We first heard about La Peschiera in Puglia through the Small Luxury Hotels collection. One of our favorite hotels in Italy, Casa Angelina, is also a member of this collection, so we decided to make it a priority to visit La Peschiera and lay by the sea in Puglia.
Formerly a fish hatchery, La Peschiera is now a luxury resort in Puglia arranged around multiple swimming pools of various sizes and temperatures. As you enter through the manicured gardens, the first pool you’ll encounter is the largest. It’s completely stunning.
With only 13 rooms arranged around the complex of pools, La Peschiera is a true retreat for those wishing to unwind by the sea. Each room has a rooftop terrace or seaside patio, and the rooms are expansive. The hotel also offers a private beach if you’re inclined to take a dip in the Adriatic. La Peschiera is not far from the city of Monopoli, so it’s easy to make your into town if you have a rental car or a driver.
The resort’s Saleblu restaurant features Puglian specialties—most notably a daily selection of fresh fish best served raw—as well as a lovely list of Italian wines. One of our favorite memories of our stay was watching a thunderstorm over the Adriatic in the distance while finishing dinner next to the sea.
We wanted to love La Peschiera, but one thing to be aware of if you’re planning a trip is that the service at the hotel (in all respects) was very slow. The website bills the experience as “languid and leisurely,” and it definitely is that.
As the hotel is very small, you won’t see many other guests on the premises, and we found it difficult to even just order a cocktail or food on several occasions. At one point we decided to put the roomservice to the test and it took over 25 minutes to get an Aperol Spritz.
Assuming you’re in the mood for a laid-back experience, we’d definitely recommend staying at La Peschiera if a quiet, leisurely retreat is a priority, but we’d also recommend renting a car so you can take a break from lounging in the sun and head into towns to explore or visit an olive masseria to learn about how they make olive oil. Go here for our recommendation for a full-service resort that we love in Puglia.
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