Masseria Calderisi

What the property says

Masseria Calderisi is a 17th-century farm that now runs as a boutique hotel with 24 rooms. It stands in eight hectares of olive groves, citrus and almond trees, herb gardens and vegetable beds, near Savelletri. The hotel calls it a former stately country estate.

Much of the old masseria was built from tufa stone quarried on the grounds. The additions are made in traditional lime-washed stone, and the high vaulted ceilings, stone fireplaces and deep wall alcoves were kept.

The scale is the point: 24 rooms, a small spa, a small gym and one private beach. That suits some trips and rules out others.

Where you sleep

Every room has an en-suite bathroom, a minibar, air conditioning and a beach bag. Beyond that the eight types differ in size and in which part of the masseria they sit.

Il Cortiletto (33 m²) has a terrace and garden lined with bougainvillea and lime trees, facing the chapel across the piazza. L’Uliveto (43 m²) dates to 1658, on the ground floor, with a separate sitting room and fireplace. The Tower 1658 room (22 m²) is the smallest, on the first floor of the historic tower, with the sea in the distance.

The larger units start with the Giardino Suites (47 m²) with a walled garden, the stable suites (50 m²) in the 17th-century stables, the Tower Suite (55 m²) with a roof terrace shared with Tower 1658, and Il Fortino (55 m²) with its own pool in a walled garden. The Calderisi Tower (115 m²) joins the two tower units and adds a rooftop terrace.

Eating and drinking

La Corte is the restaurant, serving a contemporary take on traditional Puglian cooking. The hotel says many ingredients come from the property and neighboring fields, with fresh mozzarella and organic beef from local farms and fish from the nearby coast. Reservations go by email or WhatsApp.

Gioia, the pool bar, does lunch among orange, lemon and olive trees: light Italian salads, fresh pizzas from the oven, homemade ice cream and an all-day cocktail menu. In the evening the candlelit apero terrace has pillows and rugs, and Negronis from the aperitivo bar.

For something private there are dinners on a terrace with your own waiter or at a candlelit table in the olive groves. The head chef, Pietro, also teaches a pizza class at the masseria’s stone oven, ending with dinner on the piazza.

The setting

The setting is farmland. Olive trees surround the masseria and run toward the coast across eight hectares. The hotel mentions its own organic olive oil, two adopted rescue donkeys and an onsite boutique that sells Italian fashion labels, ceramics from Grottaglie and the masseria’s own taralli, jam and oil.

Calderisi Beach, the hotel’s private strip of sand, is a short drive away by complimentary shuttle. It has sunbeds, parasols and a drinks service.

The hotel names Alberobello, Ostuni, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare as day trips by car. Boat trips along the Adriatic can be booked, and the bicycles are free for rides through the groves and neighboring farms.

Good to know

• The spa and gym are both described by the hotel as small.
• The beach is reached by a free shuttle. Ask for its hours.
• Parking is free, and the hotel can arrange airport shuttles.
• Weddings can take the whole estate, up to 120 guests.
• Not confirmed here: children, pets and opening months.
• Price band: 3 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Is it right for you?

It suits couples who want an olive-grove estate, with a fireplace in several suites and a private pool in one of them. It also suits wedding parties who want the estate to themselves and a consecrated chapel.

Look elsewhere if golf, a long spa menu or a resort pace decides the trip. Masseria Torre Coccaro lists golf on its estate, an Aveda cave spa and two beach clubs. If you travel with children, ask about their facilities before booking.

Getting there

The masseria is in Savelletri, in the Fasano and Savelletri area.

A car helps because the beach, the old towns and the restaurants outside the hotel are all separate stops. The hotel offers free parking and is happy to arrange airport shuttles if you would rather not drive on arrival.