Patria Palace Hotel Lecce
Why we like it: Five-star hotel in an 18th-century palace in the centre of Lecce, opposite Santa Croce, with a rooftop, spa and a garage with valet parking.
Duration3 nights, Friday to Monday
From BariCar · about 2 h to Lecce
Getting aroundCar
TicketsLeccEcclesiae €21 · Leuca boat from €30
Best timeApril – June · September – October
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for Friday to Monday, from April to October, when the Leuca boat runs and the masseria pool is open. It tours Salento in a loop, Lecce, Otranto, Leuca and Gallipoli, with three different accommodations and a little over an hour's drive between one and the next.
Friday
- 109:00From Bari to Lecce
By car, about two hours. Leave the car in the hotel garage: the centre is a restricted-traffic zone.
- 211:30Lecce baroque
Full LeccEcclesiae ticket, €21: Santa Croce, the Duomo, the Old Seminary, San Matteo and Santa Chiara.
- 313:30Duomo bell tower
Lift to the balconies at 43 m; a 20-minute slot included in the full ticket.
- 420:00Dinner at Osteria degli Spiriti
Salento cooking beside the public gardens. Book.
Saturday
- 109:30Otranto cathedral
About 45 minutes by car. The 1163 mosaic, the Chapel of the Martyrs and the crypt; open until 12:00.
- 213:00Lunch at Il Contadino
A farm stay at Frassanito, ten minutes from Otranto: handmade pasta, grill and fish from the harbour.
- 316:00Masseria Montelauro
Pool in the courtyard and a walk among the olive trees.
- 420:30Dinner at Materia Hostaria
A four-course tasting menu for €45 beside the walls of Otranto. Confirm by phone that it is open; if not, dine at the masseria's restaurant.
Sunday
- 110:00Boat to the Leuca caves
An hour by car from the masseria. Three hours with Blue Marine along both coasts of the cape, with two swimming stops; from €30.
- 215:00From Leuca to Gallipoli
About 50 minutes along the Ionian coast. Leave your bags at Palazzo Mosco Inn.
- 318:00The old town of Gallipoli
The castle, Sant'Agata, the Purità and the wall at sunset.
Monday
- 109:00Morning in Gallipoli
A swim at the Purità beach or a stroll round the harbour before leaving.
- 212:00Back to Bari
About 190 km, two and a half hours.
Salento is the heel of Italy's boot, and in three nights you can see almost all of it: Lecce and its baroque, Otranto and its mosaic, the tip of Leuca from the sea and the island of Gallipoli. The getaway goes in a loop, by car, with a different accommodation each night and never more than an hour or so on the road between two. The activities set the pace; sleeping and eating fit around them.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane and car. There are direct flights to Bari from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia. Pick up the hire car at the airport: from Bari it is about 150 km and two hours to Lecce. Without a car, the train from Bari Centrale reaches Lecce in an hour and a half to two, and from there the Ferrovie del Sud Est go to Otranto and Gallipoli; for Leuca and the masseria, however, a car is almost essential.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Patria Palace Hotel | Centre of Lecce, facing Santa Croce | Five-star in an eighteenth-century palace, with garage |
| Masseria Montelauro | Otranto countryside | Masseria with pool, vegetable garden and restaurant |
| Palazzo Mosco Inn | Old town of Gallipoli | Nineteenth-century palace with a terrace over the sea |
The first night, at the Patria Palace, you go out on foot to see Santa Croce lit up. The second, at the Masseria Montelauro, you swap the city for olive trees and the pool. The third, at the Palazzo Mosco Inn, you sleep inside the island of Gallipoli, behind the cathedral.
Where to eat
Three tables, three prices. Il Contadino is the simple, generous meal, on a farm that makes its own pasta, bread and wine, open every day. The Osteria degli Spiriti is Lecce's age-old cooking, passed through a finer hand, under stone vaults. Materia Hostaria is the special dinner, with chef Luca Lagna's tasting menu.
What about one more day?
Stay a second night in Gallipoli and spend the day on the sandy beaches of the Ionian coast, or go back to Lecce to see Piazza Sant'Oronzo at leisure and, if it is Friday, the night visit to Santa Croce.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Salento, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Salento
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Bari and take a car or train to Lecce
To get to the Salento from Spain, the airport with direct flights is Bari: according to Geocalia's route table, there are non-stop flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia. Brindisi is closer to Lecce, about 39 km, but from Spain you get there with a stopover. From Bari to Lecce it is about two hours by car, some 150 km, or a little under two hours by train.
