Arriving at Don Ferrante	Views of the Adriatic from the rooftop terraces	Shady corner	Rooftop bar and restaurant	Dining terrace	The plunge pool at twilight	Monopoli harbour
Superior Room	Deluxe Room	Don Ferrante Suite	Plunge Pool	The famous trulli houses of Alberobello

Don Ferrante, Monopoli, Puglia

Romantic boutique townhouse on the Adriatic with exceptional service

4 nights from around £300pp sharing a Superior Room, including daily breakfast

Flights and transfers available on request

If you want a taste of what Capri and St Tropez were like in the 1950s, but for a smidgeon of the price, Monopoli is the spot. Fishermen still mend their nets and sell sardines from buckets by the harbour while wizened old ladies pinch out orecchiette with their thumbs. This romantic 10 bedroom townhouse (with fabulous roof terraces) is carved into the ancient defensive walls that surround the town. Tucked away down a side street, Don Ferrante comes as a surprise to even the most seasoned Italophile, its discreet front door opening to reveal a maze of stone steps and corridors all leading to the same magical Adriatic panorama.

The pool is tiny, but some of the best beaches in Italy are just minutes away, and guests have special access to the Hamptons-esque Coccaro Beach Club. Don Ferrante truly excels with its unparalleled dedication to personalised, discreet first-class service.

Accommodation

Don Ferrante has just ten guest rooms - all are chic and homely, with honey-hued walls made of stone, Puglian limestone bathrooms and traditional Italian ceramics. Kept cool in the summer by the thick, stone city walls, Don Gabriel is the hotel's Superior room, with views of the old town centre. Ground-floor Deluxe room San Vito has a charming little private patio. Suite Don is an indulgent treat with a fireplace, hydro-massage shower and long balcony looking over the sea. All the stone-hewn rooms are soothing and elegant, with handmade ceramics,

carved-wood headboards and vaulted ceilings..

Activities & Experiences

A jumble of whitewashed houses, ornate church spires and picturesque narrow streets, Monopoli is a delight to explore. Take advantage of Don Ferrante’s free buggy tours to get your bearings in the postcard-worthy centro storico. Stroll down to the sheltered harbour to watch traditional fishing boats bringing in the day’s catch. Follow the sturdy city walls along the coast to a pretty little cove of golden sand just below Santo Stefano castle, once the Knights of Malta’s stronghold. The hotel also runs a free shuttle to private beaches and can arrange cookery classes and wine tastings in local masserias. While in Puglia, it’s worth hiring a car to explore the glorious green-and-gold valleys and Unesco-protected sites: Alberobello’s distinctive trulli dwellings, the imposing citadel at Castel del Monte and Matera’s breathtaking cliff-clinging houses are all within striking distance.

Facilities & Services

Sheltered on one side by a striking stone wall, the hotel’s unheated plunge pool is just big enough for a refreshing dip. Set on a neat patch of grass nearby, two bright white sunloungers let guests linger and soak up the sea views.

The rooftop restaurant dishes up tempting Puglian cuisine on a rooftop terrace with sweeping sea views. The menu changes every month to make the most of local seafood and sun-kissed Mediterranean produce. In fine weather, the all-white sea-view terrace is hard to resist.

Breakfast is served in an atmospheric 16th-century gunpowder cellar.

Weather & Seasons

Puglia is generally warm sunny and dry in April/May and again in October with the risk of the odd shower. Sometimes it can be cool in the evenings. By June the weather settles into long hot sunny days and balmy evenings especially in July and August. June and September are particularly pleasurable months.