A Romantic Tucked Away Farmhouse – to Do Up – in Lovely Area

Key features

Romantic tucked-away farmhouse in a beautiful area

Three rooms of 46 sqm net in need of complete restoration

To make two double bedrooms, one bathroom, open plan kitchen

Roof terrace to be made, with heated spa bath “under the stars”

Land of 7370 sqm with almond, figs and olive trees

The farmhouse has a long 135 m driveway from the road

3,5 km to the village of Serranova

8 km (13 min) to the Adriatic Sea and beaches at Guna beach

18 km from Brindisi Airport

Description

The farmhouse is located in a beautiful area between the small village of Serranova and the sea. Here, scattered farmhouses and active farming for hundreds of years give the impression that time has stood still.

Tucked away from the road, the 135-meter-long driveway leads to this old farmhouse in a private and romantic position with views over the fields and to the ridge of Serranova.

The 45 sq m net floor area farmhouse was built around 1950 and needs complete renovation to create a lovely holiday home, suitable also for lettings. The accommodation is two double bedrooms, one bathroom, and a living room with an open plan kitchen to be made. It is suggested to make a staircase and, on the new roof, place a pergola, a stone table with stone benches, and a heated spa bath “under the stars”. From the living area, make a new terrace door and also an east-facing pergola for morning coffee when the sun rises from the nearby sea. Here is also where a BBQ can be installed.

A fixed-price builder’s estimate is available, and CasaPuglia offers project management from start to ready to move-in.

The land is 7370 sqm and format a narrow rectangle, almost 300 meters long. The nearest visible neighbouring houses are far away, so the location is secluded but not remote.

The area is actively farmed with wheat, artichokes, melons, cabbage, tomatoes and lots of other vegetables. The ground in the impressive olive grows is, for many months, covered with lots of flowers in the olive groves and a wonderful area for long walks and biking trips.

The nearest village is 3,5 km away and to San Vito dei Normanni & all amenities, it is 10 km. To the sandy beaches at Guna it is 8 km, and by car about 13 minutes only.

Torre Guaceto is a Unesco nature reserve of 22.000 sq. km. Serranova is the centre of the Reserve. There is a visitor’s centre on the main street that tells you all about the area.

Torre Guaceto offers a wonderful light and noise-pollution-free environment. Still, within ten minutes you can be in the lively seaside resorts of Santa Sabina and Specchiolla.

Everyone in the rural area knows each other, and you can expect a visit from the local farmers bearing gifts of locally grown produce.
The area has many small towns, local restaurants and bars that serve locally caught fish.

You may cycle and walk, taking in all the area’s history. The Roman Via Appia is just minutes away, The Normal legacy is found in the local towns of San Vito and Carovigno and Brindisi has the famous Roman museum.

If you go to the beach late at night, you might see the locals wading into the water to catch sea life. It is funny watching them with little lamps strapped to their heads, their net on the back, olive oil in an old washing-up liquid bottle and a spear. They squirt a little drop of olive oil on the surface and the squid go crazy!!!

The beaches are small and exclusive, and there are no hotels or fast food places on site for 20 km. Bliss!!!! In the summer, mobile food and drink units go to the beach, the best of both worlds.

The surrounding area has no buildings more than two storeys, so there are no large hotels, condos, or apartment blocks.
The ancient forest of olive trees surrounding Serranova is magnificent, and it’s fantastic to cycle or drive through. The tree’s roots come out of the ground like twisted legs, and the branches look like arms. The thick trunks are scored and have large knots that almost look like faces, it reminds you of the trees in the Lord of the Rings.

When you drive through the nature reserve, you are almost deafened by the noise of the crickets sitting in the trees.

The beaches are ideal family places. With shallow coves and protected areas, visiting the beach is a pleasure. The beaches are deserted in the winter and very rarely busy at other times. July and August get busy with Italians from the north but the whole experience of watching Italian families interact is excellent.

20 minutes south is Brindisi a cosmopolitan town of 80,000 inhabitants. English is here more widely spoken as Brindisi has a UN base of 400 employees and many expats from different countries. Brindisi also has an International school. In Brindisi, you can join language classes and cooking schools!

Finally, you are surrounded by olive groves: The olives are harvested from December to February and are handpicked to ensure they produce the best grade of extra virgin olive oil.

WHAT TO SEE:
From the farmhouse, the beaches of the Adriatic Sea are easily reached in approximately 15 minutes. Guna Beach is closest to the beautiful nature reserve TORRE GUACETO, close to the sea. It offers an attractive escape from beach resorts as you find unspoiled beaches and no cars allowed here. The parking is at the visitor’s centre, and there are organized nature walks, cycle trekking and snorkelling trips.

The property has the advantage of being so close to a central area of world interest – the beautiful Ostuni, the “white city”; to the charming Cisternino; to other sites like the mile-long caves of CASTELLANA; the archaeological excavations of the Roman EGNATIA by the Adriatic coastline; the Trulli houses of ALBEROBELLO – a UNESCO World Heritage site: the medieval town of ORIA; the wealthy baroque town of MARTINA FRANCA ; the Zoo Safari Park of FASANO (lots of fun for children and adults alike); the caves of POLIGNANO A MARE, well known also for its tasty ice cream; GROTTAGLIE famous for its ceramics and old stone carvings; and last but not least the famous baroque city of LECCE which is called the Florence of the South. Lecce is a beautiful town for long walks, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere, bars, outside restaurants and great shops. Lecce can be reached in 45 minutes and has countless medical churches and a great richness of architecture. The famous Roman amphibian theatre is also used in town for music and drama performances in the open during summer.

Further to the south, inland SALENTO has several charming historical villages with ancient history. The townhouses often come with a garden and roof terrace, and it’s fascinating to open the simple door from the street – and inside, almost like a little palace with a garden!
In Sternatina and Martignano to the south of Lecce, antique Greek is still spoken by the villagers.
MAGLIE is like a mini Lecce with many fine buildings. MURO LECCESE is more diminutive and represents a small town/village with an excellent architectural history. RUFFANO has many fine old buildings for sale, waiting to find new owners and to be restored. Surano has a small town centre with very excellent antique facilities for sale. SPONGANO is a small village surrounded by olive groves. Here, you can see grand secluded villas and country retreats owned by foreigners and families from North Italy who come to relax in rural Salento.
The east coast of Salento is rougher than the southwest and for people who enjoy the sea and fishing. It is somewhat more elegant than the East Coast. CASTRO is beautiful with its location on top of the cliff by the sea and many villas with direct access to the sea. SANTA CESAREA TERME is a very popular spa resort with a beautiful setting and bay.
The cost from SANTA MARIA DI LEUCA to GALLIPOLI has many fine sandy beaches. The villages are perhaps not the prettiest, but there is room for beach life, pizzerias, restaurants and disco music in the summertime.
SANTA CATARINA is also well known for its many fine villas in the area, some antique.
The sea outside PORTO CESAREO, further up the coast, is probably the most beautiful and fantastic sunset.