Distilia
Surrounded by an ancient orange grove, Distilia is a luxurious 19th-century home just outside of Lecce that has been meticulously curated with 20th-century Italian design furnishings.
This is a very personal house, from the style and the way I run it. If someone understands that, it means they have the same type of spirit. That is something I really like!
Masseria Alchimia
The neighbour offers a wonderful breakfast, or just buy some fresh local produce directly from them.
Caroline knows Puglia like no other and is happy to share her favourite places to see & eat with you.
Perfect location with the beach only a few mins away and a short drive to Ostuni or Alberobello.
Masseria Alchimia doesn’t offer any meals but there are several fantastic restaurants nearby.
Who needs a pool when you have the entire coast and its beautiful beaches just a short drive away.
How would you describe Masseria Alchimia in a nutshell?
Masseria Alchimia is a small, charming boutique hideaway in Puglia, Italy. Holiday guests rent small, independent rooms with kitchenettes. It’s like a self-catering apartment hotel.
We are in the countryside here, but we are also close to the sea with very nice beaches. It is a very quiet retreat.
What was your inspiration to open these holiday apartments in Puglia?
I had come down to Puglia many years ago and started living in a trulli house by myself. It was kind of big with a lot of rooms, so many friends stopped by and stayed. I liked that a lot, so I decided to do it in a more professional way.
I worked as a photographer at that time, but when I had my son it became more difficult. So switching over to something brand new made sense.
Please tell us a bit about the history and style of the masseria.
The oldest part of Masseria Alchimia is from the 17th century. In the past, it was owned by nuns. It was an institute where they would teach young girls how to be good wives. They also used to grow olives to make olive oil so when I bought it, there were 17 hectares of land. Now only 3 hectares still belong to the masseria. It’s still big, but not that big.
In terms of decoration, I decided to break the rules and not use classic Italian furniture. Instead, I bought some colourful furniture pieces – some vintage, some contemporary – to create a nice mix. I also use the walls of Masseria Alchimia to show changing works of artists and painters.
Is there anything in particular that made you fall in love with this part of Italy?
It was the combination of everything — the people, the food, the weather, etc. What is very special here is the sky, we have wonderful light here. I grew up in Germany where it was very foggy and rainy, so I appreciate the light here.
At the same time, it’s not like other areas of Italy. It’s not really modern, but not too much behind either. We are remote enough for it to be authentic, but close to bigger cities so you can have that experience too if you want.
What has been the biggest reward to you running Masseria Alchimia?
I meet a lot of really nice people. This is the sixth year I’m running it, and most of my guests are returning guests. I have had holiday guests come and stay by themselves and for the next visit, they’ll bring family or relatives to show them the area. I also get a lot of people from the art professions — architects, photographers, and so on — which is nice for me.
This is a very personal house, from the style and the way I run it, so if someone sees that, what the spirit of the house is, it means they have the same type of spirit. That is something I really like.
There are 7 rooms and suites for a maximum of 20 guests.
All apartments have kitchenettes which are hidden inside a cupboard with fridges, cooking stoves, coffee makers etc.
All apartments have private outside spaces as well. The smaller apartments have small patios and the larger ones have big terraces. They even have small private gardens where guests can eat or read a book, etc.
I like the Romantic Suite very much. It’s very private. If you walk on the terraces, no one can see you. And you have the sea view.
The other one I like very much is the Deluxe Suite. It has two terraces, and on the second terrace, which you get to from the bedroom, there is a small plunge pool in a rock.
Friendly and bright small studio located on the ground floor of Masseria Alchimia, offering a kitchenette and a patio with delightful garden views.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
Friendly and bright small studio located on the ground floor of Masseria Alchimia, offering a kitchenette and a patio with delightful garden views.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
Charming and spacious studios located on the ground floor of Masseria Alchimia, offering a kitchen corner and a private terrasse enjoying a view over the olive groves or lemon trees. One of the rooms has a bathtub the other a shower.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
Charming and spacious studios located on the ground floor of Masseria Alchimia, offering a kitchen corner and a private terrasse enjoying a view over the olive groves or lemon trees. One of the rooms has a bathtub the other a shower.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
Perfect for couples in search of privacy. The Suite is a two-room-studio located on the first floor of Masseria Alchimia. The living area features a kitchenette area and dining table and a large sunny terrace with panoramic view over the olive groves, equipped with double sunbed, table and chairs. The large double en-suite bedroom (with shower) is offering a second garden view terrace with large outside plunge pool for private use.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
Very bright and beautiful studio with magnificent sea views located on the top floor of Masseria Alchimia. The suite has a bedroom (sea view), a living area with a small kitchenette and a large bathroom with hydro-massage shower and bath tub. The guests enjoy two large private sunny terraces with breathtaking sea views equipped with double sunbed, table and chairs: ideal for romantic getaways.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
The Junior Suite is a two-room-studio located on the ground floor of Masseria Alchimia. The Suite features a spacious and comfortable bedroom with large tub equipped with colour therapy – immerse yourself in water with mood-setting coloured light – and a living room with kitchenette. The Junior Suite is also offering two separate bathrooms and a beautiful patio with relaxing garden view.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
The Family Suite is a two-room-studio located on the ground floor of Masseria Alchimia enjoying a sunny patio and a private garden. The studio is divided into two rooms. The first room is furnished with a double bed, a relaxing light therapy bathtub and a bathroom with shower. The second room has with two single beds, a kitchen, a dining table and an extra toilet. A baby bed can be added on request. Each room has an independent entrance from the terrace: ideal for families or friends.
All studios are furnished with design classics and equipped with hairdryer, satellite TV, safe, bathrobe, air-con and free WiFi.
Since we are also residents at Masseria Alchimia, we are here for any recommendations holiday guests might need. We recommend places to see or where to shop, we make reservations at restaurants and so on. I’ve lived here for 20 years now and know everyone and everything, so I can offer excellent recommendations for what not to miss.
When families with small kids come, there are a lot of places in the area for children to have fun, or we can arrange for a babysitter if the parents want to go out on their own.
I am also a member of the local beach club so can offer guests special rates or make appointments for specific sun beds and so on.
I also have two neighbors who produce and sell food. They offer homemade breads, marmalades, olive oil, fruit and vegetables, and cheeses. Many guests walk over to them to purchase food to prepare in their little kitchens.
We are only about 5 mins away from the beach, with more beaches about 15 mins away. There are very nice beach clubs with restaurants and umbrellas in this area, as well as great public beaches.
But I’d also recommend a lot of other things to do in Puglia. If you like day trips, you can go to Trani which is a beautiful little city that is 100 kilometers from us. Another very nice day trip is to go to Lecce. Or you could go to Ostuni for dinner.
There is really a lot to do in this part of Puglia from a cultural point of view. There are even Roman excavations close by, every little town has churches and the like. There are also a lot of very nice little shops and great golf courses nearby with both 18 and 9 holes.
However, I would say 8 out of 10 holiday guests come here really tired and prefer to just relax.
Masseria Alchimia is located in the countryside near the beautiful small town of Fasano and very close to the beach. We enjoy seven months of summer and very good food. People are friendly here. I think Puglia is a wonderful piece of Italy. It’s still authentic.
We are located centrally between two airports, about 50 kilometers from both Bari and Brindisi in Puglia, so it is easy to reach Masseria Alchimia.
If you want the beaches to swim, June, July, August and September are the best. If you would like to just relax, hanging around the olive trees and things like that, April, May and October are very nice.
In the winter months, it’s very inexpensive here. It’s not too cold, and we never have snow or fog, so it’s nice for walking and relaxing as well.
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