Luxurious holiday home rental in historical old town apartment, Puglia

Our 4 night stay in Galatone was not enough for us. After staying in central Puglia for 10 days we venture down to salento for the remainder of our holiday. The apartment was beautiful and Cristina the property manager was just the most loveliest lady, so kind and helpful and became our friend who we will keep intouch with. Also made friends with the Butchers at the Marcelleria Andrea and the locals old boys playing Briscola outside the cafe. We went to Lecce from Galatone which was only 30 minutea away as well as cave of poetry. The lovely beaches of Porto Cesareo and Punto Prociutto both with swimming pool sea and so clear too it kind of lives up to the name of the beaches called the Maldives of Salento. The apartment was steps away from the historical centre of Galatone with restaurants bars and piazzas walking distance....This stay has encouraged me and my family to buy an property in Puglia and maybe in historical Galatone as i want to keep my roots footed in Italy for my families future and heritage. So Paul any help and advice to me would be grateful when i ask you :o) perfect end in Salento. Would recommend this lovely place to anyone.

Once again we had a fine time in this spotless apartment in quiet Galatone. Everything I said in my previous review (October 2010, below) remains valid: Secure, well equipped, spotless apartment; helpful manager next door; easy commuting to attractive sites, responsive owner and trouble-free booking. Galatone restaurant options are few but there are admirable restaurants within a reasonable drive. We preferred to cook, however, in the apartment's great kitchen We even located an open WiFi network at a local restaurant -- the owner can provide details.

We enjoyed a fantastic week in Galatone. The apartment was beautiful and full of character with its vaulted ceilings. It was clean, well furnished and equipped and extremely spacious for 2. The location was ideal for exploring the Salento peninsula. Galatone is well linked to the road system, making both coasts, Lecce, Gallipoli and Otranto easily accessible. Paul couldn't have been more helpful when we were planning our holiday and provided lots of information on the area. Although we had relatively little to do with his manager Francesco because everything ran smoothly, he was very friendly and eager to help. In short a great place to stay and I have no hesitation recommending it.

Very nice place to stay, very well located for those who like quiet holiday. The apartment is clean, very well and tastefully equipped. If you have a car, this place is perfect for reaching all parts of Puglia. There is easy and helpful communication with the owner. Friendly people around, cozy small town.

My husband and I had a marvellous stay in this most gorgeous town apartment - huge living space, comfy furniture, small courtyard to rear, lovely old character retained and very clean. We foudn the apartment as it was described on this website. The location is extremely handy for the local shops and for visiting the many beautiful churches in town. Main roads are easy to access for going out of town. We recommend visiting local wineries (Santa Dimtri in particular where wine on tap is available to buy - take your own empty water bottles) and visites to Lecce and Galipoli in particular. The apartment is also not far from the two coasts with lovely beaches a short drive away. We had great customer service from the owner's manager who lives next door. Would highly recommend this lovely apartment and would definitely consider another stay.

A cute, comfortable, well kitted out apartment in the heart of Galatone's old town. Galatone is a great jumping off point for the whole of the Salento, and this apartment is a true home away from home : it's clean, has air conditioning, great cooking supplies and everything is super tasteful. Francesco was super helpful, charming and friendly. Thanks!

I can't emphasise enough how lovely the apartment is. Modern, extremely spacious, beautifully done up. Another reviewer already pointed out how the kitchen is nicer than their own at home and I can only agree. Paul was extremely organised in letting me know everything I needed in advance which was really helpful. I was travelling by myself in a hire car and had no problems finding the place and finding somewhere to park. Francesco, a lovely Italian with excellent German skills, who looks after the apartment and who meets you to give you the keys was extremely helpful and concerned with making sure I had everything I needed and had a great stay. Galatone is small and charming and a perfect base for exploring Salento. I had a fantastic holiday and Paul and his apartment and Francesco played a key part in that. Thank you!

