In the fishing village
The charming little fishing village of Santa Maria La Scala, with its excellent seafood restaurants and harbour provides the perfect backdrop to Casa alla Scala, a beautifully refurbished home whose splendid interiors and glorious al fresco areas make it a great destination all year round.
Our team has visited each of our villas, so they can share the finer details and help explore flexible date options
Includes
Excludes
Santa Maria La Scala, on the sea below Acireale, is a characterful working fishing village, still relatively untouched by tourism except during August and summer weekends when it attracts locals from Catania in search of the sea. Its harbour (where you can hire a boat), sea-front fish restaurants, bar and bathing platforms are on Casa alla Scala's doorstep.
Other lovely fishing villages, such as Aci Castello and Acitrezza, dot the coastline, while nearby Acireale is great for food shopping.
Taormina is just a short drive up the coast, fascinating Mount Etna awaits exploration behind you and Catania is just a short drive down the coast. Further afield, Syracuse is about an hour's drive away, but also suitable for day trips are the UNESCO World Heritage towns of Noto, Ragusa, Modica and Scicli. There's even a golf course within striking distance if you fancy a round!
From the Guest Book
The location of Casa alla Scala is sensational, and the villa is wonderful, very tastefully furnished, spacious and very clean. We felt privileged to stay in this wonderful place and congratulate the owners. One night we had a lady come to cook for us which was also a fantastic experience. The entire experience exceeded our expectations and we congratulate The Thinking Traveller.
Gerard Olivier June 2025
The view from Casa alla Scala was amazing! We felt lucky to wake up to that view every day! And the housekeeper was ever so efficient. I miss the morning granita van! One thing really struck me - Casa alla Scala looked exactly (if not better) than the pictures! In all of my travelling this is such a rarity - and this is what will make me book again with you - I know I'll have peace of mind there won't be any nasty surprises!
KC July 2024
Casa alla Scala was delightful with amazing views, spacious, clean and well proportioned.
Ms Tanya Howroyd, Malta January 2023
We loved our stay at Casa alla Scala. It was our first stay with The Thinking Traveller and now it will be hard to travel with anything else! The service was amazing!
MN, Italy August 2021
A wonderful villa in an enchanting place.
Verified guest, September 2023
Casa alla Scala was a beautiful apartment in a beautiful and very convenient location. The apartment is spacious and well outfitted, and the two outdoor terraces have spectacular views. It was a lovely place to just sit and read and watch the world go by but also centrally located to explore the region. Wonderful people make sure it is a great vacation, including the granita and gelato man who arrives with his cart every morning at 10:30 and returns again in the evening. Santa Maria la Scala is an active fishing village with boats full of swordfish coming in during the day, beautiful views of the coast, wedding parties posing for photographs and Italian families. The little beach gives easy access to the water and snorkeling, and a short climb over the rocks gives more options for swimming and snorkeling. It was a great vacation and I couldn't recommend any place more highly.
Verified guest, July 2025
Excellent
4.8/5
982 Reviews