The Masseria is the ideal base for visiting Salento, famous for its sea, villages, food, festivals, music and culture.



The Mediterranean sea

The closest beaches are approximately 7 km away. You will find sandy beaches and amazing sea cliffs looking out  on to the majestic blue Apulian sea. A few kilometres away you can find beautiful resorts and sites such as Porto Badisco (10 mines), Castro e Cesarea Terme (13 mins), Otranto (15 mins), lakes and beaches of the natural park of Alimini (20 mins).

If you want to travel a little farther you can reach Gallipoli (40 km) and Porto Cesareo (65 km) on the Ionian sea and Santa Maria di Leuca (50 km) which is the watershed between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, and enjoy the famous beaches. Besides the blue seas, refreshing swimming and great fishing possibilities, you can also visit the caves on the sea, “zinzulusa” being the best known.

Otranto: Spiaggia Baia dei Turchi

Towns in the Salento area

Each town in Salento area has its rich history and hence a good reason for being visited. Lecce, with its baroque atmosphere, that can also be found in the towns of Nardò and Galatina. Santa Cesarea offers thermal baths, the majestic byzantine Otranto with its white houses that seem to fall sheer into the sea.The nine towns of the Salentine Greece where still today people talk a Modern Greek dialect.

Santa Maria di Leuca with its peak stroked or scrambles by the winds of the Mediterranean, where they say Enea and also Saint Peter once landed.Gallipoli with its historical centre on an Island that is connected to the mainland by a 16th century bridge. These are only some of the towns that make our land so famous and loved.

Santa Maria di Leuca

Apulia culture and festivals

Each town has its own festival.The festival of  Saint Oronzo in  Lecce and the local festivals that  are present  each summer day – in particular the day of  Holy Mary  - with fire works , beautiful illuminations , decorations , musical bands , traditional dances and local booths and stands that offer traditional gifts, cakes and sweets.

The most famous one is the Night of the Taranta at Melpignano, the festival of pizzica that in the last years also welcomes famous great Italian and foreign musicians.Other festivals that offer the most antique traditions are those of San Rocco at Torre Paduli where once can still dance the Dance of the Swords.


Salento wine and food

Each town in Salento has its rich history and hence a good reason for being visited. Lecce, with its baroque atmosphere, that can also be found in the towns of  Nardò and  Galatina. Santa Cesarea offers thermal baths, the majestic byzantine Otranto with its white houses that seem to fall sheer into the sea.

The nine towns of the Salentine Greece where still today people talk a Modern Greek dialect. Santa Maria di Leuca with its peak stroked or scrambles by the winds of the Mediterranean, where they say Enea and also Saint Peter once landed. Gallipoli with its historical centre on an Island that is connected to the mainland by a 16th century bridge.

These are only some of the towns that make our land so famous and loved. Puglia is famous for its food and wines, but in Salento there is a unique mix of culinary cultures given to the presence of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, svevis and Spaniards.

The richness if therefore guaranteed starting with vegetables: from fresh salads to lampagioni in olio, stuffed peppers to parmesan aubergines.

The fish and seafood  are at the base  of many dishes , just to name a few  “l’impepata di cozze” (mussel broth), but  the meat has also met original interpretations the “gnummareddi”, giblet rolls or the  “muscischa”, dried meat with  peperoncino.

The pasta, in various shapes and sizes, are typically original from orecchiette ai “minchiareddhi” (small maccheroni) to the “sagne 'ncannulate", a type of long, narrow pappardella, flavoured with tomato, basil and a dust of pecorino.

Also the cheeses need to be mentioned: mozzarelle,  giuncata, cacioricotta, burrata and scamorza. Finally one must not forget Puglias’ olive oil and the wines that  Salento is producing with an ever increasing quality starting for the native vineyards: negroamaro, malvasia nera, primitivo.

Salento area. outings and sports

We can advise and guide you on all the possible walks and treks in the area that we have already tested. For those who love bicycling there is a cycling route that crosses beautiful towns and for those who prefers water sports there is the possibility of reaching scuba diving facilities in the Otranto area.


