5 tips to help you decided where to stay in Lecce
With all of the options now available to internet-savvy travelers, it can be a challenge to decide where to book your stay. Fear not, intrepid voyager! I have five tips to help you decide where to stay in Lecce and the Salento.
It really all boils down to a single question: How do you like to spend your time? Read on to find the best accommodation for you.
Beach, please!
If, for you, “vacation” is synonymous with “beach,” and you consider your trip a wash if you don’t go home with an envy-worthy tan, then you are in the right place. The beaches are sure to win your sand and surf loving heart. While many of the nearby (and, might I add, world renowned) beaches are an easy drive from Lecce, if your idea of an ideal vacation is spent more on the beach than not, you should consider renting a small place near the seaside.
Picture this: you roll out of bed in the morning, grab a coffee, and walk a few steps to your little patch of sun-drenched heaven… all before you are even fully awake. Options for you are plenty — from small villas, to townhouses, to apartments.
To get you started
I suggest checking out what is available in Torre Chianca — a 20 minute drive to Lecce on the Adriatic side of the region. It’s near Lecce, in case you crave a little bit of time exploring the baroque city. Another good spot is Porto Cesareo, a smaller town on the Ionian side of the region, which boasts long stretches of sandy beaches and many sea-centric activities that will ensure you get the most time out of your sun-drenched holiday.
Food
The Salento is perfect for foodies: you know who you are. I am first to agree that one of the best ways to enjoy a vacation AND learn about culture is to eat. Not only is the cuisine of the Lecce and the Salento some of the most humble yet highly regarded in Italy. It is also a window into the culture of the place. If this sounds like music to your ears (and tastebuds), I suggest finding a place to stay that is flexible in terms of parking, though a car is by no means a requirement, and that also has a kitchen.
The city of Lecce is overflowing with fantastic restaurants and cafes offering all of the typical regional dishes. But if you really want to make the most of every meal in the Salento, I suggest you also visit the fish market in Gallipoli. While you’re there, get a seafood salad so fresh you would swear it was still swimming only hours before.
There are also the local vineyards and oil mills that offer tours and tastings. You can savor the wines that are the pride of the Salento and the olive oil that is fundamental not only to the cuisine of Puglia, but to its entire culture. There are also a multitude of agriturismo style restaurants in the Salento countryside and the Puglia region in general. A car makes it easy to get to these out-of-the-way gems.
This all sounds a little vague in terms of the location, I admit that it is. Really, it’s not the location of your accommodation that matters here, it’s more about finding a place with knowledgeable people who can connect you with the best food and wine the region has to offer. They can recommend local restaurants, give you tips on what you should try during your trip and where to find it, or even arrange for wine-tastings, oil mill visits, or even a few cooking lessons so you can recreate some of the Salento at home.
To get you started
For food-centric vacations, I can only recommend staying at Wanderlust Lecce. It’s located at the edge of the city center, so you are close to everything within Lecce, but also has convenient parking so getting to all of the wonderful places outside the city is easy and convenient. If you stay in the suite, you will also have a kitchenette.
While all of these things are available in other establishments, the real perk here for foodies is the knowledgeable owners. Talk to them and they will help you arrange reservations, cooking classes (even in the home of a local family), wine tastings, olive mill tours, and offer personalized suggestions for where the best regional dishes, iconic pastries, and particular wines can be found. Their insider knowledge is priceless.
Peace and quiet in the countryside
The city is nice, the beaches are nice… but what you really want from your vacation is to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature… and maybe a pool. Fortunately, you are in luck. The Salento has everything from small countryside villas to more substantial (and luxurious) masserie surrounded by the patchwork of olive groves, vineyards, and fields typical of the region.
To get you started
If you are looking to spend time enjoying the Salento countryside and relaxing by a pool, Villa Diana is a perfect solution. The carefully cultivated garden is filled with native plants, a pool area, and decorated nooks for chilling in the out-of-doors. It is located just outside of Lecce. You’ll need a car, but it is a short drive. A short drive in the other direction will get you to the seaside.
Museums, art, and culture
For anyone who’d rather be admiring fine art, steeped in archeology, or whose heart skips a beat when someone utters the words “…in pre-roman times…,” I suggest booking a place in the historic center of Lecce. The city is brimming with museums, theaters, and churches filled with art — inside AND out! You don’t have to take more than a few steps to find one.
If you stay in the historic center of Lecce, not only are you perfectly positioned to get to many of these places on foot, you are right in the middle of it all, so you don’t have to waste any of your precious vacation time driving and parking.
I suggest you maximize your time by renting a bicycle. While Lecce is an easy city to traverse by foot, bikes are efficient and make it easy to access even the narrowest of alleyways in the tightly packed historic center.
Not only are you right where all the action is, if you stay in the historic center, you might be able to hear some of the musical performances in the Roman Amphitheater right from your accommodation! Bring home a bottle of wine and some taralli to enjoy on your balcony as the nighttime city hums along and you listen to the melodies of a concert nearby. Pure bliss.
To get you started
There are three different apartments, named La Rande, La Menza, La Piccinna, in this building. (The names are dialect for “big”, “medium”, and “small”) All of them are beautifully decorated and great to stay. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t prefer “La Rande,” the big one, in no small part because of the amazing frescoed ceiling.
Bottom line: Take a cue from the locals and don’t stress!
Lecce and the Salento are brimming with options for where to stay. It can be hard to decide which place is best. Rest assured that, even if you don’t fit neatly into one of the above categories, your final choice will not limit your trip that much.
Everything is near everything else in Lecce, so even if you decide to stay in the historic center of Lecce, it’s a short drive or bus-ride to the seaside. Or, if you decide to stay in a villa in the countryside, you can still take cooking classes and explore the museums in the city center. The most important thing is to go! The rest is details.