Masseria Prosperi

What the property says

Masseria Prosperi is a small masseria, a traditional rural estate of southern Italy, with 8 rooms, a spa and a farm, in Frassanito, in the comune of Otranto. Its own line is that the masseria is for living in all year, and it backs that with a spa that opens through the winter.

The site talks about the luxury of small pleasures and the olive trees a few steps from the sea. The farm puts horses, donkeys and a vegetable garden behind the words.

The rooms

There are 8 rooms, in four categories: Classic, Superior, Suite and Family Suite. Room sizes are not confirmed here.

The furniture comes with a story. The masseria says it searched second-hand dealers, flea markets and antique shops for Salento craftwork, then restored and reinvented the pieces, so each room has its own identity.

Pets are welcome in every room, and the masseria will board guests’ horses in boxes and paddocks. Air conditioning, minibar and Wi-Fi are not confirmed here.

If the whole house suits your group, the villa option covers all 8 rooms with the spa, the outdoor pool and the garden, and staff to look after you.

Food and drink

The kitchen belongs to Antonio, whom the masseria presents as a son of the Apulian culinary tradition who turns its products into tastes he can tell you about during the convivial dinner. The convivial dinner is the house trademark, and there is a wood-oven pizza ritual.

The supply is close at hand: 4 hectares of olive groves and fruit trees, a vegetable garden, 40 beehives and hens that live freely by day. Guests may walk through the orchard and pick peaches, cherries, figs and pomegranates.

The masseria says the food at breakfast and dinner is fresh, seasonal and locally sourced, and mostly comes from its own vegetable garden and orchard. Whether non-guests can book a table is not confirmed here.

The setting

The masseria sits north of Otranto, between the Alimini lakes and the sea stacks of Sant’Andrea. The site puts the masseria among the olive trees, a few steps from the sea, and lists beaches by name: Torre dell’Orso, San Foca, Roca with its Grotta della Poesia, the Baia dei Turchi and the Punta Palascia lighthouse.

On request it arranges horse rides along the coast, bike tours among the olive trees and maritime pines of the Alimini lakes, dives from the stacks, kitesurfing, and boat or kayak trips.

The spa is built into the house. It has a steam bath, a massage room, a heated indoor pool with a jacuzzi, an outdoor pool among olive trees and an outdoor gym.

Good to know

• The masseria is open all year round.
• From November to March it offers a day spa with an Apulian aperitivo for groups of at least 4 guests.
• Treatments in the massage room are on request.
• Pets are welcome in every room, and guests can bring horses.
• Sheets and linens are usually changed every three days, a water-saving rule the masseria asks guests to accept.
• Room sizes, amenities, children’s rules and table bookings for non-guests are not confirmed here.
• Price band: 3 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it is for, and who should look elsewhere

Couples, groups of friends and families who want a farm, a spa and the option of renting the whole house fit here, in any month. The masseria says travelers with a pet or a horse are welcome.

If you want to eat out at a restaurant that welcomes non-guests, Masseria Montelauro has one, in a lower price band. If you would rather sleep in Otranto’s old town on foot, Hotel Palazzo Papaleo is the town option in the same band.

Getting there

From Otranto, in the Otranto area, continue north toward Frassanito and the Alimini lakes. The postal address is Azienda Frassanito, 73028 Otranto.

The masseria stands among olive trees, and the airports are far enough that a car is the practical choice. The site lists a reception and concierge phone line and a reservations line, so call ahead for directions and arrival times.

If you come for the winter day spa, arrange the date and the group of four or more before you travel.