Geräumige Villa mit umwerfendem Ausblick auf die Adria, Laureto, Puglia

Villa Francesca is perfection. We loved the huge jacuzzi bath, exquisite pool, far reaching views, eating on the terrace(s), massive range of lighting options, mammoth clean windows, effective shutters, thoughtful range of novels, DVDs & games, the Lonely Planet guidebook, the Smeg fridge & cooker, the quality towels & loungers, the variety of seating indoor & out, the well-maintained driveway, the secure electronic gates.

Cinzia, the warm, charming & talented private chef, cooked for us on the first & last nights - what a terrific treat & experience, we can’t recommend her enough.

We loved the surrounding, idyllic neighbourhood and seeing how authentic Puglians live. There is life everywhere - olive trees, fruit groves, wildflowers, lizards, scenic trulli, winding roads, young and old Italians.

We did day trips to:

Locorotondo (beautiful. And great drinks, fresh doughnuts and friendly service at the Pasticceria)

Alberobello (very picturesque, a high concentration of trulli)

Monte San Angelo (stunning drive up the mountain, important Catholic pilgrimage site, a church in a cave, great café near the Sanctuary)

Matera (JAW DROPPING!!!!! And drive across to Belverdere - instructions in the Lonely Planet - for even more awe-inspiring views. Really, these are ‘pinch me’ scenes. And hike down the gorge too, we loved it, we followed an apparent dead-end dirt track from just in front of the monastery, bordered on the right by olive trees - find the rough details in the Lonely Planet)

Pogliano A Mare (friendly, close, pretty town; even better from the water)

Pompeii (3.5hrs drive one-way, but the ancient site is very beautiful, and very atmospheric)

Back to Villa Francesca - When you arrive it is as if you are the very first people to ever have been there.

Maura provides a great welcome pack (butter, tea, coffee, bread, washing up liquid etc) & useful arrival instructions. Her information on Sights & Sites is something to print & keep in your car.

There is *nothing* to complain about.

The road is bumpy, but we managed it daily in a big 9-seater van; if you want to stay in ancient Puglia scattered with trulli, then of course the roads won’t be major.

If you’re a v sensitive sleeper bring mask/plugs.

The water pressure is very good, the bathrooms lovely, the storage plentiful, the chill out spots numerous.

The whole place is an experience, so charming, vivacious & characterful.

If you don’t like this Villa, maybe you don’t like Italy...or life.

We enjoyed our stay very much and Maura was helpful/responsive. A few things that would have made it better include a good set of sharp knives (we cooked in a lot), some much needed repair to the road leading to the house and increased water pressure in bathrooms. For this level of high end house the water pressure in the showers was terrible.

The Villa was very clean. Maura left a wonderful welcome basket, which we took advantage of after a long eventful travel experience from JFK. The binder in the Villa was extremely informative and useful. The location of the Villa was perfect for visiting several towns each day. Puglia is not a very popular destination for Americans but I loved how friendly the locals are and how immersed we were with the Italian culture, sightsee in the AM, lunch, pool, siesta, late dinner and stroll a new town! We loved everything about the Villa, Maura and the area so much that my husband wants to return again next year as there were several towns we wanted to see and didn't get the chance.

Beautiful well kept rooms and bathrooms. Very helpful, thoughtful guest manual with books and dvds.

Host was amazing at responding and meeting all our needs.

Swimming pool is perfect and amazing outside areas to lounge around on.

If you want the luxury of feeling like a princess, or prince, that is an easy drive to anywhere in the area, this is the place. Very private, luxurious, and well appointed, sitting above Fasano. The caretaker, Maura, is a phone call away for any questions or recommendations, and is ray of sunshine. The welcome provisions were a wonderful addition to this lovely villa, and if you need more space for larger families, a sister villa below, and very private itself, can accommodate. Walking gardens, a beautiful pool, well-appointed home with large showers and ample towels (yay!), several terraces, all with a spectacular view, along with the most charming people you'll meet in the area, are all you need right here. Thank you Maura, (and your very charming GianCarlo) for your help, information and mostly, what we hope will be a long and lovely friendship . We WILL be back!