Borgo Canonica

It’s a bit late in the game to call Puglia, in southern Italy, an undiscovered destination. But there’s still a case to be made for the underratedness of its particular charms. The rough stone architecture, the sparse shrubs of the macchia marshland, and the abundance of ancient olive trees combine to form a picture that’s quite unlike the more familiar landscapes farther north. It’s here, too, that you’ll find the trulli, the distinctive conical hut-like buildings which give a unique silhouette to the lovingly restored boutique hotel that is Borgo Canonica.

Every room and suite sits beneath one of these conical structures, and while the stone interior walls may be austere, there’s plenty of comfort to be found — in typical Italian boutique-hotel style Borgo Canonica freely combines modern fixtures and furnishings with the centuries-old backdrop. While they must have made for cozy homes for the shepherds and farmers who built them, they’re more than spacious enough for hotel guests. When you consider the gorgeous pool deck and the restaurant, which serves Puglian specialties (including generous quantities of the region’s famous olive oil), you’ve got yourself a remarkably complete, perfectly luxurious southern Italian escape.

Please note:
Borgo Canonica is open seasonally, from the end of May until early November.