Salento is not just crowded places: in Marina di Ugento you will find peace, relaxation, excellent typical food and the possibility of staying in a typical farm.
Torre San Giovanni (la Marina of Ugento) is in a very convenient position for touring Salento. The sea has nothing to envy to the Maldives and the location is less VIP than the most famous in the area.
I returned for the second consecutive year in July and - apart from the African heat - I found those days very pleasant from a logistical as well as culinary point of view.
Where to go to the sea
We had no difficulty as a couple to find accommodation even close to the arrival date, about a month or so, and moving by car it was not a problem to find a parking space to get to the beach which has large parking lots, about 4 euros for the all day. We preferred the equipped beach for those days and then made a fixed stop at Lido Onda Marina, good service for the area (assuming that I'm used to Romagna) and with a decent choice for lunch.
This year we preferred to stay in one typical farm in the countryside rather than in the center of Ugento as previously done. The choice was approved in full.
Sleeping in a typical farm
The name of the facility is Masseria Artemisia, about 6 or 7 km from the beach and I would recommend it as well as for its proximity to the beach (unless you want accommodation right on the sea and therefore do not want to use the car) also for the structure itself and for itself.
It is truly a beautiful example of characteristic farm of the territory Apulian, in fact deliberately kept almost intact in the part of the pleasant vegetation. A swimming pool is also available for guests.
The still simple services guarantee this structure a affordable price even in the high season.
Where to eat excellent meat
This is not advice for vegetarians: if you want to eat excellent meat at a good price, I suggest you switch to Braceria da Piero. Certainly the aesthetics will not entice you to enter but satisfaction is assured. The meat is delicious and fresh, and the most curious thing is to be able to choose the meat directly from the counter of the attached butcher's shop. They have different specialties prepared by them, such as the famous "bombette" stuffed with different types of meat and cheeses. You can obviously also buy various typical products for sale.
It is not the only steakhouse in the area, indeed there is a very common formula there. Da Piero is very spartan but you can also opt for more formal choices.
