After a pleasant week inland near Etna, we were looking forward to staying in this 'brand new' beach house. On arrival we found the property dirty and smelly - it hadn't been cleaned at all. The bedding was unchanged, sweaty and stained: we had to wash it all (twice) in the bathroom sink before we could sleep in it. We had to throw away the pillows which smelt intensely of sweat, and banish the grubby bedspread outside on the veranda for the whole week. The fridge was so frosted up it didn't work, and the shower was blocked with hair so the water wouldn't drain away. The toilet seat was broken off and the toilet bowl was brown. We bought cleaning products and 2 new pillows from the local Mall, defrosted the fridge, unblocked the shower, scrubbed the floors and the toilet, and phoned our local contact. The absentee owner seemed concerned but told us it was all 'new': however, he arranged for us to be paid back for the pillows and given a bottle of wine. The toilet seat was repaired after 2 days. After we'd cleaned it we liked the house, especially the lovely veranda, sea view and kitchen. It was good to be close to the beach, but that was also disappointing - no shade, adjacent to a dilapidated building site and a river estuary with small industry, and populated by stray dogs which barked every night (and left their calling cards). Also the Mediterranean here was cold - local mussel fishermen were wearing full wet suits to dive off the 'private' beach. The nearby mall was pleasant and convenient, with a good quality bar/restaurant. Licata town has several very good restaurants and food shops, and is a useful centre for visiting the south coast and Agrigento. The Marina did not offer much for non-boating visitors except a nice long walk to the lighthouse, though the sea was full of plastic litter. There were no public boat trips along the coast, which was a shame. The local people were friendly, generous and welcoming, and our lovely local contact/handyman tried his best to help us with the various problems. The disused building site in front of the house was interesting for wildlife, if unattractive - a hawk was living in one of the derelict cranes. However, our initial impression, and the fact we had to spend considerable money and time on cleaning the property, ruined our stay here. The weather, however, was lovely!