- Getting thereBari (BRI), with direct flights…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to sleepPatria Palace Hotel, in the…
- ServicesRegional and high-speed train from…
Getting there
- Bari (BRI), with direct flights from Spain; hire car at the airport or train from Bari Centrale
- Brindisi (BDS), the closest to Lecce, with a stopover from Spain
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: the most practical for Otranto, Leuca and the coves
- Train from Bari Centrale to Lecce on the Adriatic line, one and a half to two hours depending on the train
- From Lecce, Ferrovie del Sud Est trains to Gallipoli and other towns
Where to sleep
- Patria Palace Hotel, in the centre of Lecce, with garage and valet parking, if you arrive by car in the afternoon
- Palazzo Mosco Inn, in Gallipoli's old town, if you continue by train
Services
- Regional and high-speed train from Bari to Lecce
- Ferrovie del Sud Est from Lecce to Gallipoli and Otranto
By car, from one coast to the other
The Salento is flat and distances are short: from Lecce you are about 45 minutes from Otranto and Gallipoli, and a little over an hour from Santa Maria di Leuca. With a car you choose each day the coast with less wind and reach the coves and the masserie inland. In return, Lecce's centre is a limited-traffic zone, and in Otranto and Gallipoli the convenient thing is to park outside the old town and go in on foot.
100–220 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepMasseria Montelauro, on the outskirts…
- Getting aroundLecce – Otranto: about 45…
- Where to eatIl Contadino, in Frassanito, with…
- ServicesLecce's centre is a limited-traffic…
Where to sleep
- Masseria Montelauro, on the outskirts of Otranto, with a pool and restaurant
- Patria Palace Hotel, in Lecce, with a private garage and valet parking (€35 a day)
Getting around
- Lecce – Otranto: about 45 minutes; Lecce – Gallipoli, the same
- Lecce – Santa Maria di Leuca: around an hour and a quarter
- In August, set out early: traffic to the beaches is heavy
Where to eat
- Il Contadino, in Frassanito, with free parking and open every day
- Osteria degli Spiriti, in Lecce, beside the public gardens
Services
- Lecce's centre is a limited-traffic zone: if you sleep inside, give your number plate to the hotel
How much does it cost?
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Where to stay
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Masseria Montelauro
Why we like it: Masseria among olive trees on the outskirts of Otranto, with 29 rooms in wrought iron and stone, a courtyard pool and the Fimmine restaurant with its own kitchen garden.
Palazzo Mosco Inn
Why we like it: Small hotel in a 19th-century palace in Gallipoli's old town, behind the cathedral of Sant'Agata, with a terrace over the sea and the gulf.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Salento
Osteria degli Spiriti
What to order: the vegetable antipasto and focaccias, the spelt spaghetti with cheese, aubergine and small tomatoes, and the salt cod on potato foam; for dessert, the homemade sweets
Closed on Monday at lunchtime and on Sunday evening. Next door, on the same street, they have the pizzeria Buongusteria Spiriti Gourmet.
Il Contadino
What to order: the Contadino antipasto to share, the orecchiette with turnip tops or the ciceri e tria, and for a main course the mixed grill or the fish of the day from the display case
Open every day at lunchtime and in the evening. Large free parking. Vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Materia Hostaria
What to order: the 4-course (€45) or 6-course (€72) tasting menu, for the whole table; à la carte, the lamb turcinieddhri or the whipped and fried salt cod with celline olive cream
The website does not publish hours or closing days: call or request a table on its website before going.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the Leuca boat
In summer the departures fill up; book on the website before you go.
- 2Watch the wind
In strong wind, the boat depends on the forecast: if it does not sail, swap Sunday for Saturday.
- 3Travel light
You change accommodation every night; a small suitcase makes car parks and alleys easier.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for Salento?
With three nights you see Lecce, Otranto, Leuca and Gallipoli; with five or six, you add beach days.
Do you need a car?
For this getaway, yes: the train reaches Lecce, Otranto and Gallipoli, but not the masseria or the Leuca boat.
When should you go?
From April to June and in September and October. The Leuca boat runs from late March to late October.
Where should you stay in Salento?
In Lecce for the city, at an inland masseria if you are driving, and in Gallipoli or Otranto to have the sea at your door.