Etnalodge: Antico Palmento dell'Etna
Etnalodge is a converted winery building on the slopes of Mount Etna. It sits overlooking terraced farmland, on which we still grow fruit, and olives to produce oil. We have also been busy replanting the vines which had, over the years, disappeared, and from which we plan to make our own wine. The natural environment around us influences Etnalodge in all sorts of ways, whether it's the local volcanic stone used to frame our windows and doors, or the views of the surrounding countryside from our upstairs rooms. It is very much a place to make the most of simple pleasures, away from the chaos of everyday life. For the warmer months, there is a large dining table outside the cottage, shaded by grapevines, and looking down towards Piedimonte and on out to sea. In the evenings, meanwhile, you can relax with an aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) on our sun terrace, and enjoy the views either up towards Etna or down to the sea. Finally, the Giardino d'Inverno (Winter Garden) is the perfect place to relax and do some sea-gazing in cooler weather.
The Cottage
Etnalodge sleeps up to 7 people. There is also a travel cot available for babies/toddlers if required (please let us know when booking so that we can set it up for you). All our rooms contain antique Sicilian furniture and have ensuite bathrooms. The two upstairs rooms have countryside and/or sea views. The cottage has a fully-equipped eat-in kitchen, as well as an outdoor dining area and a sun-terrace, perfect for pre-dinner drinks with a view of the volcano. In cooler weather, you are welcome to relax in the Giardino d'Inverno, which has comfortable wicker furniture and views down over Piedimonte and on out to sea. There are clothes airers and a washing machine available for guest use. Children of all ages are very welcome. Please note, however, that the house and grounds are not babyproofed and small children will need to be supervised.
Piedimonte Etneo and the local area
We are situated approximately 1km from the centre of Piedimonte Etneo, in the foothills of Etna. We are therefore ideally placed for those who wish to walk or hike on the mountain, being a short drive away from Etna Nord and Piano Provenzana. The main craters at Etna Sud, as well as the Nebrodi Mountains and Alcantara River gorges, are also within reach if you want to strike out for a full day. For beach days, Fiumefreddo (a ten to fifteen-minute drive away) has Marina di Cottone, a long stretch of shingle beach, relaxed and uncrowded even in the summer months. If you prefer sand, then Giardini Naxos is only slightly further away. Isola Bella, the fashionable, rocky beach which serves Taormina, is also an easy drive from Etnalodge. For city and culture-lovers, Taormina is just a twenty-minute drive to the north, while Catania is forty minutes to the south. We are also very close to the attractive medieval walled town of Randazzo, the nearest town to the summit of Etna, which has a long, fascinating, and bloody history due to its strategic high positioning. For fans of The Godfather, Forza D'Agro and Savoca, which were used for location filming of The Godfather Part Two, are worth a visit.
Who Are We?
We are Davide and Kate, and we have been living at Etnalodge with our two exuberant Jack Russell terriers and our ninja cat since 2015. In the first half of 2018 we undertook extensive renovation and restructuring works to the half of the house which has now become the holiday cottage, enlarging and improving the existing rooms while still maintaining their traditional character. Davide is Sicilian D.O.C. and was brought up in a small village on the coast just outside Catania. He speaks Sicilian, Italian and English, and is the main face of Etnalodge. Kate is originally from the Somerset countryside, but moved to Puglia to teach English in 2009. From there she just kept moving south, through Calabria and on to Sicily. She speaks English and Italian, and the odd word of Sicilian.
