With the large pool, tennis court and extensive grounds we often find it hard to drag ourselves away from the house at all!  

We are located between Martina Franca (a beautiful town of baroque architecture and host to an annual Opera and music festival) and Ceglie Messapica (a wonderful centre for gastronomy where you can dine out at restaurants of Michelin star standards or grab a pizza for under €5).

However, besides the stunning architecture of the local towns, bustling markets, beautiful countryside, unspoilt beaches and wonderful food of the area, there many varied activities that you can enjoy on your holiday.  

These include: local wine and olive oil tours and tastings; cave tours at Castellana Grotte; an amazing museum of ancient history in the cosmopolitan port of Taranto; the Roman ruins of Egnazia and the world heritage site of Alberobello.  There are golf courses at the five star Masseria San Domenico hotel and spa at Savelletri near Fasano and at the championship course Riva dei Tessali near Taranto.

Many beautiful beaches and areas of more rugged coastline both on the Adriatic and Ionian coast are about 40 minutes away by car.  The public beaches are free but have limited facilities.  Alternatively, for a parking fee usually of about €5 you can visit the many private stretches of beach (lidos) where you can rent loungers and parasols and have access to toilets, showers and refreshments.

You will find a house book with full information on many of these activities at Villa Gioia and our locally based property managers will be more than happy to help you with booking tours or restaurants or anything else that would make your holiday more enjoyable.