Masseria Cuturi

The handsome and storied town of Manduria (15 minutes’ drive) is known for the remains of an ancient Messapian settlement in the Parco Archeologico delle Mura Messapiche (20 minutes), and equally renowned for its primitivo wines. Learn more about local vine cultivation at the Museo della Civilta del Primitivo, and then have a wander around the pedestrianised Centro Storico. Days on the beach may beckon instead; the golden sands and calm, shallow waters at San Pietro in Bevagna (10 minutes) are safe for families with young kids, while popular Punta Prosciutto (15 minutes) is backed by bars and cafés. The lagoon at Porto Cesareo (20 minutes) is edged with small coves and beaches good for rockpooling. The baroque architecture of Lecce is about an hour’s drive away, as are the vast fortress, Roman remains and Adriatic beaches of Brindisi. In the ‘white city’ of Ostuni (also an hour), you can explore whitewashed cobbled lanes leading up to its citadel and ornate late-Gothic cathedral.