Make your stay truly unique book now your holiday in Manduria, and treat yourself to the pleasure to discover the wonderful Apulia. Our structure offers guided tours in the following destinations and much more.

 

1) The land of Primitivo

Tour duration: 2 ½ hours

Manduria is the wine capital of Primitivo thanks to its history and its tradition. So this is the ideal place for lovers of food and wine tourism. The itinerary "The land of Primitivo" was created to promote the knowledge of Primitivo di Manduria directly in the production site. It’s a real full-immersion in the local food and wine of Salento in one of the most important wineries in Manduria, the Consorzio Produttori Vini where you will meet the Primitivo di Manduria, undisputed leader of our land and well-known DOC wine appreciated worldwide. Here we visit the impressive Museum of the Primitivo Wine civilization. Under the nineteenth-century star vaults and the ancient cisterns of the winery, it’s possible to follow two types of visit of the museum routes. If, on the one hand, objects of daily life and tools of the past work of the farmers tell the social history and the agrarian economy of these areas, on the other hand, the chronological display of antiquated presses and must and wine containers, together with machines and equipment for wine factories, showing the evolution of technology in the wine production and oenology. This will be followed by a tasting of three different wines, Puglia taralli and sweets made with almond paste. At the end we will move for a visit to the old vineyards of Primitivo di Manduria, a place full of memories and emotions. The pleasure of a walk immersed in Mediterranean maquis of Salento. An emotional journey through the countryside of Salento, the vineyards, the clean air and unspoiled nature.

 

2) Ionian tour

Tour duration: 2 ½ hours

An extraordinary coastal tour along the Jonian-Salentinan coastline. An incredible succession of breathtaking views to be discovered in one of the most amazing scenic roads in Italy, with ancient watchtowers and natural areas. The path is made by car moving, starting from the church and tower of San Pietro in Bevagna and continuing southwards to Torre Colimena, visiting the crystalline water source of Chidro River and the natural reserve of the Salina dei Monaci where, in  uncontaminated environments, flocks of pink flamingos draw elegant choreography. The point of arrival is the coastal tower of Torre Colimena, defensive bulwark of the Aragonese period. During the tour, divided into stages, we evoke the history of the defensive towers and the historical and natural aspects of the nature reserves and of the coastal dune areas.

 

3) Discover Manduria

Tour duration: 3 hours

Manduria offers a wide variety of tourist resources. Choose to visit it means crossing archaeological routes with the ancient city center with its beautiful palaces and numerous churches. This tour, recommended for those who visit Manduria for the first time or want to know it better, visits the most famous places in the town, of which you will know about the history, art, architecture and traditions. We will guide you to the discovery of a past history that evokes strong emotions: the Messapi’s history,the ancient people of Salento. Our tour will start right from the Fonte Pliniano, the symbol of Manduria, represented in the city coat of arms, it is a natural cave mentioned by Pliny the Elder for the constant supply of water. The surrounding area has traces of human settlements dating back to the sixth century BC and a double city wall. The necropolis is located outside the city walls and it is the most extensive in all of Puglia region. The over 1284 tombs date back to a period that goes from the VI century BC to the second century B.C.. Inside the park you can visit the church of San Pietro Mandurino, connected to an underground basilica with frescoes (VIII-X century). After we'll move in the historic center of the town where we will visit Piazza Garibaldi, and here we will admire the majestic facade of the Imperial Palace and we will know the events that made it famous. We will go to the charming old Jewish ghetto, which was inhabited by a small community until the middle of '500. We will move to Piazza Commestibili that from the Middle Ages to 1600 was the center of business, finance and social life. We will know the history of the Duomo, the largest church in the country that is rich in art, history and traditions, and its magnificent bell tower. Also we’ll visit the special and original Calvary, considered a real treasure of mosaics, ceramics and more. At the end of the tour it will be the moment of relax in one of the oldest bakeries in the town where we will taste the traditional Salentinian pastries with almond paste.

