This was our first time in Puglia and we stayed at Villa Zitetta a beautiful very personal house. I remember looking out of the master bedroom window when we arrived and feeling this beautiful cool sea breeze on this very, very hot day. Puglia is famous for its Masseria places to stay but we wanted a quiet oasis. And we found our home away from home, a “5 star oasis”. The ground floor has a huge terrace, which is the perfect place to have breakfast or candle light dinner while enjoying the spectacular view of the garden. Villa Zitetta comes with your own personal cook, who spoilt us during our whole stay with fresh local produce and fish caught by her husband. All beautifully prepared and laid out with a simple elegant style. Take her up on the offer to go on their little boat ride and watch how her husband collects sea urchins from the bed of the sea and you get to eat them fresh. Turquoise ocean and the caves make this trip a must. We rarely left the house and found our little spots to read under the olive trees and yoga on the terrace in shade. Connected to the terrace is the kitchen and dining room. with stone floors and a living room with a fireplace on this floor. On the second floor are two big double rooms. One is the master bedroom that faces the garden, which has its own bathroom. The other bedroom can accommodate another two people. you really get a sense of that natural world and feel you’re on your own isolated island from up there. “It’s the combination of everything — the people, the food, the weather, etc. What is very special here is the sky, the wonderful light. Puglia is 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.”