Owners overview
3 bedroom detached villa with large private fenced pool
Situated in a beautiful quiet, unspoilt valley off the road between Martina Franca and Ostuni, this 3 bedroom villa is an ideal away from it all place to relax, situated within its own olive grove in the hills. It is only a 15 min drive to the coast where you can choose a range of sandy beaches and rocky coves. This villa has a large fenced 10 x 5m oval pool with depth of 1.5m situated in front of the property with a paved walkway down to it. It is suitable for families with children as the pool is fully fenced and a cot is available.
Apulia is a traditional Italian holiday area with a great reputation for its local cuisine. Eating out is a wonderful experience at the characterful "Osteria" in all the surrounding historic towns (especially the antipasti). Food and drink is much cheaper than the UK, especially if you buy in the colourful local markets.
The villa is a 40 min drive from Brindisi airport which has good deals from Stansted with Ryanair. It is a 2.5 hour flight and flights normally leave early evening. There is also the option of Bari airport which is just over an hours drive away or Pescara or Naples airports which are 4 hours away and may have cheaper flights.
Perfect for those who want to:
- enjoy the countryside views
- explore the lovely villages and historic towns nearby
- taste the authentic Italian Puglian cuisine at the local Osteria and restaurants in the towns nearby
- visit the local music festivals and festas in the region during the summer months
- relax on the nearby sandy beaches and coves
- practice their Italian with the friendly locals (a phrase book and dictionary are provided).
The villa is a 15 minute drive from the coast and 5km from the nearest historic town of Ostuni. The nearest beach is Torre Pozella and the coastal nature reserve of Torre Guaceto is about 10km away with footpaths and secluded beaches.
Villa Details – Sleeps up to 6
Indoors – 1st Floor
This villa has a king bedded room, a twin or double bedded room, shared bathroom (shower, basin & toilet) Each room has ceiling fans and bedroom downstairs has a freestanding fan. The open plan lounge has a wood burning stove, TV, DVD, CD & cassette player and kitchen/dining area with microwave, full gas cooker & oven, grill, toaster, and fridge/freezer.
Ground Floor
There is an ensuite twin or double bedded room (low ceiling) with its own private entrance with a separate ground floor entrance with a shower room (shower, basin & toilet).
Outdoors
The villa has a large fenced oval pool (10m x 5m& 1.5m deep) with patio area.
A shaded balcony on the first floor with outdoor table & chairs is perfect for breakfast with an outdoor patio with gazebo, garden and barbecue area for outdoor dining. This villa is well equipped for eating and relaxing outside with sun loungers, umbrellas and garden furniture. Parking spaces are available for up to 3 cars.
Local Activities
There are lots of things to do in this part of Apulia as follows:
Ostuni
- beautiful town perched on a hill 5km away with an old historic centre with very old cathedral and central plaza.
Fasano
- lovely little old town with a pretty central square and a safari zoo for children (see leaflet in red file) The shops are closed on Mondays in this town.
Lecce
- a beautiful historic city with an old historic centre and beautiful churches and little curiosity shops and great delicatessen. ( an hour’s drive) This has a market on Friday mornings. See the red folder in the house for a map showing all the attractions.
Martina Franca
- another lovely town with a historic centre about 12km away (15-20 mins) – lots of little boutiques. This has a very famous music festival in July and early August.
Gallipoli
- a coastal town with a beautiful harbour (just over an hour’s drive away)
Otranto
- this is quite a touristy seaside town but has a lovely old centre and great walk along the harbour walls with lots of sea view restaurants.
Monopoli
- this is an unspoilt little walled, historic town right on the coast with a lovely little sandy beach, high castle walls and a reasonably priced fish restaurant overlooking the coast just south of the town. Just head up the A379 in direction of Bari and you will come to it.
Polignano a Mare
- another lovely little unspoilt walled town right on the coast.
Other Places of Interest
Castel del Monte
This is a Swabian castle listed by UNESCO and built in 13th century with good views and is situated near Bari. It has been restored and you can visit the inside.
Egnazia
These are the ancient roman ruins of the town dating back to the 6th century which are situated on the coast, south of Monopoli.
Trulli villages of Alberobello & Locorotondo
These villages are a bit touristy but you will be able to see over a thousand trullo, cone shaped houses and a trullo church, all in one place. Head west from Ostuni and they are about a 20-25 min drive away.
Parco Nazionale dei Gargano
If you feel like a long drive and some beautiful scenery then I would recommend this area which is about a 2-3 hr drive north from Ostuni. It is full of pine covered slopes and sandy coves. It is directly north of Bari and the best beach area is the little fishing port of Peschici on its north coast.
Matera
This town was the setting for the film “The Passion”. It is in the province of Basilicata and has dramatic scenery and spectacular homes called “sassi” built into the sides of the ravine’s high walls and is recommended for a visit. It is directly inland from Bari and takes about 1.5 - 2 hours to drive there via Alberobello or via Martina Franca and Massafra.
Caves of Castellana Grotte
These caves are meant to be spectacular and worth a visit.
Cassano d. Murge
This is little town directly inland from Bari which has a festa for the first 3 days of August each year which has been recommended. You can see the parade of the saints and it’s meant to be a lot of fun.
Car Recommended
Please note that the villa is situated on a narrow road and is unsuitable for vehicles more than 1.8m wide (eg wide people carriers). A car is highly recommended for this villa as you would need to drive to local shops and restaurants.
Shopping
Nearest Shop
There is a mini market about 3km from the house and full directions are provided. The nearest supermarkets are in Ostuni called Cityper and Sigma and are about 15 mins drive away and are open on Sunday morning.
Local Markets
The local markets are a great way to buy really fresh food and are as follows:
(Food, clothes and household goods)
These are as follows:
Cisternino – Monday morning
Ceglie Messapica– Saturday morning
Fasano – Friday morning
Francavilla Montana – Saturday morning
Martina Franca – Weds morning (Bric a brac -3rd Sunday of month)
Ostuni – Every Saturday morning from 8am (Bric a brac - 1st Sunday of month)