Masseria Palombara

There’s no corner of Italy that’s untouched by tourism, but some corners are quieter than others. The Salento peninsula in southern Puglia — the heel of Italy’s boot — is one of these. Set in a classic Puglian landscape of limestone and low-slung almond and olive groves, Masseria Palombara feels splendidly sequestered, a few miles to the south of the town of Oria, about midway from Taranto to Brindisi. At first glance little more than a typical stone-walled farmhouse compound, upon further inspection it’s revealed to be a luxe little adults-only resort, spa, and restaurant.

It’s small, with its 18 rooms and two suites divided between the lovingly restored original masseria farmhouse building and a separate structure, the more contemporary annex — the former perhaps more atmospheric thanks to their vaulted limestone construction and their whitewashed walls.

Either way it’s an immersive, rustic-luxe experience, and each set of rooms comes with its own outdoor pool. You’re twenty minutes’ drive from a pair of splendid beaches, while on site you’ve got a small spa, complete with hammam and Finnish sauna. And the Masseria’s restaurant is among its most impressive attributes, serving traditional Puglian fare made with ingredients from the hotel’s own organic garden.