Masseria Torre Coccaroin Fasano

What the property says

Masseria Torre Coccaro began as a fortified farmhouse in the 16th century. Its tower was one of a line of watchtowers against Saracen raids, and a pigeon tower on the terrace once carried messages in wartime. The Muolo family owns and runs it today.

The history is still in use. A walled vegetable garden from the 17th century survives, a chapel built in 1730 still holds mass, and the masseria says its olive groves are more than 800 years old. An old olive mill and sheep stables sit in caves on the estate.

What sets it apart is the scale of the offer: a spa in caves, golf, a horse-riding center, an organic farm and two beach clubs. It is one address for the whole vacation. Anyone after a small, quiet house should look at the alternatives below.

The rooms

The website lists 16 room types, which makes this a large property. At the top are the Presidential Villa and the Jasmine and Ulivo villas, the last two listed with a pool. Below them come suites with pools (White Cave, Jasmine, Olive, Carrubo, Orange Garden and Chapel), the Tower Suite, junior suites, and Deluxe, Superior and Standard rooms.

The names point to where you sleep: a cave, the tower, the chapel, an orange garden. The masseria says many of its rooms, suites and villas have private pools. The Standard Room in the Cave and the Junior Suite Deluxe in the Tower are the two categories whose names tie them to the old buildings.

Ask for the square meters of a category before you compare Superior with Deluxe, since the list gives names and no sizes.

Food and drink

Egnathia is the main restaurant, under star-vaulted ceilings in stables from 1600, or under a pergola in the warm season. By the swimming pool, Cabana serves salads, pasta, live-grilled fish and meat, homemade ice cream and summer cocktails.

Both beach clubs serve food. Le Palme runs a fish restaurant and a Puglia-style pizzeria, and Coccaro Beach Club serves on the sand from sunbeds.

The kitchen leans on the masseria’s organic farm, which the website says grows zucchini, fennel, artichokes, eggplants, radicchio and broccoli by season, plus oil from the old olive trees. The group also lists a cooking school. The lounges in the old tower have fireplaces and a contemporary art collection, and there is a pool table and cigar lounge.

The setting

The masseria stands among olive groves on its own estate, near the fishing village of Savelletri, whose fishermen once made the chapel a point of pilgrimage. The sea is close but not at the door. The two beach clubs are separate sites, and the group’s own page says a free shuttle serves the club for its guests. That page describes a private, long sandy beach with dunes.

The experiences page suggests golf, riding on the long beaches, bike rides along the white country roads, vintage car and Vespa tours, and sailing in the bays of Polignano a Mare. It also lists local cheese and olive oil farms and primitivo tastings.

Good to know

• Ask which months it is open before you plan a trip outside summer.
• The two beach clubs are separate from the masseria. A free shuttle serves Coccaro Beach Club; transport to Le Palme is not confirmed here.
• There is a heated outdoor pool, an indoor pool in the spa and a gym with a personal trainer.
• Weddings are handled through a separate website named on the masseria’s events page.
• Children and pets are not confirmed here.
• Price band: 4 of 5 (estimated: no official rate found).

Is it right for you?

It suits guests who want a spa, golf, a beach club and several restaurants without leaving one operator’s care. It also suits wedding parties who like a large estate with a long history behind it.

Look elsewhere if you want a small place. Masseria Calderisi has 24 rooms and a boutique-hotel scale, and Borgo San Marco is a fortified masseria with 23 rooms. Anyone who wants to walk from the room to the sea should check beach access with the hotel first.

Getting there

The masseria lists both Bari and Brindisi airports and describes them as equally close, so pick the cheaper flight. Savelletri is in Fasano and Savelletri, on the coast.

You can arrive by regional train at Fasano station, but a car is the sensible choice here, because the beach clubs, the golf and the nearby towns are spread out. By car, take the SS 16 and leave at the Savelletri di Fasano exit. The masseria says it will help organize transfers and rental cars.