Masseria Bagnara Resort & Spa

There are many Italian words that are difficult to translate. Some of those words have particularly delightful meanings that reveal something about the culture, like meriggiare, to rest in the shade on a hot day, or abbiocco, the drowsiness one feels after indulging in a hearty meal. The word masseria is a good example. It loosely translates to farmhouse, but it’s more than that. A masseria is a specific kind of walled country estate built by Spanish colonials in Puglia. It’s rustic but elegant, it’s scenic, it’s out in the middle of nowhere, it’s often near a beach. And it just so happens it’s the ideal foundation on which to build a luxury hotel. Take Masseria Bagnara Resort & Spa, an idyllic getaway near the Ionian coast of Salento.

The structure of the original stone estate remains, but it’s been beautifully reshaped into an eco-friendly fifteen-room resort with a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and a fantastic restaurant specializing in regional cuisine. Some of the property’s greatest assets are its historic features, like the thick, vine-covered stone walls, high arching ceilings, the charming brick-lined wine cellar, a series of open-air patios looking out over a landscape dotted with olive groves and vineyards. But the newer parts are lovely, too. Guest rooms and suites are mostly white, with a spare, stripped-down feel that’s in keeping with the building’s original function. But the modern comforts you’d expect are in place, as well, from flat-screen TVs to free wi-fi, and the colorfully tiled bathrooms are downright lavish. Most rooms have private terraces.

From there, or from the patio dining area, or from the edge of the aquamarine-colored swimming pool, you can see that there’s not much around Masseria Bagnara. That’s sort of the point: you’ll probably arrive here in a rental car and leave it parked for the duration of your stay. You could make the quick drive to the nearby beach, or an afternoon trip into the village of Lizzano, or even grab one of the hotel’s bicycles for a pedal around the countryside. Or you could stay right where you are: take a cooking class or sign up for an olive oil tasting, arrange an excursion on horseback, or just wander through the resort’s gorgeously manicured grounds, glass of wine in hand. That’s an Italian phrase we understand perfectly: il dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing.