We love Villa Diana - so much that we have returned 7 times as a family.
The setting is picturesque and very quiet with a lovely pool surrounded by loungers. The family Gianni, Diana and Paolo are so kind, helpful and welcoming.
The tennis court is excellent.
The beach is only 20 mins drive away and there are many places of interest to visit. Local shops are friendly and helpful with lovely fresh produce.

We stayed here for a week in July 2010, my husband, myself and our two children, ages 9 and 7 years. The stone cottage "B" was our home - nice furnishings, good kitchen and spectacular outside patio & garden area! The kids enjoyed the comfortable pull out beds - they watched the World Cup every night as they feel asleep! My husband & I felt very comfortable in the upstairs loft w/ its own t.v. The pool, grounds, playground area were spectacular! I was there a few nights before my husband arrived & felt very safe. The family was extremely kind and included us in a family members birthday party! The area is perfect for seeing all the towns & beaches of both Mediterrean and Adriatic!

We first stayed here in 2004 and have returned regularly since. B&B accommodation is either atop the very imposing villa and boasts its own breakfast veranda or there are typical pugliesi stone cottages available too, all in spacious grounds enclosed by stone walls. For tennis appassionati, there are clay courts, while the less energetic can explore the beautifully kept gardens. A focal point of the garden, and an essential facility during the warmer weather, is the marvellous walk-in swimming pool. This is a family-run establishment and service is efficient but informal and relaxed. The Villa is centrally located in the Salentine peninsula. The Baroque splendours of the provincial capital Lecce are but a 10 minute drive away and the contrasting coastlines not much further. Ancient settlements in the interior, such as Acaya, are also on the doorstep and well worth a visit. Distances are not huge and even places further afield such as Alberobello are easily reached in a couple of hours. For quality of stay and location, Villa Diana would be pretty hard to beat in Salento.

I first discovered the Villa 4 years ago and have returned 3 times. I have also had my son, his wife and my 18 month granddaughter stay at this location as well as some friends. These are perhaps the best endorsements one can give for this wonderful, calm setting that embodies every tourist’s dream of Italy. The WEB site’s pictures are an accurate portrayal of this little bit of paradise. I have always stayed in the stone cottages - nestled close to a small vineyard and adjacent to a grove of orange trees- the latter provided us with fresh orange juice every morning. The family that runs the place –Diana the main driving force in terms of the structures (with limited English but expressive hand gestures) and the son– Paolo ((very competent in English) - the main contact person are very helpful with any problems you may encounter and go above and beyond what would one expect. For example, Paolo managed to get me football tickets for a game and then picked me up afterwards when the weather became inclement.
The furniture in the cottage is rustic and lovely and includes a fire place. Over the stove is a giant upside down cauldron that serves as an odor catcher. Cupboards have double paned, glass doors with pressed flowers between. The huge outdoor area with its beautiful swimming pool (not your typical hotel rectangle), a wonderfully maintained tennis court (Gianni,, Diana’s husband is the regional doubles champion), and a immense garden with olive trees to meander around creates very special surroundings
Breakfast consists of supplies being placed in your fridge. The kitchen facilities in both the apartment over the main house (where my son’s family stayed) and in the cottages are very complete.
On occasion, barking dogs in the surrounding countryside would decide to serenade us during the early morning hours - but this was the only bit of noise that intruded upon our stay. There is absolutely no traffic noise or other sounds to be heard on the premises.
The Villa is very secure, with an automatic gate and is located on the outskirts of a smallish village (Merine) where the people and the store clerks are very friendly and all the necessities for cooking etc can be found within a 10-15 minute walk. I would suggest that a car is pretty much a necessity if you want to visit any places beyond the wonderful town of Lecce. The latter is about a 20 minute bike ride – but part of that ride is on a busy road.
Overall this is an outstanding spot to make as your home away from home while you explore this wonderfully relatively undiscovered region.