Location
Top of Massimo's list — he toured it himself last year and says the pool is great. A 17th-century fortified agriturismo among ancient olive groves, 10 minutes inland from Savelletri. About 20 rooms including two-room apartments with kitchenettes, a pool, and an organic farm restaurant. Guest rating 9.8/10 — people rave about the food, the grounds, and the pool area. It's a working farm stay, not a resort: charm and authenticity instead of kids' clubs.
Family friendly? Yes, in the low-key way — families praise the space and pool, rollaway beds are €30/night, cots €10, and babysitting can be arranged. No organized kids' programming, so the 8 kids entertain each other (which, with 8 of them, they will).
One of the best-known luxury masserias in the area, popular with international visitors. Comprehensive upscale offering, pool, excellent food, close to beaches. A strong middle ground between boutique and resort.
Family friendly? Yes — beach mini-club for ages 4–12 at their Coccaro Beach club (June–Sept, morning + afternoon + evening sessions), children's pool, pony rides at the riding centre, pizza-making, swimming and tennis lessons, and babysitting on request.
Accommodation: Rooms & suites in the fortified farmhouse — Superior and Deluxe doubles, Junior Suites, a Tower Suite in the old watchtower, Suites with private pool, plus two 2-bedroom villas. 2026 high-season rates: €720–940/night for rooms & junior suites, €1,600–2,240 suites with pool, €2,350–2,820 villas; extra kid beds €120/night (ages 4–12), B&B included.
Rough cost per family (July, 4–5 nights, 2 adults + 2 kids): ≈ €4.5–6k in a Deluxe or Junior Suite with kids' beds, ≈ €7.5–9k in a suite with private pool, ≈ €9.5–14k for a family villa. Meaningfully cheaper than Borgo Egnazia at every tier.
Website → Instagram @masseriatorrecoccaro →
One of Puglia's most storied agriturismi: a working organic farm 10 minutes from Ostuni and the sea, with a 15th-century olive mill still pressing its own oil, citrus gardens, a pool tucked into the olive groves with an honesty bar, and their famous multi-course farm dinners. On the Fasano–Ostuni road, ~25 min from Savelletri.
Family friendly? In the countryside way — family rooms sleep 2–5 (double + small bed, extra kid bed available), and there's a farm to roam. No kids' club or organized programming; the draw is atmosphere, animals, and the best food of any option on this page.
Real price: their booking engine shows €1,600 for a family room, 5 nights in July 2027 — that's €320/night, the cheapest confirmed number of any option here (Salamina is €2,200 for the same stay). They also run a "Gourmet Stay" (3+ nights with dinner included) and a Long Stay special for 5+ nights, worth asking about before booking.
Website → Family rooms →
From The Thinking Traveller (Condé Nast's Best Villa Rental Company 2025 — every villa staff-vetted, concierge included). Their "Think Exquisite" tier: 17 guests, 9 bedrooms, 8 baths near Ostuni — right in our Valle d'Itria orbit, ~25 min from Savelletri. Whole place to ourselves with hotel-grade support, and Massimo could cook here.
Cost per family: listed from €12,800/week (low season); July typically runs 1.5–2×, so figure ≈ €4.8–6.4k per family for 7 nights. Saturday-to-Saturday, 7-night minimum.
View on The Thinking Traveller →
Also from The Thinking Traveller: 16 guests, 8 bedrooms at Carovigno — about 30 min from Savelletri, still close to the beaches and Massimo's territory. Same full-service format: vetted villa, concierge, private staff options.
Cost per family: listed from €11,820/week (low season); July likely ≈ €4.5–6k per family for 7 nights. Saturday-to-Saturday, 7-night minimum.
View on The Thinking Traveller →
The Pine Cliffs equivalent for Puglia — full resort infrastructure, multiple pools, kids' club, multiple restaurants, spa, beach club access. More expensive and more structured than a boutique masseria, but the group amenities are unmatched for a trip with 8 kids in July.
Family friendly? Exceptionally — arguably the most family-oriented luxury resort in Puglia. Age-banded kids' clubs (Trullalleri 3–7, free; Marinai junior club 8–12; teen club), a dedicated zero-entry family pool separate from the adults-only pool, kids' menus, cots/monitors/high chairs, and in-room babysitting. One catch: kids under 13 aren't allowed in La Corte (the main building) mid-June to mid-Sept, so families book the Borgo, a Casetta, or a Villa.
Accommodation: It's built like a village, not one hotel block — La Corte hotel rooms & suites (adults-territory in summer), 92 Borgo rooms (42 m², garden patio or roof terrace), 28 two-story Casettas (townhouses — the family-of-four sweet spot), and private 2–4 bedroom villas with own pools.
