Surroundings

What lies within an hour of the gate.

Casa Andrea sits in the gentle hills above San Vito dei Normanni, on the Adriatic side of Puglia — fifteen minutes from Ostuni, ten from the sea. Everything below is a comfortable day out, and most of it is half a day.

Sea & coast

  • Torre Guaceto — protected marine reserve

    10 min

    Low rocky coast, pinewood, turquoise water — protected from development since 1991. Reached on foot through the reserve, which keeps the crowds away. The snorkelling near the reef is among the best on this side of Italy.

  • Costa Merlata, Pilone, Rosa Marina, Lido Morelli

    10–20 min

    A string of Adriatic beaches, each with its own character. Some sandy and family-easy, others rocky cove-style swimming where you'd want shoes. We send a short personal guide to each on request.

Towns nearby

  • Ostuni — la città bianca

    15 min

    The white town rising on its hill, every wall lime-washed in the same pale chalk that finishes our own. Best walked at six in the evening, then dined in at nine on a terrace facing the plain we live in.

  • Monopoli — old harbour

    35–40 min

    The whitewashed lanes and fishing port of an old Adriatic town, where the fish auction still happens at dawn. Easy half-day, easier in early evening.

  • Polignano a Mare — cliffs over the sea

    50 min

    The dramatic town cut into the limestone cliffs. Best visited at the end of the day, when the light hits the chalk walls. Also reachable by boat in summer.

Worth the drive

  • Alberobello — the trulli

    40 min

    The conical stone houses that made the Valle d'Itria a UNESCO site. Best in the early morning before the buses arrive — we'll point to the streets the tour groups miss and the small restaurants the locals still use.

  • Lecce — the Baroque capital

    1 h

    The architectural capital of the Salento — soft golden limestone carved into the most ornate Baroque facades in Italy. Worth a full day, arriving late morning and staying through dinner. The drive south is part of the pleasure.

Practical

  • Brindisi airport (BDS)

    35 min

    Your most likely arrival. Direct flights from London, Paris, Brussels, Zurich and the major German hubs through summer. We send detailed driving notes once your dates are confirmed.

  • Bari airport (BRI)

    1 h 10

    Larger choice of carriers, slightly longer drive. Worth comparing if Brindisi prices are unfriendly on your dates.

Brindisi airport — your most likely arrival — is thirty-five minutes away. Bari airport is just over an hour. From either, we'll send detailed driving notes once your dates are confirmed.

Plan a stay