 

4) The beautiful city: Gallipoli

Tour Duration: 1 hour and half

The Beautiful City, the Greek kalè polis that opens to the sea in which it is embedded and to which it owes its history, is a city that welcomes and defends at the same time. It is the port that has seen oil cargoes leave which illuminated the great European capitals, it is the island that has given shelter and protection to those escaping from the raids on the mainland. Gallipoli has the smell of the sea and those who visit will it also rely on this union. Gallipoli is a happy blend of old and new, of tradition and modernity, synthesized in the huge, modern glass tower block overlooking the harbor and the old center that has become, in recent decades, the symbol of this beautiful town. We will visit the monuments of historical and artistic interest: the churches of Purity and St. Francis, the Cathedral of Sant'Agata and the most picturesque streets  of its old town.

 

 5) The Florence of the Baroque: Lecce

Tour Duration: 2 hours

Lecce is the city symbol of Salento, fascinating and mysterious, in the old town it hides countless art treasures, testimonies of a distant and recent past, that make it one of the most beloved  city in the southern Italy. As soon as we arrive in the historical center of Lecce, what immediately strikes you is the Baroque style which dominates the palaces and architectures, although this is a city that, if we pause to observe it carefully, in its folds, it proudly shows also ruins from the Medieval and Roman times. Piazza del Duomo is for Lecce a monumental space, comparable to an impressive baroque theater. A colossal portico crowned by a balustrade adorned with statues is the monumental entrance to the square. The Seminary Palace and the Archbishop's Palace form, together with the Cathedral, a spectacular homogeneous complex. The cathedral is a real masterpiece of Baroque, made by Giuseppe Zimbalo (1659-1670) that stands out for the decorative exuberance, especially evident in the facade and in the bell tower of 1682. Other superb gem is the church of Santa Croce, which is commonly known as the most perfect expression of Baroque in Lecce. Particularly significant is the facade, covered with decorated sculptures and which reinterprets even the purely architectural elements. Piazza Sant'Oronzo is now the real center of the city. Until the first half of the '900 the appearance of the square was totally different since it had not yet been brought to light the Roman Amphitheatre. In ancient times it was called Piazza dei Mercanti, here there were the shops and commercial structures, in this area at the edge of the historic center and in connection, through via Trinchese, with Via del Mare, and then with San Cataldo and the ancient port . At the end of the historical-cultural tour we can not go away without tasting the dessert par excellence: the pasticciotto. We will give you a sweet moment for your palates, stopping to taste it in a central pastry of the square.

 

6) Otranto, the door of the East

Tour Duration: 2 hours

A holiday in Puglia is not complete without visiting Otranto, jewel of the heel of Italy, as well as the easternmost town of the peninsula. Walking in the oldest part of Otranto you are immersed in the age-old charm of a village surrounded by Aragonese walls, with white houses and its maze of streets paved with stone that converge on the towards Romanesque Cathedral, characterized by the imposing Renaissance rose window. Inside we can see the precious mosaic floor built in the twelfth century by the monk Pantaleone, a compendium of medieval imagery depicting the tree of life with scenes that mix sacred and profane. From the top of the coast we will admire the best view. Otranto offers much from this point of view, and in addition all the streets of the center offer a nice mix of local crafts, gastronomy, clothing and souvenirs. The best for those who prefer to combine the walk  to the shopping of traditional items.

 

7) Ostuni, the white town

Tour Duration: 2 hours

Ostuni is the brightest city of the province of Brindisi. Not because it is in a particular position which makes it better exposed to the sun, but it glows with its own light, thanks to the white lime of the buildings of its old town. A rarity, this, attested since the Middle Ages, when lime was the most readily available material and a colour that could be useful to raise the profile of the narrow streets of the old town. So get ready to this light bath, when we will walk along the narrow streets of this little town which stands on three hills, at a height of about 200 meters. The Aragonese walls, all around, are the shield to the art jewels that shine inside. The first light source is the Cathedral which stands in the highest part of Ostuni: built in the fifteenth century with "malleable stone" by Ferdinand of Aragon and Alfonso II (the monarchs of the king of Naples), it is situated in the medieval piazza Balio. A building with unique expression of High Gothic in 1400, it bears a magnificent rose window among the largest in the world.