Cost per family (July, 4–5 nights, 2 adults + 2 kids): published peak-season rates suggested €6–9k for a Borgo room up to €14–35k for a villa — but the actual quote came back at ~€9k/night (above). For comparison: that's Torre Coccaro six-to-eight times over, or Salamina for the whole group with money left for every dinner, boat day, and Massimo evening of the trip.
Website → Instagram @borgoegnazia →Eight rentals from our shared wishlist, each sleeping all 16 of us. Prices are the real Airbnb totals for the 5-night July window shown (in CAD), with the per-family quarter split. Sorted cheapest first — vote 👍/🤔 or comment 💬 on any row. Renting a whole place means the kids roam as a pack and Massimo can come cook at our masseria; more options at Puglia Villa, Home in Italy, and Apulia Rentals.
| Property | Sleeps | Dates | Total (CAD) | Rating | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Trullo · Ceglie Messapica |
9 br · 10 beds | Jul 1–6 | $8,444 ≈ $2,100/family |
4.5 | |
 |
Trullo · Cisternino · Top guest favourite |
10 br · 11 beds | Jul 10–15 | $11,047 ≈ $2,760/family |
4.96 | |
 |
Home · Carovigno · Guest favourite |
10 br · 20 beds | Jul 1–6 | $14,465 ≈ $3,620/family |
4.86 | |
 |
Trullo · Locorotondo · Superhost |
10 br · 12 beds | Jul 15–20 | $15,766 ≈ $3,940/family |
4.76 | |
 |
Villa · Ostuni · Top guest favourite |
7 br · 11 beds | Jul 10–15 | $16,059 ≈ $4,015/family |
4.96 | |
 |
Town palazzo · Polignano a Mare · Superhost · pool + beach |
11 br · 14 beds | Jul 1–6 | $19,439 ≈ $4,860/family |
— | |
 |
Villa · Pilone |
11 br · 11 beds | Jul 1–6 | $19,708 ≈ $4,930/family |
— | |
 |
B&B · Pilone |
16 br · 23 beds | Jul 1–6 | $28,188 ≈ $7,050/family |
— |
Dates differ between rows (July pricing shifts week to week), so totals aren't perfectly apples-to-apples. Casolare Treggia has only 7 bedrooms for 16 people — kids would share.
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Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport is the main gateway for this region — about 60 km from Fasano (45 min drive). Brindisi (BDS) is an alternative at 50 km south. Toronto connects via London, Frankfurt, or Rome. Rental cars essential — a car is the only practical way to move around the Valle d'Itria.
Activities & Experiences
A native of Britritto, Puglia, Massimo ran Toronto's longest-running Authentic Italian Supper Club for 18 years before returning home. He now leads culinary tours and private chef experiences across his home region — market visits, family-style cooking, storytelling, and wine. We're planning 1–2 nights with him: he can cook for the group at the masseria, or take us out to a market-to-table experience. Contact: massimo@massimobruno.com · massimobruno.com
Gentle sandy beaches near Fasano — calm water, good for kids. Easy 20-min drive from the Fasano masseria belt. Multiple beach clubs in the area.
The second-largest animal park in Europe plus the biggest waterpark in southern Italy are both within 15 min of Fasano. Hugely popular in July — arrive early or book tickets in advance.
14 min from Fasano. A town of 1,500 conical stone trulli houses — bucket-list Puglia. Touristy, but unmissable for an hour or two, especially with kids who will find it magical.
Dramatic cliffside town 30 min north, with turquoise coves below white buildings. One of Puglia's most photogenic spots. Good for lunch, a swim, and a gelato.
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Food & Wine
Orecchiette con le cime di rapa (handmade pasta with bitter broccoli) · Burrata and stracciatella · Focaccia barese · Raw sea urchin at the port · Primitivo and Negroamaro wines · Olive oil tasting at a local frantoi · Taralli with Aperol spritz at sunset.
Research
Background on the region and the reading we've gathered so far. Found something useful? Add it at the bottom and everyone will see it.
Valle d'Itria
Where we'll be based
A UNESCO-protected valley of rolling olive groves, vineyards, and trulli — those ancient conical stone houses found nowhere else on earth. The air is warm and dry, the food is extraordinary, and the pace is wonderfully slow.
Basing near Fasano puts us within easy reach of everything: beach towns to the east, white hill towns in every direction, and Massimo's home turf.
Ostuni — La Città Bianca
30–40 min from Fasano
Puglia's most iconic hilltop town, entirely whitewashed, perched above olive groves with sea views. Labyrinthine medieval streets, excellent wine bars, and great restaurants. Worth a long lunch or sunset evening.