BORGO EGNAZIA, PUGLIA, ITALY
As we pass the imposing clocktower in the main square of Borgo Egnazia, I’m told ‘this is the only clock in Borgo’ – time proudly has an irrelevance here. I’m being shown around the Puglian resort – borgo literally translates to village, and this is a very chic and stylish one at that. So much so that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel held their wedding here and Madonna threw a birthday party within these very walls. Artist and designer Pino Brescia oversaw the whole project and headed up the interior design. He was inspired by the simplicity of Puglia’s ancient farmhouses and rural villages and worked with local craftsmen and materials. The ‘village’ comprises a mix of cosy rooms, traditional townhouses and plush villas with their own private pools. I opt for one of the smaller townhouses. Inside, my room makes me feel immediately relaxed with its cool, cream stone walls, neutral tones and soft lighting. It’s unfussy but modern and elegant – considered, without being too ‘done’.
It’s easy to get lost as I wander the streets of the village. There are four pools (two are child-friendly), six restaurants (one carries a Michelin star, and there’s even one on the beach) and the main square, or piazza, which comes alive in the evening, filled with softly lit lanterns and long tables for mingling, eating and dancing to live music. For dinner, I visit the vegetarian restaurant, La Calce. I have the delicious celeriac tagliolino with almond, rocket and seaweed.
On-site fitness activities are plentiful. I take out a bike and cycle along the breezy coastal path, lined with ancient olive trees, adjacent to the resort’s 18-hole golf course, which sits atop a headland surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea. Halfway through, I stop off at the rocky beachside restaurant, for a chilled glass of local white wine and a bowl of the largest green olives I’ve ever seen.
Daily fitness classes offer yoga (there’s even a yoga mat in my room), Pilates, body flow, padel tennis and relaxation. I decide to venture further afield and visit the nearby town of Grottaglie, the home of ceramics. It’s my first time at the potter’s wheel and, with the help of my teacher, I proudly produce something that mildly resembles a bowl! The local streets are lined with ceramics shops, with the option to ship home.
For the ultimate wind-down, I take advantage of Borgo’s Vair Spa. The Roman thermal baths experience lasts around an hour. A dreamy float in the warm pools is followed by a refreshing wade through knee-high cold water and a dousing from an overhead ice-cold water bucket. I find it both relaxing and invigorating in equal measure. Much like my time at Borgo Egnazia.
FIONA ANDREWS
DOUBLE ROOM IN A LA CORTE ROOM FROM AROUND £295 A NIGHT IN LOW SEASON AND FROM £800 A NIGHT IN PEAK SEASON. SPA EXPERIENCE FROM AROUND £107PP. BORGOEGNAZIA.COM. POTTERY WORKSHOP IN GROTTAGLIE FROM AROUND £145PP