for example. Unfortunately, bus connections are far from regular and, in general, cannot be relied on.

Note for people with allergies: CATS live on the property and around the house.

Should you need or wish for any help or advice, do not hesitate to ask family Allegra. They are glad to support you in any way to make sure you enjoy your holidays.

Surroundings, shopping and excursions

In the holiday home area and about 500 m from Villa Allegra, there is a so-called minimarket where, from April to mid September, you can do your daily shopping of bread, meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables, but where you can also buy cleaning agents and the like. For bigger shopping as well as shopping during low season stop at shopping center "Porte di Catania" or "Centro Sicilia". There are also some smaller supermarkets which are easily found on Google Maps.

Medical assistance service is available not quite 10 km off in Viale Kennedy.

Not far from Villa Allegra and right by the sea there are some bars (open in summer) and restaurants (open year-round), for example, and to name only a few, Costa del Sole, Ciao Darwin and Sicily Country House. Other bars and restaurants open year-round are found outside the holiday park, when driving towards Catania or Brucoli. 

The Baroque town of Catania with its cathedral, amphitheater and fish market is, of course, absolutely worth a closer look. The towns of Taormina, Syracuse and Acireale are not too far off and also interesting and worthwhile destinations for excursions.

The core zone of nature reserve Oasi del Simeto is only 1 km from Villa Allegra. An extensive network of trails runs through this nature paradise with its rich avifauna, which includes herons, herring gulls, bee-eaters and purple swamp hens. Whether you want to explore Oasi del Simeto on foot or on horseback or go for a dive to discover its underwater world, you are sure to get your money's worth.
Many wonderful nature reserves are found both to the north and to the south from where Villa Allegra is located.  

More information about Catania