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- Simpson Signature villa
- Understated luxury
- Huge grounds
- Set in beautiful Salento
- Beaches 5min drive
- Lecce 5km
Whilst Puglia might be having a bit of a moment, Salento still remains largely off the visitor radar, despite hosting some of the best beaches in the whole of Italy. We were drawn to the far south by its special combination of fine sand, turquoise water and richly historic towns, and the discovery of Masseria Specchia soon convinced us that our instincts were spot on.
This is a firmly traditional area, where agriculture is easily as important as tourism, and which makes properties like this one even more of a special find. The masseria is blissfully tranquil, nestled beneath a huge Puglian sky where the views and space feel endless. It’s an oasis of low-key, perfectly tuned luxury, with masses of room to spread out and relax or gather together over a glass of fine Puglian wine. There are four, large, en-suite bedrooms offering hotel-style comfort, plus a very large living space and kitchen. The grounds are vast, encircled by a traditional dry-stone wall and dotted with Mediterranean trees and bushes. Here you’ll also find a shady dining pergola, barbecue area, your private swimming pool for long lazy days and lots of space for younger ones to play.
The wider Salento area beckons from the doorstep, with beaches within a five-minute drive and lovely Lecce just five kilometres away. This elegant Baroque town is the cultural hub of the region, with an architectural heritage spanning two and a half millennia. If you know your cupolas from your colonnades then this is holiday heaven, and for those who prefer to simply wander and wonder, Lecce invites you to explore, eat and experience this most atmospheric of cities with all of your senses. And for insider tips, who better to help than the owners of the masseria who live unobtrusively behind the house and are happy to suggest local excursions and days out if desired.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Puglia
Accommodation
Layout
- 4 bedroom villa (sleeps 8)
Ground floor
- Open-plan dining/kitchen/living room; opens out to garden
- Kitchen includes full hob, oven, fridge-freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, coffee-maker; opens out to garden
- WC
- Living area includes Smart TV
- Bedroom 1 - Master bedroom (190cm) with en-suite shower room
- Bedroom 2 - Twin bedroom ( 2 x 90cm beds that can be converted to double on request) with en-suite shower room
- Bedroom 3 - Twin bedroom ( 2 x 90cm beds that can be converted to double on request) with en-suite shower room
- Bedroom 4 - Twin bedroom ( 2 x 90cm beds that can be converted to double on request) with en-suite shower room and open plan living area with double sofa bed and kitchenette. Accessed by separate entrance to rest of property.
General
- Complimentary WiFi
- Air-conditioning
- Washing machine
- Large garden with lawn and Mediterranean shrubs and vegetable garden
- Barbecue
- Outdoor dining area with shade
- Outdoor football table
- Private chlorine swimming pool 8m x 5m (depth 1.30m – 1.30m)
- Covered parking area with rechargeable car port on-site
- Cleaning 3 times a week
- Twice weekly linen change
- A daily tourist tax applies for the first two weeks of your stay only, which means that an average of €1.50 per person (12+ years) may be charged. This should be paid in cash to your villa owner during your stay.
Additional services available on request, payable locally
- Professional in-villa massage
- Meals cooked to order by the owner/host Claudia
Simpson family extras
- Complimentary cot and highchair available
- Family favourite range of toys and games, suitable for ages 5-11
- Car seats and booster seats can be provided at a supplement, subject to availability
- To pre-book any of our family extras please call 020 8392 5747
WiFi
- All properties with wifi are able to support basic functionality such as web browsing and checking emails*
* We aim to offer an uninterrupted service but sometimes due to factors beyond our control reliability can be affected.
Access times
- Check in time – 4:00 - 8:00pm
- Check out time – 10:00am
Location
- Beach (Lido Mancarelle) 10min drive
- Beach (San Cataldo/Le Cesine) 15min drive
- Restaurant/taverna (San Cataldo/Lecce) 15min drive
- Basic shops/supermarket (San Cataldo/Lecce) 15min drive
- Boat hire (San Foca) 15min drive
- Bike hire (Lecca) 15min drive
- Airports (Brindisi/Bari) 45min drive/2hours drive
Flights
This property is priced on an accommodation-only basis. To view details of recommended flights please click here.
Car hire
We are happy to arrange your car hire in Italy; please click here to view options and prices.
Wow! This villa is amazing. Very close to the stunningly beautiful city of Lecce and Gallipoli, Otranto and a number of other picturesque towns all within a 45 minute drive. Particular thanks to Ketty and Barbara for helping to book restaurants, telling us the best beaches to visit as well as booking tuk tuk tours, boat trips etc. and for going above and beyond what we expected. While there be sure to ask the owner Claudia to cook for you - her food was as exquisite as her home was beautiful. A very relaxing week in her very spacious and comfortable in villa in huge grounds. Probably the best Simpson villa we have stayed in... we will be back!!
My friends and I travelled there for my birthday, and we all had such an unforgettable & amazing stay at this villa. I must admit, the villa is even more beautiful than we expected from the photos. The villa owner left us a very kind and generous welcome pack, including various wines, homemade cheese, fresh fruits, and much more, which was a great start to our stay. It was also of great help that cleaning were happening few times during our stay. I wholeheartedly recommend this villa and Simpson Travel, and I look forward to organising and booking my next trip hopefully sometime soon.
We have had the most amazing holiday in this beautiful villa. Thank you for looking after us so well, and all the lovely treats, so kind of you. Massive thanks to Barbara for all her help and advice to make our holiday so enjoyable. We will miss Manolo so much, we enjoyed his daily visits. We would love to come back one day.
The Masseria Specchia is a lovely holiday house, very beautifully furnished and well equipped. The owner Claudia was kind giving us little food treats. Claudia also cooked dinner for us one night which was delicious. Barbara, the house manager, was extremely helpful. I would definitely recommend Masseria Specchia.
We have had a lovely week in this beautiful house. Delicious dinner cooked for us by Claudia, and we have been very well looked after by Barbra and Deepak. Many thanks.
A truly special villa which made our holiday. Extremely spacious, cleaning 3 times per week and first class facilities, would highly recommend.
We had the most amazing stay! Thank you so much for all the great hospitality. Love the house. Everything was just perfect. We are going to miss it.
We really enjoyed our stay, the house is beautiful with the perfect pool area.
Our first time to Puglia. So much to enjoy. The villa is beautiful and we made good use of the pool. We loved wandering through the streets of all the local towns. Thank you to Claudio for all the little surprise gifts and thanks to Francesco, Ketty and Barbara for helping us to book restaurants. We have been on Simply and Simpson holidays since 1992 and they have never disappointed.
Our choice of Italian properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.
To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.
* For further clarification on Facilities, please view the 'Details' tab for each property or speak to one of our experienced sales consultants.
There’s a different side of Italy to discover on a holiday in Puglia – the land of the trulli, ancient olive groves and historic towns that take you on a journey from Byzantine to Baroque. And then there are the countless beaches and beach clubs that capture the diversity of this absorbing destination: unspoilt, unpretentious and full of creative flair, where the generosity of the locals is matched by the excellence of its cuisine.
To complete the picture, explore our collection of handpicked villas, and Partner Hotels to fully immerse yourself in the local culture.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Puglia.
Your Signature villa comes with the services of a dedicated Signature Specialist to help you get the most from your holiday, both before you travel and once you're away - see what's included.
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