Puglia Country

Photo by flickr user Toprural

The fertile countryside of Italy's heel is largely flat and characterised by olive trees with huge, gnarled trunks (some of them many centuries old), rich red soil, fields planted with tomatoes and artichokes, dry stone walls and a sense of endless space and far-reaching horizons. Being long and narrow, nowhere is too far from the sea, and if you choose to stay in a location somewhere in the middle of the Salento peninsula, you can reach the splendid beaches of both the Adriatic and the Ionian coasts, as well as the area's historic towns, within a matter of about 20 minutes. Country hotels in these parts are dominated by the masserias, dozens of which have opened their doors to guests in recent years. These traditional fortified farmhouses are characterised by a tall, solid, square central block and a series of outbuildings often enclosed within high walls. Some of them have aristocratic origins while others were quite humble dwellings. Today's masseria hotels range accordingly from five-star places with swanky spas, gourmet restaurants and endless services and facilities to relatively modest guest houses offering a back to nature experience and homely food. Prices vary accordingly. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.

Written by Nicky Swallow