Almapetra Trulli Resort

Why it’s on the Edit

Almapetra Trulli Resort is a group of 14 trulli and 4 cummersas in the countryside of Locorotondo, in the Valle d’Itria. A trullo is the dry-stone hut with a conical roof that gives the valley its look. The 14 trulli here are let as five independent apartments, so the format is self-catering.

The case for it is the restoration. The resort says it renovated the old buildings with traditional techniques, kept the white limestone as a key element, and reused many stones extracted from the land during the works. The name means “stone that shelters”.

The Edit lists it as a plain, small trullo base. The price band is the lowest we use, and the pages we read describe an apartment complex with a pool and a park.

The rooms

Four of the five apartments carry the name of a tree. Oak Tree is described as spacious and ideal for families, and Olive Tree sits beside a centuries-old olive. Cedar Tree looks out over a private garden of citrus trees and cedars, and Pear Tree stands near an old Falsa Recchia pear.

Trulletto is the odd one out, with furniture carved in the living rock. Every trullo has its own private outdoor area.

The stone walls are up to a meter thick and regulate the temperature naturally. There is underfloor heating and free Wi-Fi, and each apartment has a kitchen with a fridge, a cooker and an electric kettle. A welcome kit waits for the first morning: pasta, oil, salt, coffee and what you need for breakfast.

We found no room sizes or bedroom counts on the pages we read. Ask for both when you request a quote.

Eating and drinking

You cook, or you go out. The resort lists no restaurant, and it says it has arrangements with typical restaurants in Locorotondo to book tables for guests.

The organic produce used for breakfast is gathered from the resort’s gardens. Whether breakfast is included in the rate is not confirmed.

For dinners at home there is a stone oven and barbecue area. On request the Oven Trullo, with its barbecue, is made available for dinners, home-made pizzas and outdoor grills. You can also order a board of local cheeses, salamis and hams with a Puglia focaccia and a local PDO wine, or a bottle and flowers for an anniversary.

The resort lists a few food outings: a tasting at a dairy, with Itria Valley products from milking to tasting, and visits to a winery and a farm.

The setting

The resort stands among rocks and olive trees in the Locorotondo countryside, with views of the Itria Valley. The park covers more than 4,000 square meters, and a traditional farmyard there has been turned into a relaxation zone.

The outdoor pool is seasonal and comes with a jacuzzi, a sunbathing terrace and a children’s area. A play park has a slide, a see-saw and a merry-go-round.

The sea is not here. The resort offers a shuttle to the beach on request, and it lists catamaran trips on the sea of Puglia among its experiences. It also rents bicycles, mountain bikes and e-bikes, with guided rides along the cycleway of the Puglia Aqueduct.

For a rainy day, the resort’s own list of places to visit includes the Castellana Grotte caves.

Good to know

• Five apartments in 14 trulli. Each has a private garden and a full kitchen.
• The pool is seasonal. Opening months are not confirmed.
• Free Wi-Fi and underfloor heating are listed. Whether breakfast is included in the rate is not confirmed.
• Babysitting for ages 2 to 13 is available on request, subject to availability.
• Airport transfers, the beach shuttle and the NCC shuttle bus are on request, and the bus has specific costs.
• Free private parking, available without booking. A laundry with a washing machine and an ironing board is on site.
• Bicycles, mountain bikes and e-bikes can be rented, with guided rides on request.
• Families are welcome. Pets, accessibility and apartment sizes are not confirmed here.
• Price band: 1 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Families and couples who like to cook, and who want a trullo of their own with a garden, get the most from it. The thick walls suit a slow week, and the children’s area and the play park take care of the afternoons.

It is the wrong pick if you want a restaurant on the property or a hotel service desk. Borgo Canonica in Cisternino also sleeps you in trulli, and it has a restaurant and a bar.

If you want the sea at the end of the road, this is the wrong valley floor. The shuttle helps, and it still means a journey.

Getting there

Almapetra Trulli Resort is in Locorotondo, in the Valle d’Itria. Bari and Brindisi airports both serve the area, so choose the one with the better flight from your city.

The resort offers a transfer from the regional airports on request. If you rent a car, there is free parking at the property.

Without a car you depend on the transfers, the beach shuttle and the NCC bus, which carries specific costs, so ask for each price before you book. Plan your first evening around your own kitchen or a table the resort has booked.