Masseria San Domenico

Before Puglia became fashionable, Masseria San Domenico showed what the region's fortified farmhouses could become. Built in the fifteenth century around a watchtower raised against Saracen raids, the whitewashed masseria sits amid a sea of ancient olive trees between Savelletri's harbour and the Adriatic, and its conversion in the 1990s effectively invented the luxury-masseria genre that now defines the region.

The architecture keeps its defensive geometry—thick walls, vaulted ceilings, a central courtyard—softened by lawns, bougainvillaea and one of southern Italy's most attractive pools, a lagoon-like sweep of filtered seawater edged in rock. Rooms are classical and restrained, with antiques and cool stone floors rather than contemporary styling; the mood overall is settled, adult and unhurried.

The thalassotherapy spa is the great strength, using warmed seawater in its pools and treatments, and the associated San Domenico golf course runs along the coast nearby. Dining celebrates Puglian tradition, much of it built on the estate's own olive oil and vegetables. Younger crowds and families gravitate to flashier neighbours; San Domenico holds its course as the region's dignified original.