A fresh look
court, paddle court and spa with sauna and hamman steam rooms.
The sun-drenched, white walls are typical of old buildings made into tourist retreats in the heel of Italy.
This 40-room property has comfortable lounges and dining rooms with antiques, exquisite carpets, paintings and tapestries reflecting Italy through the ages.
Breakfast on the terrace is a feast of local produce from Il Melograno’s garden and nearby farms. Each morning we went for the natural yogurt and honey from a large slab of honeycomb supplied by beekeeping neighbours.
Fresh fruit, salami and Parma ham, mozzarella and burrata cheeses, homemade cakes and croissants and eggs and bacon create a culinary festival.
Dinner is another treat on the same terrace or in the dining room, where two 1,000-year-old olive trees are framed in glass. The menu ranges from rabbit ragu to traditional Apulian lamb with potatoes and mushrooms and rice-covered mussels in a pot, and plenty more, all lovingly prepared.
The hotel feels rather grand but the attentive staff quickly make guests feel at home.
One of the nearest beaches is 10 minutes away at Monopoli, a vibrant fishing port supplying local restaurants with tuna, swordfish, mullet, shrimp, octopus and clams.
The result is excellent restaurants creating delicious pasta dishes with an authentic taste of the sea, costing around £50 for two with wine and dessert.
La Locanda Sul Porto faces the harbour and specialises in fish dishes like ravioli stuffed with