Borgo San Marco

Hugely hospitable 15th-century masseria near the sea, with flower-fringed lawns, beach-style pool, ancient olive groves and atmospheric boho-chic rooms.

Of all the masserie (fortified farmhouses) in Puglia, this stands out for its easy-going atmosphere, its colourful décor and its no-nonsense prices. Built by the Knights of Malta to guard the Adriatic coast from Saracens, it's medievally handsome: a monumental tower, cool vaulted rooms, a wedding-cake chapel. Its 90-hectare grounds offer all the space a you could need: shady lawns, a walled citrus garden and a glorious beach-edge pool, festooned with delphiniums and bougainvillea.

It's been in the Amati family for 200 years and the current owner added his own eclectic touches to the 1981 restoration, while maintaining its prized olive oil production. You'll find, in the stone-flagged drawing room, a gleaming 1950's MotoGuzzi beside the huge-wheeled frantoio (oil press); in the 14 rooms and suites scattered about the tower and outhouses, a vigorous mix of Puglian whitewash and burnt pastels, of brightly quilted stone beds and classic muslin-draped four-posters. A fun, bohemian and totally unpretentious place.

Highs

• A wonderful arrival: past century-old olive groves, through a monumental gate and into a court dominated by a four-square ochre tower
• Pretty but not overdecorated rooms, a mix of ethnic-chic and historic grandeur
• 2 secluded family suites with kitchenette and extra beds
• Warm, generous, family-friendly staff
• All the ingredients of a masseria – 500-year-old tower, vaulted rooms, olive groves, sea horizons – but none of the pretentions (or prices) of its more publicised neighbours

Lows

• No private lido (beach area) - but miles of coast to choose from
• The 4 rooms in the stables are on the simple side, housed in a low barn-like building
• Don't expect 5* facilities: there's no spa (though massages can be arranged), no room service and some rooms lack proper heating (as does the pool)
• Food is variable; but wonderful if the chef himself is cooking
• It's very popular with famlies so couples looking for a quiet summer break should avoid