What a dream. My partner Dave and I had visited the Salento province two years prior to our stay with Roberto and became completely entranced by the region. We worried slightly that, two years on, our memories of this beautiful place may be bordering on the fantastical - could anywhere really be as beautiful as what we remember?
Yes. Yes it could. More so even as May brings with it cool weather and blankets of wildflowers covering the whole of the countryside like a fairytale carpet. Best seen from bikes kindly offered by Roberto during our stay - best way to burn off all the delicious pasta (of which you'll eat boatloads)!
Marittima is a lovely little town whose residents are curious, friendly and above all warm and welcoming. Roberto's charming one-bed apartment (renovated from a ruin by his own hand - can you imagine?!) has a little staircase leading up to the flat which benefits from sunshine from pretty much morning-to-night. As such, Dave and I spent our breakfast, lunches, coffees, snacks, breaks, aperitivos and any other excuse we could think of on said steps - once you see them, I'm certain you'll do the same. Sitting out on the street had two major benefits - one, I could top up my tan and two, every passerby (and there were many) would stop to greet us and engage in lively conversation (of which neither party really knew what the other was saying but were perfectly happy trying to muddle it out). Some of our fondest memories of not just Salento but of all of our travels were had on these steps. We'll remember them forever.
On to the flat. Charming, perfectly appointed and, although only a one-bed, seemingly palatial in size given the traditional star vaulted ceilings so popular throughout the area. The kitchen is well equipped and has everything you may need to whip up a tasty meal. The bathroom is stunning with the incredible mosaic shower feeling luxuriously spacious and a joy to look at.
There's a corner shop 30 steps from the flat and a bigger store about a five-minute walk away. During the morning a grocer on a truck will drive past the flat allowing you to buy fresh produce straight from your doorstep. The local aquaviva will be an immediate favourite of your trip and is just a five-minute bike ride away (little more coming back up hill).
The nearby seaside town of Castro is just 12 mins away by bike and offers beautiful views over the sea while Tricase porto is a little further south (about 20 minutes via a lovely country or coastal trail - we recommend county there and coastal back to make the most out of the flats and downhills). Head to Taverna Del Porto when visiting for one of the best seafood dishes in the region (/world).
Roberto is all you could hope for in a host and more. Friendly, quick to respond, eager to hear how your trip is going and keen to help whenever/wherever he can as well as being funny, articulate, interesting and staggeringly selfless. He was kind enough to take Dave and me touring round the countryside looking at properties in order to help us better visualise our dream of moving to the region long-term. Incredibly kind.
It'll come as no surprise that we've given this listing five stars - we'd give 5,000,000 if we could. You'll never regret a booking here.