The heel of the boot has mainland Italy’s longest coastline, white-sand beaches, winds from the Sahara desert—and the perfect climate for its centuries-old olive groves. Puglia’s rich agricultural legacy includes the fairytale stone villages of the Valle d’Itria and a hearty cuisine that gave the world burrata and orecchiette. Spend some time in Puglia’s laid-back embrace.
Private transfer from either Bari or Brindisi Airport (your choice, both work for this trip) to our masseria along the coast
Welcome cocktails at the Masseria with Nathan and Eugenio
A first night dinner in the traditional osteria Cibus in Ceglie Messapica—a hymn to this corner of Puglia with a tasting of local salumi, cheeses, and pasta
Day
2
A Butcher Feast
MASSERIA BELVEDERE
Contrada Belvedere, 72012 Carovigno BR, Italy
+393393218479
Relaxed breakfast at the Masseria
Visit to Salumi Martina Franca, where artisanal meats like the renowned Capocollo di Martina Franca are crafted with passion and precision. Founded by visionary food technologist Francesco Carriero, this family-run establishment honors centuries-old butchery traditions in every bite
Lunch at our Masseria featuring artisanal salumi
Dinner in the masseria, with a lesson in making local specialties such as orecchiette and focaccia barese
Day
3
CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE
MASSERIA BELVEDERE
Contrada Belvedere, 72012 Carovigno BR, Italy
+390835332744
Languorous morning with optional time on the nearby Adriatic coast
Nodini, burrata, and stracciatella are only a small part of Puglia’s unmatched variety of traditional dairy products. We discover it all in Masseria La Lunghiera in Turi for a instructional visit and a relaxed lunch
Transfer to Martina Franca
Apertif followed dinner in the greatest of all traditional fornelli, Da Riccardo, to taste an array of region’s best meats: bombetta, straccetti, gnummarieddi, and more
Day
4
Slow Matera
Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita
Via Civita, 28, 75100 Matera MT, Italy
+393393218479
Roadtrip! Pack an overnight bag (we’re keeping our rooms at Belvedere) and head west into the fabled lands of Basilicata.
Check in at the luxury cave dwelling hotel Sextantio in Matera
Light lunch with cheese and salumi in Latteria Rizzi
Visit and aperitif in a traditional grotta from XVII century
Dinner at the big-plate, big-flavor destination Stano
A night exploring the hill town of Matera
Day
5
Formaggio e Pane
MASSERIA BELVEDERE
Contrada Belvedere, 72012 Carovigno BR, Italy
+393393218479
Check out from Sextantio and head for the hills (of Alta Murgia)
Spend the day in Alta Murgia with our friends the Dicecca brothers to discover the area and its cheeses, flavored with the herbs that grow in these mountains
Lunch with the DiCecca brothers in the hills
Sample Altamura’s traditional bread at Di Gesù bakery
Back to our familiar rooms at Masseria Belvedere
Day
6
FLAVOURS OF THE SEA
MASSERIA BELVEDERE
Contrada Belvedere, 72012 Carovigno BR, Italy
+393393218479
Leisurely morning at the Masseria with yet another breakfast cooked by our private chef
A visit to the iconic pasta producerBenedetto Cavalieri
Lunch at Osteria degli Spiriti in Lecce
A lesson on the fish from Torre Guaceto and a great dinner with the flavour of the sea in the contemporary osteria XFood, a remarkable community organization that employs special needs adults
Day
7
Formaggio e Vino
MASSERIA BELVEDERE
Contrada Belvedere, 72012 Carovigno BR, Italy
+393393218479
Free time in the morning, under the Puglian sun
Puglia is one of Italy’s biggest producers of olive oil, and its centuries-old olive trees are one of the region’s biggest attractions. In the fairytale stone-house village of Alberobello, Intini produces olive oil with indigenous varieties. We’ll have an insider’s visit of their process and product
Lunch at Botteghe Antiche in Putignano
Farewell party in Masseria La Cattiva, a young and eccentric natural winery whose founders have been feeding our wine supply lines throughout the week
