Tenuta Negroamaro

Surrounded by olive groves and Mediterranean countryside just outside Gallipoli, Tenuta Negroamaro is an intimate ten-suite retreat rooted in the rhythms of southern Puglia. Traditional trulli and vaulted architecture meet natural local materials and understated contemporary design, creating a peaceful expression of Salento where days revolve around the landscape, local food and the region’s famously unhurried way of life.

Story

Tenuta Negroamaro began with a return home. Born in this corner of Puglia but based in London from the age of sixteen, its owner acquired the historic estate with the ambition of creating his first hotel — one that would retain the atmosphere and architectural language of the Salento countryside.

Working with London-based designer Olga Ashby, the original buildings were reimagined as just ten suites, preserving traditional features including trulli and vaulted ceilings while introducing natural fibres, earthy colours and locally inspired materials. Five suites have their own pools, but the overall feeling remains deliberately simple and connected to the outdoors.

Even its name anchors the hotel to its setting: Negroamaro is one of Salento’s defining indigenous grape varieties, cultivated across this sun-baked corner of Puglia for generations.

Why we selected Tenuta Negroamaro

A contemporary expression of rural Salento

Rather than recreating a generic Mediterranean aesthetic, the estate draws on traditional trulli, vaulted architecture, local materials and the earthy palette of the surrounding countryside.

Small-scale and deeply personal

With only ten suites, Tenuta Negroamaro retains the intimacy of a private Puglian country estate.

Connected to the region’s agricultural identity

Its very name celebrates Negroamaro, the grape synonymous with Salento, while olive groves, local wine and seasonal produce keep the experience connected to the land.

A slower way of experiencing Puglia

The philosophy here is less about programmed luxury and more about reconnecting with the landscape — long breakfasts, time beneath the olive trees and days exploring the villages, coastline and food traditions of southern Puglia.

Local life & traditions

Salento’s identity has long been shaped by agriculture, particularly olive growing and winemaking, alongside a food culture built around what could be cultivated from its hot, dry landscape. Negroamaro vines, ancient olive trees, dry-stone walls and distinctive rural buildings still characterise the countryside surrounding the estate.

Traditions remain equally strong at the table, from handmade orecchiette and pasticciotti to local olive oil, seafood and the robust wines of the Salento peninsula. Nearby towns also preserve the region’s extraordinary Baroque architecture and the music and dance traditions associated with the pizzica.

Tenuta Negroamaro places guests within this slower, agricultural Salento — where food, wine, architecture and daily life remain closely connected to the land.

Authentic experiences in the area

Learn to make traditional Puglian pasta

Join a local cooking experience centred on orecchiette and other regional recipes, discovering a culinary tradition still passed between generations.

Taste Negroamaro at its source

Visit nearby vineyards to discover the indigenous grape after which the estate is named, tasting Negroamaro alongside other Salento varieties such as Primitivo.

Discover Gallipoli beyond the beaches

Wander the island-like historic centre, exploring its Baroque churches, fishing traditions, markets and narrow streets before eating the day’s catch beside the Ionian Sea.

Experience the rhythms of a masseria

Explore the surrounding countryside through its olive groves, farms and historic rural estates, learning how agriculture has shaped both Salento’s landscape and its cuisine.

Protecting culture & land

Tenuta Negroamaro preserves the character of its rural setting by working with the estate’s existing architectural language rather than replacing it. Traditional trulli and vaulted structures sit alongside interiors created with organic fibres, natural colours and locally inspired materials.

Its small scale also allows the surrounding landscape to remain central to the experience. Olive groves, gardens and Mediterranean vegetation frame the ten suites, while an emphasis on local food, wine and craftsmanship keeps spending and storytelling connected to Salento.

The result is preservation through continued use: giving traditional architecture and the rhythms of a Puglian country estate a contemporary purpose without erasing their identity.

Location & surroundings

Tenuta Negroamaro lies in the countryside near Sannicola, just outside Gallipoli, placing guests between rural Salento and the Ionian coast. Gallipoli is around six kilometres away, while Lecce, sleepy inland villages, vineyards and some of Puglia’s clearest beaches are easily reached for day trips.

Key details

Address

Yuri, SP52 Contrada,
73017 Sannicola LE, Italy

Getting here

By plane: Brindisi Airport, approximately 75–80 km away

Gallipoli: Approximately 10–15 minutes by car

Lecce: Approximately 30–40 minutes by car

Facilities

Outdoor swimming pool

Massage treatments

Mediterranean gardens & olive groves

Fitness and Wellness Areas

Trails for cycling, walking or running

More

10 suites, including traditional Trullo Suites, 5 suites with private pools

Season: Primarily spring–autumn; current event booking information lists April–October

Words from Olga Ashby, Interior Designer, Tenuta Negroamaro

“I wanted guests to feel like they were coming back home, or to a friend’s house.”
“All the earthy colours I’ve seen outside I’ve brought in.”

Every stay booked direct keeps value with the people of this place, so they can reinvest in culture, community and land

We believe travel should give back more than it takes; that it can protect cultures, not erode them.

That is why we connect you directly with each hotel’s own website. By booking direct, value remains in the hands of those who shape these places, enabling reinvestment into local culture, community, and land.