Furnirussi Tenuta

We’ve got a soft spot for hotels set on working farms — for the character and self-sufficiency, sure, but also for the unbeatable access to local produce. Furnirussi Tenuta, a small resort in Puglia, well into Italy’s heel, fits this model perfectly; a short spell inland from the Adriatic-Ionian convergence, these 20 hectares constitute Europe’s largest fig farm. Turns out 4,500 fig trees make for excellent company.

You won’t be roughing it in the guestrooms, thankfully. The 24 suites are spread out over two floors of a clean, geometric building, each a neutral-toned cocoon of privacy with a king-size four-poster. Floor-to-ceiling windows admit plenty of brightness and enviable garden views; some add terraces as well. Chic minimalism is the order of the day, and flatscreens and complimentary wi-fi keep you as connected as necessary. The pair of suites upstairs add sizable terraces, chromotherapy showers, and freestanding tubs as value propositions.

Of course, farm life is all about the outdoors, and Furnirussi delivers in spades. The hotel offers beach transfers, even setting you up with palm-frond parasols and daybeds, although the outdoor pool, blending seamlessly with the landscape and set within a camphor grove, serves as a decent facsimile (the poolside bar, Grecìa, helps with that decision; who are we kidding). Il Ficheto (“the fig tree,” naturally) makes traditional Salento magic out of the aforementioned produce, which also shows up in the Mediterranean fruit packs at the spa — in addition to Kneipp baths, a limestone hammam, and a jacuzzi. All in all, it’s a rural retreat well worth the stay, and the perfect HQ for exploring the picturesque locales nearby: Serrano, Lecce, Otranto….

How to get there: Furnirussi Tenuta is just over an hour’s drive from Brindisi’s Salento Airport, and about two and a half hours from Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport.