Naturalis Bio Resort and Spa review, Puglia, Italy: Affordable masseria-style luxury with incredible 'Tower to the Stars'

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Naturalis Bio Resort and Spa review, Puglia, Italy: Affordable masseria-style luxury with incredible 'Tower to the Stars'

By Kylie McLaughlin
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A relative newcomer to the accommodation scene, Naturalis is a take on the traditional masseria of Puglia, old farming estates that have been converted into luxury accommodation and have steadily become a must-do experience while staying in the region. It began as an organic aloe vera farm, producing high-quality beauty products for the brand N&B Cosmetics, adding rooms to accommodate clients. While aloe is still core to the business, now everyone can enjoy this quiet corner of Salento, about 30 minutes from the tourist centre of Lecce. Under the Small Luxury Hotels banner, the small number of guests this resort accommodates can relax in comfort, surrounded by the orchards, gardens and vineyards that grow produce for its restaurant.

The Look

Naturalis Bio Resort and Spa's incredible 'Tower to the Stars'.

Naturalis Bio Resort and Spa's incredible 'Tower to the Stars'.

Designed in the style of a 19th century masseria, small buildings house rooms set around the large restaurant with adjacent courtyard for al fresco dining. There is a large pool with a rustic bar and pizza oven, fired up for regular pizza nights. For special guests - think honeymooners - there is the incredible "Tower of the Stars," an old grain silo that has been repurposed as three story accommodation, with bedroom up the top, and below ground, your own private spa, complete with grotto. For everyone else, another building houses a spa for relaxation massages and therapeutic baths.

The Room

Adopting the antique farmhouse aesthetic with shady verandah, my "Aloe" suite is a very generous, airy space with an olive green and white colour scheme. The room has a rustic feel with a wrought iron bed, vintage wooden furniture, an arched timber ceiling and wooden-framed spa bath, alongside deep ceramic pots filled with candles. The bathroom, too, is generous, fitted with a double shower and retro mismatched tiles and an antique washing basin (for decoration only). I was also surprised and delighted to discover, hidden behind shuttered rear doors, a large, private courtyard.

Aerial view of the property.

Aerial view of the property. Credit: Naturalis Bio Resort and Spa

Food + Drink

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The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is lavish - fresh fruit, yoghurt, a wide array of cakes such as colourful fruit flans, miniature cornettos and icing-sugar sprinkled pasticciotto - Puglia's signature pastry, like a custard-filled friand, washed down with double espresso or Leccese iced coffee with almond milk. Given most people are day-tripping, there is no menu for lunch; the chef decides on the day what he is creating based on seasonal produce. I sample burrata sitting in a cooling cucumber puree and a modern take on a traditional frisella topped with tuna salad.

Dinner is a modern affair, starting with mixed salted vegetables from the garden and fresh bread with their own olive oil, followed by spaghettone and a perfectly cooked sea bass on a bed of lemoney chicory. Dessert is a tiramisu rich with mascarpone, biscuitty crunch and a hint of iciness, perfect for the hot weather. The wines were also excellent and local, including a red negroarmano from the vineyards here.

Out and About

Located in a serene pocket of Puglia's south, Naturalis is just outside the town of Martano, slowly putting it on the map as the "city of aloe". It's a short trip to the seaside village of Otranto and the surrounding, spectacular and highly Instagrammable beaches. It's also an easy trip to the bustling western coast city of Gallipoli, one hour away. Should you wish to make the most of Naturalis' beautiful setting, there are plenty of activities to do in-house, such as visiting the aloe vera farm to see how the gel is extracted. There are also pasta making classes, or you can learn how to create a mosaic with a local artist.

The Verdict

This luxurious retreat in the heart of Salento allows guests to commune with nature and nurture simultaneously.

Rating Out Of Five

Five

The Essentials

Via Traglia s.n, Contrada Ulive Grandi, 73025 Martano LE, Italy; naturalisbioresort.com; prices start from around $350 per night.

Highlight

There were many, but I was delighted to see the faces of two kittens peering down on me one night when I ventured out into my private courtyard to hang out some washing (with the provided clotheshorse - another thoughtful touch).

Lowlight

Missing out on a second night's dinner here was a mistake (I made a break for nearby Gallipoli instead).

The writer stayed as a guest of Small Luxury Hotels

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