Cozy and quiet cottage in the countryside of Ceglie, in Valle d'Itria

My husband and I have just returned from a fantastic 2 week stay in Puglia. Francesco was a wonderful host. The home was in a great location; very centralized for visiting all the beautiful sites in Puglia. It is situated in an olive tree grove which lends itself to peace and quiet, yet it is only a few minutes drive from Ceglie, a beautiful hillside town with so much history as well as lots of great restaurants. The home was very clean and super comfortable. It is exactly as it appears in the pictures. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a stay in Puglia.

Away from the tourist attractions but close enough, this home was a tranquil retreat after a day visiting the local attractions. Francesco is a generous host and communication was excellent. Everything you need here and more. Bari and Lecce an hour away by train from nearby Ostuni.

A comfortable and quiet villa, suitable for a family of four or just the two of you. A good-sized fridge freezer, hob (gas and electric) plus fan oven means that you can cook full meals if you so desire. There is a brick barbeque and pizza oven outside, but we didn't use them. There's a lot of outside space with good lighting for those warm evenings to sit and drink a glass of wine or two. This was our second visit, so Francesco (the host) must be doing something right. The villa is situated only 10-15 minutes from Ostuni with Ceglie Messapica only 5-10 minutes away - both were our main shopping towns. Although there is a bus service, I would recommend a car as I don't think it was very frequent. For visiting Puglia this is a good place to stay with all of the obvious tourist locations within 2 hours' drive and long sandy beaches about 30 minutes away. There is a screened, outside shower (with hot water) that is useful for washing off sand from the beach before you enter the villa. Many Puglia towns have an historic centre that is worth visiting, admittedly some are easier to drive into than others, but perseverance is the key. Grottaglie is great for pottery and if you visit Matera then be sure to visit Ginosa which is surrounded by a ravine filled with abandoned cave houses. A great comparison.

Just had a two week stay here, end of August beginning of September. The owner, Francesco and his partner, are very helpful, friendly and easy to contact. The directions given from Brindisi airport are some of the easiest to follow and most accurate that we have ever received. The property is in a rural location set back from the road, within a large garden and orchard. Although on a main route between two local towns the noise of the little traffic that there was is well screened out by the trees at the front of the property and didn't disturb us. The holiday let itself is at the back of the house proper (we had sole occupancy) and is modern, light and spacious. It is well appointed, with everything that you need and if you wish to self-cater it has a well appointed kitchen with storage space for your groceries. If you don't, then Ceglie Messapica is only 5 minutes drive away and has a number of restaurants, Ostuni is about 15 minutes away and the coastal, beach areas about 30. The main "patio area" as shown in the property picture is east facing and so captures the sun for breakfast, although there is an area shaded by trees to one side if that's what you prefer. We never had a meal indoors during our stay. Our typical day was a sunny breakfast, then a trip out somewhere (Matera and Lecce are about 90 minutes away if you wish to travel that far) before returning to relax in the afternoon. The addition of an outside, screened shower is a master stroke, especially appreciated when returning from the beach or to cool off if it becomes too hot in the sun. I thoroughly recommend a stay here and wouldn't hesitate to stay again.