From masseria’s to restaurants
We prefer to travel in our own country or just across the border this summer and autumn. Glamor editors tip their best holiday addresses close to home and in Europe here.
It is not for nothing that Dior inspired the Cruise collection in the Italian Puglia. The area has many hidden bays, picturesque villages and beautiful masseria’s (another word for old farm). And, pasta, pizza and wine never get boring. Deputy Yeliz Cicek shares her tips.
Ostuni, Lecce and Monopoli
In Puglia there are too many villages and towns to choose from, each with its own character. Monopoli’s beach is typically Italian. Men and women bake and roast on their stretchers, on the rocks and on the beach. Nice to see. The narrow streets of Monopoli are full of classic Italian restaurants, sometimes tiny, but with delicious food. The ultimate swimming spot is Polignano a Mare, a town with the most famous bay in Italy. It is hidden between the rocks and houses, in the middle of the center. There are two vantage points from which you can see the bay well. Please note: it is a tourist attraction, so be up to you if you actually turn up the beach.
Another beautiful village is Ostuni, a white mountain village called Città Bianca by Italians. If you go more to the south, Lecce is recommended. It is a historic city with beautiful buildings, nice to walk through and have lunch. My favorite restaurant in Lecce is Alle Due Corti, with traditional Puglian cuisine. Can you then drive on to the most breathtaking swimming spot if you ask me, Sant ‘Andrea.
The most famous restaurant in Puglia is Grotta Palazzese, one of the most beautiful
restaurants in the world if we are to believe all the travel lists. Now I don’t want to spoil the atmosphere, but if you ask me the restaurant is quite overrated. Okay, you’re dining in the rocks, overlooking the sea, and okay, it’s an ultra-romantic scene, but you pay at least 200 pp for dinner. And that does not mean that you are sitting front row on the balustrade, because you do not have to choose your table. Masseria Torre Coccaro’s
restaurant is just as romantic, and a lot more affordable.
Masseria Dagilupi
Masseria Dagilupi is one of the Masseria’s that was actually a farm in the past. Owners Jean Louis and Danielle transformed the farm into a cozy, stylish boutique masseria.
The rooms are spacious, modern and have, for example, a lovely bath where you can float in and which overlooks the ancient olive trees. Breakfast is included and is a party. All products come from our own garden or Puglia. From the jams to the bread, everything is homemade. Every morning I sat down enthusiastically at the table, also stationed between the olive trees.
Borgo Egnazia
I love authentic places to sleep, but I am also a bit of a luxury cat. If you can, sleep one night in Borgo Egnazia. You won’t be disappointed. The rooms are delightful, the swimming pools even more delightful, there is a cocktail bar, six restaurants (one of
which has a star!), An extensive golf course (not that I like that, but still nice), and there is a lot going on every day a golf cart to the beach where Borgo Egnazia also has a beach club. I wasn’t done yet. There is also a fantastic spa. Fun fact: David Beckham and Victoria Beckham like to visit. Now they sleep in one of the luxurious villas, but still. And the rooms are all extremely comfortable, have a bath, sometimes a garden or a balcony overlooking the “borgo” which actually means a village, and it is. A village
where it smells good everywhere (they have their own scent) and you never really want to leave.