We stayed for one week at this lovely apartment. Francesco, the apartment manager, gave us a very warm welcome, and good, practical information about the property. Throughout our stay, he was generous and always on hand if we needed him for anything. Although we didn't meet him, the owner, Paul, sent us detailed information before we left, and provided prompt replies to any queries we had. The apartment itself was fantastic: well renovated (check out the 'before and after' pictures in the photo album!), clean, and fully equipped. There was masses of space for two people, and there'd be plenty for more. Although Galatone itself is quite small, it offers supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies, and so on. Beaches and cultural centres such as Lecce are easily reached by car, and the main highway has several junctions at Galatone. All in all, it's an excellent base from which to explore the region. I couldn't recommend this apartment more highly, and my partner and I would definitely stay there again.

I would recommend this property mainly for four reasons: 1. The sheer beauty and atmosphere of the appartment; 2. The completeness, design and quality of it's fittings; 3. The welcoming attitude of the owner, his manager and the towns people; 4. It's quiet location in easy reach of several highlights in the arera. 1. You will pass the old gate into a narrow street, walk into a small courtyard and the caretaker will unlock the door. That's when you enter a stunning space that, you will realise, is to be yours for some days to come (in my case, regretfully, only three). High, spotlessly white vaults convey the feeling of entering a little palace or chapel. This main room, as well the adjacent ones, have been perfectly restored, leaving the leading part to be played by the original shape of the old dwelling itself. It's roomy, it's airy and every step around the house provides a new and amazing perspective. It's truly unique. And it's spotlessly clean! 2. The kitchen, the bathrooms and the bedroom provide everything you could possibly need, of superior quality and (modern) design. Those who like to test their cooking skills with the wealth of gorgeous food the Puglian shops and markets have to offer: take your time in this well equiped kitchen and serve the result in the tiny but lovely patio. Recommended for wine and oil lovers: the azienda Santi Dimitri just outside Galatina, nearby, with their amazing white Ruah from Fiano grapes, as well as their Sharav from Primitivo. Top quality oil as well. 3. The owner I never met, but his e-mails were very friendly and he went out of his way to help me solve a personal problem even after we got back home. Caretaker Nico Francesco and his son are very helpful with information and getting your car parked, in a semi-legal way, in front of the house that is. People at the tourist info, as well as everybody else in town we talked to, were extremely nice to us. 4. Galátone, itself a laid back little town certainly worth a few strolls, is well positioned within easy reach of highlights like Nardó, Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto and of course some lovely beaches. So all we have to regret about our stay at this property in Galátone is that it was too short...

The apartment, newly renovated and equipped, is a series of stone-vaulted rooms. It has a large sitting-dining room, a spacious modern kitchen, a smaller but high-ceilinged bedroom with tiny, chic ensuite bathroom: shower, basin and toilet… plus a beautiful barrel-vaulted main bathroom with stone fireplace. There is a small, private courtyard. Windows are small but that did not trouble us. It is a quiet flat. All the fittings were of high quality, the flat was stocked with everything we needed and the flat was absolutely spotless when we arrived. It was a pleasure to cook in the kitchen, which is nicer than our own (newly renovated) one at home. There is a good foodstore (Sma) within 5 minutes' walk. We did not try any Galatone restaurants. The owner was extremely accommodating and solicitous. The on-site manager and his family were approachable and helpful. I speak Italian so I cannot say how much English is spoken in this town. Galatone itself has a few historic buildings but is a fairly ordinary, workaday town. We chose it for its proximity to the sea and to other interesting sites. I grew fond of the place, though. We made a few discoveries of our own: Ugento, Nardo' and Copertino, all close and all un-touristed. Nearby Gallipoli is a jewel and fabulous Lecce is only 20 minutes away. Parking was actually easier than expected: We parked within 50 feet of our own front door. As in ALL old Pugliese towns, the streets are tiny and driving is slow. However, Galatone is small and once you leave it, driving is easy, especially on the nearby motorway that connects Brindisi and Lecce with the southern end of the Salento peninsula.