In BEUTIFUL VALLEY D’ITRIA-4-BEDROOM HOUSE RENOVATION PROJECT- STUNNING VIEWS

WHAT TO SEE:
From the villa, the beaches of the Adriatic Sea can be easily reached in approximately 15 minutes. Capitolo and Savelletri are two seaside places with many beaches, restaurants and cafés.

The property has the advantage of being not far from main areas of world interest such as the amazing 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 beautiful white town of Ostuni, located on top of a hill with fantastic sea views; the medieval town of Oria; the wealthy baroque town of Martina Franca; the petite and charming Cisternino, 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 can be reached in one hour 15 minutes and has countless medical churches and a great richness of architecture. In town, there is also the famous Roman amphibian theatre used for music and drama performances in the open during the summer season. Lecce is a wonderful town for long walks, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere, bars, outside restaurants and great shops.

Further to the south, inland Salento has several charming historical villages with ancient history. The advantage of staying in a village is to be able to socialize with Italian neighbours, to walk to the cafe and buy a newspaper and a cup of coffee in the morning and have all amenities within reach during daytime and nighttime. The townhouses often come with a garden and roof terrace and its 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, the villagers still speak antique Greek.
Maglie is like a mini Lecce and with many fine buildings. Muro Leccese is smaller and also represents a small town/village with a fine architectural history. Cutrofiano is popular for French holiday home ownership. 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 nice antique buildings for sale. Spongano again is a small village surrounded by olive groves. Here you can see secluded, great 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’s 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 have room for beach life, pizzerias, restaurants, and disco music in the summertime.
Santa Catarina is well known also for its many fine villas in the area, some antique.
The sea outside of Porto Cesare further up the coast is probably the most beautiful and fantastic sunsets.

GETTING THERE:
By air there is a choice of two international airports, served by Ryanair, Easyjet , BA and others, both easily reached; nearby Brindisi in the South in approximately 45 minutes (65 km) and Bari in the North by car on the motorway in about 55 minutes (76 km)MORE TO SEE IN APULIA:
Bari is the commercial capital city with 250 000 inhabitants and offers the best shopping, a grand opera house called the Petruzzelli teatro; a large medical city centre with many museums. Just north of Bari lies a little town called Giovinazzo, a true gem, right by the sea. Further north is Molfetta Outlet, a famous shopping galleria and 20 minutes further is Traini, a sophisticated town with a beautiful half-moon bay & marina. Continue north to Castel del Monte, the mystical castle Frederic II built in the 13th Century.
Within a 2,5 hour drive to the North of Bari lies Gargano, the peninsula called the spur of the Italian boot. Gargano forms a large nature and wildlife Reserve and offers hiking and scenic trips around the peninsula. From here there are daily boat trips to the small Tremiti islands.

LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE:
The Italian lifestyle means many things, especially socializing; the home is used for sleeping and breakfast, and the Italians go out for enjoyment and dining. There are so much you can experience, like early morning markets in the small towns, music festivals, religious carnivals, the beach life, historical tours in the main towns, cooking classes, learning a bit of Italian at language schools in Lecce, dining at the many country and sea side restaurants, night clubbing at the beach clubs of Capitolo.

SPORTS:
As Apulia is a peninsula and surrounded by the two seas- the Adriatic in the north and the Ionic in the south – water sports dominate in the area; sailing, yachting, water skiing, kite-surfing swimming & beach life. Golf is available with five good courses and San Domenico is world class (PGA 2014 Challenge Final). Tennis, horseback riding, hiking and bicycle tours are other options for the active-minded. Squash clubs are located in Bari, Bitonto and other places.

THE WEATHER:
Being south, Apulia has warmer weather than Northern Italy. Even in the “winter months” of December to February the average number of sun hours per day is 4 and in June-August 10-11 sun hours per day! This means you can enjoy a long season of nice weather in Apulia. When you plan to buy a holiday home in Apulia, think you will spend a lot more time outside than in the inside compared to at home. Therefore, you will need plenty of terrace space, pergolas, etc., at your Apulian property, and cooking facilities outside are very practical.

The water temperature in the beginning of May is in average 19 degrees, up to 27 degrees in August/September and 19 degrees in November. This means you & family will spend time at the beach. Wherever you are in Apulia you can reach the beaches within 30 minutes!

WHY BUY IN APULIA?
Apulia has until recently been called the hidden treasure of Italy, unknown to most tourists who come & stay in Rome, Florence, Venice and at the Italian Riviera. However, all this is rapidly changing because of massive investments in the infrastructure, such as the improved motorways, enlarged airports and the introduction of low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet. The property prices are low in Apulia and low means value for money at bargain prices for international buyers. We see more and more foreign visitors coming to Apulia and in our opinion investments will show good growth in value because of the increased demand, also from north Italians as Apulia has become the most popular holiday destination for Italians. But rest assure, no tourist villages will ever be built because in Apulia the coastline is protected and people are against modern developments which do not fit into this historical landscape. Therefore, with increased demand for a fixed and limited number of properties, prices are bound to rise.

WHY BUY FROM CASAPUGLIA?
Firstly we are an English-speaking agency based in the middle of Apulia with local experience and can guide you to get the right property at the right price for you.
Secondly, we have personally inspected every property that we recommend to buy and do not list hundreds of properties but a smaller selection of properties which we believe offer good value to the buyer. In Apulia many properties are offered at unrealistic prices but we say no to sellers who want us to list properties for sale at silly prices.
We have many years of international property experience, including 10 years in London, and see investments in Apulia through an international perspective. We have been active in several EU property markets and specialize in property management to ensure well-maintained properties for growth in property value.
We have a comprehensive range of local services:
– acting for the buyer – and not for the seller – by searching the market for the right property, negotiating the price and advise on the buying process, leading to the completion of the purchase
– property management: we look after your property when you are away and ensure it is in perfect condition when you arrive. We will prepare a maintenance plan for annual maintenance and repairs of your property, which is essential to maintain and increase the property’s value
– project management; we can be your local representative and manage any renovation or refurbishment. We will also advise on any value-added measures that could further enhance your property’s capital growth.
– lettings- we can assist you in the letting of your property and check in your tenants, deposit taking, checking out & inventory control.

Refer also to our website casapuglia.com