We stayed for 9 nights in the 2 bedroom appartment. On arrival the first thing we noticed was the average cleanliness of the appartment. Only the obvious places were cleaned. It was not terrible, just something you can notice (layer of dust under the beds and on the window sills, bathroom walls thick with limescale). Also the ants crawling all over the appartment were a bit annoying but probably unavoidable due to the location (open doors to the front porch).
We were placed in the front row of appartments with unobstructed views to the sunset over Stromboli which really added to the magic of being in Calabria.
The place is nice and a real effort is visible to make the surrounding nice (which must be a tough job in such a dry region). The swimming pool was good and very clean. Only disadvantage was the kids pool was too deep for our 1,5yr old daughter so she had not really anywhere to play in the water by herself.

Our understanding of agriturismo is that it revolves around farm life, which is not obviously the case in agriturismo Ninea. Yes they use local produce for the food that is being served but the "farm animals" are a few rabbits, ducks, geese and chickens in a fenced shed. We have stayed in an agriturismo in Tuscany which was much different.

Domenico and Maria (the hosts, not the owners, providing the catering services) were very friendly and were kind to the kids.
We were expecting more Calabrian style dishes but the ones served were good. A slight disappointment was the reuse of the food from the previous day in the dishes that were served the next day. We are not in favour of wasting food but it could have been done differently in our opinion. Also we missed fish on the menu! (being so close to the sea).
The wednesday and friday special diner arrangements were well attended and created a nice atmosphere.

The surrounding has two faces: well kept places and rubbish along the road. We have come to know this as being Italy but it is still strange to see and a bit of a shock on arrival.
The beach in Grotticelle was perfect, also the beach at Santa Maria is well worth a visit. The other beaches we visited were less then Grotticelle so we spend most time there.

Overall opinion is that the place is worth a visit but if you can, also try the food outside. We have not been able to experience the local restaurants but there were plently around.

We spent three weeks at Ninea and they were perfect, mainly because of the peace and quiet, the excellent swimming pool and Maria and Domenico.

The agriturismo has 28 small two-bedroom bungalows (although the site says "20'), on the top of a hill overlooking Capo Vaticano and Stromboli. The appartments are arranged in 14 pairs and are widely spaced apart, so privacy is not a problem. Only the first row of 8 appartments offers unobstructed view of the sea, so be sure to ask for one of these bungalows with your reservation. The appartments are quite spartan, but the essentials are there: airconditioning, firm beds (one double, two single), a safe, a spacious bathroom with a shower with lots of water pressure and a well-equipped kitchen including freezer and large fridge. The walls are bare, there is no tv or radio or " cosy nooks". But hey, you are in Italy so what are you doing indoors? The veranda offers lots of shade and has a large picknick-table and some seats from which to watch the sun set over Stromboli.

Guests are mainly German, Austrian, Dutch and Scandinavian and almost all have children in the age of 3 to 13 years of age. There is no entertainment or disco, but pool and playground offer enough entertainment. Our kids had "the best time ever".

The pool is one of the agriturismo's greatest assets. For really small children there is a small, shallow pool (80 centimeters deep) of 5 by 10 metres. The main pool measures 25 by 15 metres and is between 1.25 metres and 1.75 metres deep. This means that it is excellent for serious swimming (I did 1 km per day) while being safe for children. It is well-maintained, clean, beautifully lit at night. The extra splash is made by the 10 water jets set in the wall on the shallow end.

The other asset of Ninea is the restaurant and especially the young, Italian couple that run it: Maria and Domenico. They are always smiling, take a personal interest in you and with their willingness to go the extra mile, they make you feel you're visiting with Italian friends. And they are great with kids, always hugging and spoiling them and letting them " help" in the kitchen and the restaurant.

Dinner is served buffet-style with anywhere between 4 to 10 antipasti and 2 main courses. It is very, very good. Domenico is an excellent cook, combining " mainstream" Italian dishes with Calabrian specialities (N'duja!), using only fresh ingredients, many coming from his own garden (where guests can pick their own tomatoes). Wednesday is Calabrian or BBQ night and Friday night is Pizza-night!! The restaurants also offers breakfast, a comprehensive lunch menu and the possibility to order fresh rolls, croissants and eggs each morning. The prices are very reasonable.

After ten o' clock, the place is very quiet. If you are looking for nightlife, you will have to go to one of the bars or discotheques in picturesque and very lively Tropea (20 minutes by car) that stay open ' till 3 or 4 in the morning.

Reception has a computer with internet guests can use (useful for internet check-in on Ryanair) and offers WiFi. Maria Theresa is fluent in English and will help you plan trips, make reservations and book excursions. Like Maria and Domenico, she is very friendly and will go the extra mile for you. If you want to go to the beach, Santa Maria is 5 minutes away and has free umbrellas and beds for Ninea guest. It is quite busy though. Maria Theresa suggested Groticelli and Riace which are a lot more quiet. Be sure to rent a pedalo and round Capo Vaticano!

So, were there no downsides? No, not really. Well, with all 28 bungalows occupied, the restaurant and pool became quite busy in comparison with our first two weeks when only 20 or so bungalows were taken. And parking space became very limited then. But these were things we could easily live with.

Now, Calabria is nothing like Umbria or Tuscany in the way of quaint villages, beautiful churches and rich cultural heritage. But the south of Calabria has a beautiful coastline, a very beautiful and varied interior and some pretty nice towns such as Tropea, Pizzo, Scilla, Stilo, Locri and Reggio di Calabria (1.5 hrs drive). So do go out and discover. You will need a car and a sense of humour (roads are terrible and Calabrian drivers completely nuts) but you are sure to see some spectaculars sights and meet very friendly, open people. If you want to visit the Aspromonte (including Pentidatili, Raghudi and Bova), plan a two-day trip and include Reggio. And be sure to book a day-trip to the Eolian islands from Tropea.

I can't say anything more about this place than the fact that we have now booked again to go this year and we NEVER go back, normally!!!!

The main reason behind even considering this was that on the day we left, both kids cried a little because they did not want to go and that has never happened before.

Of course it depends on what you want from a place and your holiday. My wife and I still think our holiday the year before was somehow more but for the kids this was the tops and so all in all, this made it into a fantastic holiday for us too.

Ninea is a great mix between the privacy of your own apartment with the freedom to do what you want, when you want but with the opportunity for the kids (and ourselves, to be honest) to mingle and interact like n a large hotel but of course not on that scale.

If you are into the all action style, all inclusive style hotels, then Ninean may not be the place for you. If you want total privacy and exclusivity then also not the place but if you are a family where you need a compromise between the too (as between my wife and I and the kids), then Ninea is perfect.

The Capo Vaticano area has one of the best bits of coastline you will find anywhere in Europe. On top of that the water is of a clarity rarely found. I have been all over the Med and even lived in Greece and Turkey but never before have I stepped into the sea, looked down and seen fish swimming round my ankles.

We stayed at Ninea last year in he summer. The place is perfect for families and children. We booked through a Dutch agency [--] . Indeed there were many dutch families and English. The food at the restaurant was excellent, the people at the reception very friendly.