Masseria Fano Relais & Winein Salve

Why it’s on the Edit

Masseria Fano Relais & Wine is a working farm near Salve, toward the bottom of the Salento, with 8 suites for guests. The masseria says Basilian monks had monasteries here in the eighth century AD and that the Gonzagas of Mantua built a watchtower in 1577, and that both still stand. The regional register adds that the farm itself has existed since the 13th century.

It is an agriturismo. The Regione Puglia files it as agritourism lodging, and Italian rules allow agritourism only on farms, run by farmers.

The farm part is real: 1,500 centuries-old olive trees over 40 hectares, plus native vines for a Negroamaro and a small Fiano. That is the reason to come here. You sleep in an old farm that still produces, above the sandy coast of Marina di Pescoluse, and it stays open all year.

The rooms

The masseria has 8 suites, and the Regione Puglia register counts 8 rooms with 23 beds, so some suites take more than two people. The masseria describes them as rural in spirit, with bathroom and bedroom furnishings made in sustainable materials.

The register is more precise about comfort. Each room has underfloor heating and a wood-burning fireplace for winter, along with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a safe, a minibar and a TV.

Suite names, sizes and views are not confirmed here. Ask which suites look over the olive groves, which take a third guest, and which are best for a dog. Check-in starts at 3 p.m. and check-out is by 10:30 a.m.

Eating and drinking

Breakfast is included and served in a shared area, inside or outdoors, according to the register. The masseria describes the food day as starting with breakfast and ending at sunset with the Bistrot La Terrazza. Tastings of the farm’s own products and a cooking class can be added.

The farm makes four extra virgin olive oils, a purée of organic tomatoes, a black olive pâté, pomegranate vinegar and wildflower honey. On the wine side there is a Negroamaro made from that grape alone and a small selection of Fiano, a white.

The register lists a bar, a snack point and room service, with typical, Mediterranean and vegetarian cooking. A full restaurant is not confirmed here, so ask whether the bistrot serves dinner every evening and in which months. On other nights, plan on driving to the coast.

The setting

The farm covers 40 hectares in the comune of Salve, facing the sandy coast of Marina di Pescoluse, as the register puts it. The pool is a bio-lake, a natural swimming pool near the gorges of the Canale del Fano, created through a conservative restoration. The masseria says it was built with technology that lets the water warm up, for cooling off in summer and beyond. Around it there are sunbathing areas with loungers.

Italy’s official tourism site says the marina of Salve is known as the Maldives of Salento for its clear water and very fine sand. In the old town, the Chiesa Matrice holds the oldest organ in Puglia, dating from the 1600s. The countryside keeps its dry-stone walls, furneddhi (small stone field huts) and masserie.

The register also lists rentals of vehicles and equipment, a coworking room, laundry, luggage storage and the sale of local products. Ask what the rental covers before you count on it.

Good to know

• Category: agritourism lodging in the regional register, with no star rating.
• Open all year in 2026 (January 1 to December 31).
• Size: 8 rooms and 23 beds in the register.
• Languages listed: Italian, English and German.
• Pets are welcome; the register lists a water bowl.
• Check-in from 3 p.m., check-out by 10:30 a.m., breakfast included.
• Free open-air parking and free Wi-Fi.
• Transfers from an airport, port or station are listed: ask the cost.
• Not confirmed here: suite sizes, spa, children’s facilities and accessibility.
• Price band: 2 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Couples and dog owners get a quiet farm, food and wine made on the spot, and a base for the beaches of the southern Ionian coast. Off-season travelers do well here too, since it stays open all year with fireplaces, and anyone who needs to work for a few hours, given the coworking room in the register.

If you want a hotel with a restaurant every night, a spa or a long list of services, two other addresses fit better. Tenuta Montirò, near Santa Maria di Leuca, has 38 rooms, a pool bar and the Origini restaurant serving dinner every day. Masseria Palane, in Castrignano del Capo, has six rooms and a wellness area carved into the rock, open all year.

Getting there

Brindisi airport is the nearer of the two Puglia airports, and Bari is much farther away. Aim for Salve, in the Santa Maria di Leuca and the Cape area, then for Via Vicinale Fano, the country road the masseria stands on, above Marina di Pescoluse.

You will need a car. The masseria stands on a country road, and the beaches, the old towns of the Capo and the restaurants on the coast are all separate trips.

If you would rather not drive on arrival, the register lists transfers from airports, ports and stations. Ask the masseria for the price and book it before your flight.