We stayed a week at the Villa Vacanze Paradiso and it lived up to its name. We arrived extremely tired and hungry at 11.15 at night after long delay at the airport. Paolo showed us to our villa (a very pleasant and well-equipped self-catering apartment next to the pool) and offered us something to eat and drink. He returned shortly afterwards with a tray of melon and ham, vegetables and bread and two bottles of beer - it completely made up for the dreadful journey. The grounds here are lovely - a gorgeous pool and gardens, which attract a spectacular variety of butterlflies. Although we were self-catering we chose to have breakfast with the other guests - largely because of the delicious tarts and cakes which are freshly baked by Maurizio's wife.

There are some lovely beaches around Gallipoli, which itself is a gorgeous town to spend the eveing in.
This is a fasciniating part of Puglia, little visited by non-Italian tourists. And the Villa Vacanze Paradiso is an ideal base.

Highly recommended!

We had a great time at Villa Vacanze Paradiso. It was quiet when we went (early June) and so we nearly had the swimming pool to ourselves. The weather was good and the gardens were lovely. Despite our attempts to speak a little Italian, everyone there spoke English and were incredibly helpful indeed. It feels like a family-run business and indeed it appears to be.

There are some nice beaches 20-30 mins away and we found the property quite easily.

The apartment was fairly small, but was fine for four of us (two children aged 4 and 5) and had everything we needed. We used some olive wood (supplied by the proprietors) for a barbecue on two evenings and it clearly makes any food taste wonderful. If you hope to eat out a lot, there are probably not many restaurants nearby which are open at that time of year (May/June) but we were very happy to cook for ourselves and eat outside.

If we can make it, we'll be back next year!

We have just returned from a 9 day break staying in Villa Vacanze Paradiso and can highly recommend it!
It is certainly well placed for visiting the area being approx 30 kms from Lecce and less to Gallipoli. ( car essential). Also near to a well stocked supermarket.
My husband has walking difficulties and we found staying here perfect -- no steps anywhere. Brilliant!
Luisa and Paulo are wonderful hosts -- caring and helpful and we enjoyed their company. Their advice on where to visit was very welcome-- they lent us books and maps.
We stayed in apartment number 4 -- very clean and eqipped to a good standard comfortable bed + WIFI ! As we were both still working this was essential.
Overall -- perfect!

The property is in a walled enclosure that also contains the owners' residence. Inside the enclosure is a beautiful garden with a pool. Outside you are surrounded by olive groves. We loved the area although it is very flat so there are no 'long vistas’. Instead there are olive groves separated by ancient dry stone walls.

The apartment and grounds were in excellent condition. We stayed in Bougainvillea (apartment 2) which was right next to the pool. Perfect! Our apartment had a covered outside dining area that we used every day. Also, there were pool chairs right outside our apartment - very convenient. Mrs. Luisa (one of the owners) grows herbs for her cooking that you are welcome to share. Overall, the outside area was among the nicest we have seen. There were a few other apartments and rooms in the complex but the whole complex was peaceful and quite.

All furniture was in good shape and the apartment was very clean. There is a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. The rooms are a little small but sufficient for a couple and the enclosure made the outside areas also feel like part of the living area. The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was small but usable and there was plenty of hot water! The kitchen was the most well-equipped kitchen I have ever encountered in a rental. The knives were sharp, there was an assortment of good quality pans, including a pressure cooker, and more utensils than I needed.

The owners/managers were wonderful! They are very generous and take great pride in their property--working hard to keep it in good condition. They also gave us good touring advice. Our favorites where Lecce (beautiful city), market day in Gallipoli, and the views on the drive around the ‘tip of the heel’.