Hidden Salento

Arrival at Brindisi Airport, car hire for 3 days with collection and return at the airport.

Category C car (Opel Corsa or similar) with manual transmission.
To collect the car, you will need a valid driving licence (original only – copies not accepted) and a credit card.

The Borgo Mulino a Vento retreat welcomes guests to the tranquillity of the Salento countryside, in Uggiano la Chiesa, just a few minutes from the turquoise waters of Porto Badisco and the magical town of Otranto.

Dinner at your leisure and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, a self-guided tour of Lecce.

Lecce, the capital of Salento, is about 50 minutes away. You could spend the whole day exploring the city, immersing yourself in this Baroque gem, renowned for its architectural elegance and the charm of its monuments.

You can begin your stroll in the historic heart of the city, where the ancient squares welcome visitors with a harmonious succession of noble palaces and churches adorned with Lecce stone, with its warm, golden hue. The experience allows you to appreciate not only the grandeur of the main monuments, such as the Basilica of Santa Croce and Piazza del Duomo, but also the intimacy of lesser-known corners, hidden courtyards and small artisan workshops, which bear witness to the city’s vibrancy. You could conclude your exploration with a visit inside the Fagiano Museum and the Castle of Charles V. Lunch at your leisure.

At the end of the tour, return to the hotel independently. Dinner at your leisure and overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today we recommend a visit to the nearby town of Otranto, where you are free to explore at your leisure. Set against the backdrop of the cobalt-blue Adriatic and the golden hues of Lecce stone, Otranto stands as Salento’s most noble sentinel. Once the proud Hydruntum, this city has for millennia been the gateway between East and West. Strolling within its walls means following the murmur of the River Idro towards a past of imperial and Byzantine splendour. An experience reserved for those seeking pure beauty, where the morning light touches Italy for the first time.
You can discover the treasures of Otranto, a town where history is not read, but breathed in. The suggested itinerary, designed to reveal the city’s authentic soul, winds its way through masterpieces of sacred and military architecture:
- The Cathedral and its Mosaic: a stone tapestry unique in the world, a medieval enigma of rare beauty.
- The Church of San Pietro: a Byzantine treasure trove of incomparable refinement.
- The Castle and the Porta Alfonsina: bastions of elegance that tell of centuries of pride and resistance.

At the end of the tour, you will have time for lunch (not included in the price).

For the afternoon, we recommend a scenic excursion. The route continues along the coast, taking in San Foca, the Grotta della Poesia, Torre Specchia and Torre dell'Orso.
The Grotta della Poesia is situated in one of the most enchanting stretches of the Adriatic coast, offering outstanding scenic and cultural interest. The area adjacent to the Grotta della Poesia is home to the archaeological site of Roca Vecchia, one of the most significant archaeological settlements in the Mediterranean basin, providing a major insight into the Bronze Age in particular.
The excursion ends at Torre dell'Orso, one of the most beautiful beaches in Salento.

Return to the hotel, dinner at your leisure and overnight stay.

A buffet breakfast will be served at the hotel.

Today, we recommend a visit to Melpignano, the home of the pizzica. You can drive there independently; Melpignano is a village famous throughout the world for its indissoluble link with folk music. Here are some must-see sights:
- Palazzo Marchesale and Historic Garden: a splendid noble residence, where the austerity of the 16th-century castle blends with Baroque elegance. Its historic garden is an oasis of peace, a labyrinth of scents and green architecture that enchants the eye.
- Pizzica Historical Archive: a multimedia and documentary immersion in the frenetic rhythm of the tambourine. Here lies the collective memory of tarantism, an ancient ritual that today lives on as a symbol of freedom and community.
- Convent of the Augustinians: a masterpiece of Lecce Baroque that dominates the square. A monumental site that hosts the grand finale of Europe’s most important festival every year.

The tour continues to Carpignano Salentino, a village that harbours underground treasures of inestimable artistic value.
- Byzantine Frescoed Crypt: we will descend into the heart of the earth to admire the Crypt of Santa Cristina. Its frescoes, among the oldest and best-preserved in southern Italy (dating back to the 10th century), tell of a time when East and West came together in prayer.
- The Underground Oil Mill: A testament to the ancient economy of ‘liquid gold’. A labyrinth carved into the rock where generations of millers worked in the darkness, leaving indelible traces of Salento’s olive oil culture.

Lunch at your leisure. At the end of the visits, return to the hotel independently.

Dinner at your leisure and overnight stay.

After breakfast, we suggest you head to Santa Maria di Leuca along the scenic coastal road.
A stroll through the historic centre. Santa Maria di Leuca is not merely a destination, but a sanctuary for the soul, a place steeped in a millennia-old spirituality rooted in myth. Here, where according to tradition St Peter landed on his arrival from the Holy Land, and where in ancient times the cult of Minerva was practised, the majestic Basilica ‘de Finibus Terrae’ was founded. An imposing fortress of the spirit overlooking the promontory of Punta Meliso,
a silent guardian of ancient routes and intertwined destinies.
At the foot of the Monumental Waterfall — a spectacular tribute to human ingenuity — Leuca’s most aristocratic side is revealed. The nineteenth-century residences, where architectural creativity knows no bounds: from neo-Gothic rigour to Moorish influences, every villa recounts the splendour of a golden age. Between 1943 and 1947, these very residences became a refuge of hope, welcoming Holocaust survivors in an embrace of rare humanity. A precious chapter that transforms this tour into a journey through Memory, where the beauty of the landscape meets the depth of history.

Lunch is at your own expense and not included in the tour price.

In the afternoon, make your own way to Gallipoli. You can stroll through the intricate maze of streets and alleys. Admire the many historic buildings from the outside, such as Palazzo Tafuri, Palazzo Pirelli, Palazzo Specolizzi and Palazzo Venneri. You can also visit the Palazzo del Seminario, the Church of St Francis of Assisi – known for its wooden carving depicting the thief crucified alongside Jesus – the charming Churches of the Purità and Santa Maria degli Angeli, and the famous Cathedral of St Agatha. It is a Baroque masterpiece and one of the city’s most important churches. It stands on the ruins of a medieval church that was destroyed in 1126. The tour continues to the Angevin-Aragonese Castle, almost entirely surrounded by water. After visiting the castle, you can reach the Greek Fountain, near the bridge connecting the old town of Gallipoli to the new part. It is the oldest fountain in Italy, built around the 3rd century BC.

Dinner at your leisure and overnight stay.

After breakfast, make your own way to Brindisi Airport and return by plane (not included in the price).

Depending on your flight time, we recommend stopping off on the way to the airport to visit the Abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate; admission is to be paid on site.
Nestled in a silvery, centuries-old olive grove, the Abbey of Cerrate is one of the most significant examples of Romanesque architecture in Puglia. A former Byzantine monastery, this place exudes a spiritual and historical energy that captivates visitors at first sight. The abbey’s façade enchants with its understated elegance, adorned by an openwork rose window and a portal richly carved with biblical scenes. The true masterpiece, however, is the 13th-century side portico: a series of slender columns with finely crafted capitals that create a unique play of light and shadow. The interior of the church is a treasure trove of ancient colours. The walls are adorned with splendid cycles of Byzantine frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The faces of the saints, with their intense gazes and gilded details, tell of an era when Puglia was the natural bridge between the Orthodox East and the Latin West.

Arrival at the airport, return of the hire car and departure for your home destination.

End of our services.