The Salento Manor Houses

Stone House (sleeps 10)

The Stone House has five elegantly pared back double bedrooms. Two bedrooms are downstairs, while the two upstairs (both with long views) are reached via the preserved flagstone staircase, where sensor lights ease the way. We stayed downstairs in a room overlooking the garden, with the bed under an ornate alcove and the headboard echoing the shape of the arch.

Two bedrooms can be made up as twins on request. There’s another double in an outbuilding, with exposed flagstone walls, an ensuite bathroom and a large glass arched doorway framing the garden view.

In the house there are three large bathrooms across both floors with separate toilet cubicles. One has a large wet-room-style shower in an arched alcove, with great shower pressure and blessedly simple controls, plus a fresco of the Madonna. Another, upstairs, has a huge fireplace and a large bespoke tub that’s great fun, especially for kids. Basins resemble the historic carvings of the interior. This is a design in subtle and pleasing tune with its surroundings.

The kitchen is a place where you feel inspired to cook. Good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper are supplied, and there are fresh herbs growing in the small walled garden outside. When we arrived there was also a bowl of fresh figs and pears, picked from the garden, and some bottled water. With an open plan layout, sharing the space a large L-shaped sofa and open fireplace, the kitchen has all the usual appliances along the side wall, and a beautiful wood-hewn table centre stage. Or eat outside if you prefer – there’s a barbecue ideal for grilling some local fish. Help yourself to fig, nut and citrus trees around in season, and fresh eggs laid by the resident hens for breakfast (children will enjoy collecting these).

Pink House (sleeps 8)

Surrounded by vivid green lawns, the Pink House gets its name from the romantic rose-coloured façade that greets you as you roll up the driveway, faded from years under the Puglian sun. Inside, pale limewashed walls and stone floors decorated with traditional tiles flow throughout to create a cool, calming feel.

There are four beautiful double bedrooms. Three are downstairs, one of which opens directly onto the garden. Though not especially large, the concave ceilings add plenty of height and allow the rooms to fill with light, so they feel much bigger than they are. The master suite claims the entire first floor: a vast loft under a pitched roof with an antique wardrobe, designer chairs and a private wraparound terrace that looks across the garden over to the Stone House.

All bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms with rainfall showers set in cosy alcoves, modern hardware and attractive ceramic basins. There are no bathtubs here, so if that’s a must, opt for the Stone House.

The sleek kitchen looks perfect for whipping up family meals. Along with the essential ingredients (salt, pepper, olive oil etc.), you get an oven, induction hob, full fridge-freezer, and plenty of crockery to dress the wooden dining tables, one inside beneath a curved frescoed ceiling and one in the garden under the shade of a verandah.

Activities

• You're only a short drive from the beach, with white-sand stretches lapped by the Ionian Sea. Check out Santa Caterina with its seafront bars and restaurants, and the beautiful cove of Santa Maria al Bagno
  
• The houses are close to the lively Baroque towns of Nardò and Galatina, the latter with its beautiful church
  
• Take a guided tour of the glorious villas in the Cenate area of Nardò, a kind of historic millionaire's row between the sea and the town, with each villa grander than the last
  
• Don't miss the incredible rich tapestry of 15th-century frescoes of Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in Galatina
  
• The walled city of Gallipoli, on an almost-island, jutting into the sea, is a beautiful place to explore
  
• You're close to the dramatic coast around Torre Uluzzo, where there is a ruined tower and a popular spot for tuffo (cliff) jumping into the sea
  
• Your hosts can arrange a whole array of activities: horse riding on the beach, yoga and cookery classes, olive oil and wine tasting, bike rental

Kids

This is a wonderful place to come as a family, with big gardens, pools, and plenty to see and do in the surrounding area to please all ages. Children staying in Stone House will love going to collect eggs from the hens in the morning, or picking fruit from the trees. There’s a wide range of games and arts and crafts in a kitchen dresser in Stone House.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Stone House has two rooms that can be set up as twins on request. Teens might like the room in the outbuilding which sleeps two. Pink House has ensuite bathrooms but no bathtubs, whereas Stone House has a huge bathtub in one of the separate bathrooms.

Cots Available

Distances:

• Airport: 1 hour (Brindisi)
• Hospital: 12 minutes (Galatina)
• Shops: 3 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Salento Manor House is 2km from the town of Galatone, and 8km from Nardò, in the southern Puglia peninsula. It's 10km from the coast.

By Air:
Brindisi (Salento) is 1 hour's drive; Bari is 2 hours.

From the Airport
You will need a rental car. The villa has ample parking.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.