We booked il Tuffo for the first week in July.
As per the details provided in the rental agreement accessibility to the house is quite difficult along very narrow and poorly maintained roads.
This is the trade-off for the seclusion and privacy that you get once you arrive. The outside spaces and pool are fantastic, with plenty of space to enjoy the views of the beautiful surrounding countryside.
The inside of the house is very well-designed and the owner has a real flair for detail.
But, there are some significant compromises:
- the property is much smaller than it appears in the listing
- the bedroom is little more than an alcove with no space around the bed
- the kitchen is very basic with only a two ring camping hob and no oven
- the hot water is supplied through a tank that is only refilled once a week so you are required to use water sparingly.
However, the biggest issue is the lack of air conditioning. Whilst we were in Puglia the temperatures were in the mid-30s. It is stifling in the property during the day even with all the doors opened and truly unbearable at night. In fact, none of our party could get any sleep in the heat.
We ended up taking the difficult and very expensive decision to leave the property after 24-hours as we did not feel that we would be able to endure another night in the heat. This cost us c£1,300 in terms of cancellation fees and finding alternative accommodation.
I have tried to be balanced in this review as there are a lot of things to like about the property and I’m sure that it would be a good rental option outside the height of summer.
However, I want to ensure that people are fully aware of the potential compromises and issues if you are thinking of renting during July or August.