Luxury B&B Villetta Carra

Set behind a gated entrance, the Villetta Carra is housed in a two-story building with a mix of modern and traditional Mediterranean architecture. The property offers a seasonal swimming pool, sun terrace, and attractive grounds with lush gardens and trees. Heading inside, the guest living room/lobby is done all in white, outfitted with flowers, leather sofas, a flat-screen TV, and a public computer. Guests can also gather in the breakfast room and in the Italian restaurant, which has outdoor seating. The inn draws mostly tourists and couples who appreciate the idyllic setting and intimate feel.

Villetta Carra is located on the Ionian side of Salento, on the main road between Gallipoli and Parabita. Gallipoli is about a 10-minute drive west of the inn and features a scenic old town on a limestone island, linked to the mainland by a 16th-century bridge. In the town are the harbor, the castle Angiono, the train station, and La Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata di Gallipoli. Parabita has plenty of bars and restaurants and is about five miles east. The inn is also three and a half miles southeast of Splash Aquatic Park. Brindisi is 48 miles north and Brindisi-Salento Airport is 54 miles north, an hour’s drive.

The two-floor Villetta Carra has five soundproofed rooms, all of which open to furnished balconies, some with pool views. Spaces have a minimalist feel with white walls and elegant touches like parquet floors, wood and leather furniture, marble bathrooms, and Venetian plaster ceilings with chandeliers in glass-carved drops. The plush beds have Pirelli latex mattresses—hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and anti-mite. Rooms all come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minibars, in-room safes, bathrobes, and slippers.

Being a B&B, the Villetta Carra is rather limited in its facilities, with no fitness room or spa. But guests do enjoy a free continental breakfast of cold cuts, cheese, cereal, cakes, fruit, yogurt, and more. A sun terrace with white lounge chairs, sofas, and armchairs surrounds a seasonal outdoor pool, and a poolside bar has music, beverages, and snacks. The restaurant serves Italian cuisine and has outdoor covered patio seating. The Villetta Carra also has free parking, a laundry facility, and a kitchen for guest use (for a fee). Staff can arrange fishing excursions, agritourism ventures, a visit to nearby wellness centers, snorkeling, kitesurfing, and more.