The Mediterranean sea

The closest beaches are approximately 7 km away. You will find sandy beaches and amazing sea cliffs looking out  on to the majestic blue Apulian sea. A few kilometres away you can find beautiful resorts and sites such as Porto Badisco (10 mines), Castro e Cesarea Terme (13 mins), Otranto (15 mins), lakes and beaches of the natural park of Alimini (20 mins).

If you want to travel a little farther you can reach Gallipoli (40 km) and Porto Cesareo (65 km) on the Ionian sea and Santa Maria di Leuca (50 km) which is the watershed between the Ionian and Adriatic seas, and enjoy the famous beaches. Besides the blue seas, refreshing swimming and great fishing possibilities, you can also visit the caves on the sea, “zinzulusa” being the best known.


Towns in the Salento area

Each town in Salento area has its rich history and hence a good reason for being visited. Lecce, with its baroque atmosphere, that can also be found in the towns of Nardò and Galatina. Santa Cesarea offers thermal baths, the majestic byzantine Otranto with its white houses that seem to fall sheer into the sea.The nine towns of the Salentine Greece where still today people talk a Modern Greek dialect.

Santa Maria di Leuca with its peak stroked or scrambles by the winds of the Mediterranean, where they say Enea and also Saint Peter once landed.Gallipoli with its historical centre on an Island that is connected to the mainland by a 16th century bridge. These are only some of the towns that make our land so famous and loved.

Santa Maria di Leuca

Apulia culture and festivals

Each town has its own festival.The festival of  Saint Oronzo in  Lecce and the local festivals that  are present  each summer day – in particular the day of  Holy Mary  - with fire works , beautiful illuminations , decorations , musical bands , traditional dances and local booths and stands that offer traditional gifts, cakes and sweets.

The most famous one is the Night of the Taranta at Melpignano, the festival of pizzica that in the last years also welcomes famous great Italian and foreign musicians.Other festivals that offer the most antique traditions are those of San Rocco at Torre Paduli where once can still dance the Dance of the Swords.

Otranto: Spiaggia Baia dei Turchi

Salento wine and food

Each town in Salento has its rich history and hence a good reason for being visited. Lecce, with its baroque atmosphere, that can also be found in the towns of  Nardò and  Galatina. Santa Cesarea offers thermal baths, the majestic byzantine Otranto with its white houses that seem to fall sheer into the sea.

The nine towns of the Salentine Greece where still today people talk a Modern Greek dialect. Santa Maria di Leuca with its peak stroked or scrambles by the winds of the Mediterranean, where they say Enea and also Saint Peter once landed. Gallipoli with its historical centre on an Island that is connected to the mainland by a 16th century bridge.

These are only some of the towns that make our land so famous and loved. Puglia is famous for its food and wines, but in Salento there is a unique mix of culinary cultures given to the presence of Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, svevis and Spaniards.

The richness if therefore guaranteed starting with vegetables: from fresh salads to lampagioni in olio, stuffed peppers to parmesan aubergines.

The fish and seafood  are at the base  of many dishes , just to name a few  “l’impepata di cozze” (mussel broth), but  the meat has also met original interpretations the “gnummareddi”, giblet rolls or the  “muscischa”, dried meat with  peperoncino.

The pasta, in various shapes and sizes, are typically original from orecchiette ai “minchiareddhi” (small maccheroni) to the “sagne 'ncannulate", a type of long, narrow pappardella, flavoured with tomato, basil and a dust of pecorino.

Also the cheeses need to be mentioned: mozzarelle,  giuncata, cacioricotta, burrata and scamorza. Finally one must not forget Puglias’ olive oil and the wines that  Salento is producing with an ever increasing quality starting for the native vineyards: negroamaro, malvasia nera, primitivo.

Salento area: outings and sports

We can advise and guide you on all the possible walks and treks in the area that we have already tested. For those who love bicycling there is a cycling route that crosses beautiful towns and for those who prefers water sports there is the possibility of reaching scuba diving facilities in the Otranto area.


Discover our farmhouse in Salento

Masseria 12 Granai