BioMasseria Santa Lucia

Attended a family wedding with about 25 friends and family. This was one of the nicest travel experiences ever. This Masseria is beautiful with Bougainvillea draping the walls and shading courtyards, a wonderful pool and stellar accommodations. Food was wonderful. Everything is grown on the property or in the local farms. Fresh fruits, healthy grains, local honey, and fresh breads started each day. An amazing variety of vegetables straight from the gardens headline lunch, dinner and appetizers. Fresh seafood, an incredible variety of entrees and local wines will make you quickly forget The Olive Garden and truly understand the attraction of local Italian cuisine. The rooms are quiet, secluded, well-appointed, have nice bathrooms and are air-conditioned. One is guaranteed a good night's sleep here. The property is about an hour from the town of Lecce which is a very pleasant city with the full range of ancient Roman artifacts, Middle Ages and Renaissance architecture and restaurants of all varieties. Lecce has train service several times a day with a train that begins or ends in Lecce and hits Rome, Florence, Bologna and Milan without changing trains. Very Convenient. 90 minutes away is the city of Brindisi which has an airport connected to Rome, Milan and the major European airports. The property will arrange for a car service to/from Lecce and Brindisi . This property is a 5 minute drive to the Adriatic Coast and miles of beaches, rocky swimming holes and the ambiance of the Greek Islands without the crowds. Finally, you will not find a more welcoming staff and atmosphere. The general manager, Maria, is charming, helpful, knowledgeable and committed to her guests having a wonderful experience. All the staff are friendly and everyone seems to want guests to have the best possible stay.

BioMasseria Santa Lucia is a gem of a place full of charm and beauty. The building itself has been very well maintained keeping true to the old stones yet with all modern amenities. The rooms have lavender bushes outside the entrance, the beds are very comfortable and they even provided a super thick mattress for the baby cot. Breakfast is a delight - a spread of homemade jams, fruits from the farm, locally sourced yoghurt and cheese, freshly baked tarts and pastries and eggs to order. A huge bonus is they also serve dinner and every night we had an incredible meal - the pasta was better here than any of the restaurants we visited in puglia. The food was the highlight of our stay - 3 courses that you can choose from - a plethora of antipasti, true local pasta specialities like the lightest fluffiest gnocchi and gorgeous slow roasted tomatoes full of flavour and different regional dishes like fava beans and meat dishes. There's also a lovely pool and the masseria is close to beaches on both coasts. After days of busy touring all the towns of Puglia, this is the perfect place to come to relax and feed your soul. The owner, Maria, her parents and all the staff have made such warm and welcoming atmosphere and I highly recommend staying here.

I would like to give 5 stars, and I am sure thy will get to 5 stars soon since it is a relatively new owner who has taken over the Masseria. With just a few changes and upgrades it would certainly be 5 stars. Right now I would say it is a 4.5. Overall we had a wonderful stay. The location is perfect for exploring the quaint “borghi” in Salento as well as going to beaches on each of the coasts which are very different one from the other. There are beautiful beaches in the south of Salento. The property is quite large and they grow many of the things that are served. There are only 8 rooms. There is a pool which is a bit removed from the main house. It would be nice if there was some service at the pool — water, etc. as it seemed a bit desolate. We never really sat there and there are a lot of insects in the pool which is normal when you are in the countryside. The rooms are fairly spacious however there is no desk ( and I think I specifically asked for one as I was working while there) nor is there a comfy chair to sit in. The room has one window and a windowed door to a covered seating area with lots of vegetation, so overall it is on the darker side and not a lot of lighting. It is great for sleeping late however! The bed was comfortable and there is a large armoire for hanging clothes but not many drawers. There is no safe either. We stayed a week and I don’t believe our bed sheets were ever changed. The bathroom is very dark. The lighting is terrible — one lone dim light above the sink so applying makeup is tough. It is also the only mirror in the room so hard to get ready in 2. The towels are sub-par — thin and not fluffy. There are slippers but no robes. The toiletries are also not of a high standard. Why not be ecological and just provide a big bottle that is then refilled? Beach/pool towels are provided and those are quite nice although we had to ask for a change of those mid-week. Breakfast was delicious — homemade cakes were lovely. I had to ask for some savory items and then they were always on the buffet — delicious tomatoes, salumi and cheeses. We had dinner one night and it was abundant and delicious with many items from their property and all home cooked. Service in general was excellent. The staff were very kind and there was always a presence of the owner of one of the family. I would recommend they provide more information on the area as I found out about some very fun things to do only when chatting with the owner’s father. They give you a sheet with some restaurants and such but it does not do justice to the many happenings around the area. As I mentioned this is a new venture and with just a few minor upgrades this would be a 5 star++. I wish I could give 4.5 but Trip Advisor does not let me. Can’t wait to go back.

We absolutely loved the cooking class that we did with our family and another family (4 kids total, ages 6, 5, 4, and 8 months). Maria (the general manager), her mom, and the chefs were all absolutely fantastic. We started with the kids having a chance to pick fruits and vegetables from the organic garden, which they loved. We then made fresh pasta and meatballs. The kids had their own station and the chefs provided great direction. The end-result was delicious -- our 5-year-old said that it was the best pasta he had ever eaten! We'd definitely recommend this experience to anyone visiting the area. It was the highlight of our week-long trip to Puglia!

My family and another family did an absolutely spectacular cooking class at BioMasseria Santa Lucia on a trip to Puglia this summer, and it was a true highlight. It's a beautiful property, and everyone was so friendly, engaging, and helpful. My kids -- a 6 year old and 4 year old -- had an amazing time picking veggies in the garden, making pasta and tomato sauce, and eating an incredibly delicious feast! Maria and her family and the chefs at the Masseria were such gracious hosts -- I can't thank them enough. Staying at the BioMasseria or doing a cooking class thetre is an experience not to be missed -- perfect for families (and I'm sure also true for people traveling without kids).