Seaside masseria on Puglia’s east coast where food is simply amazing

Masseria Cimino / Fasano / Puglia / Italy

In Puglia, the region that makes up the heel of the boot that is Italy, there is unique kind of farmhouse called masseria. These whitewashed stone buildings are often surrounded by centuries old olive groves, in calm rural settings with enough space to the next door neighbor. With this as a starting point, no wonder many of them have been turned into attractive boutique hotels. When driving around in this region you see them dotted around the landscape. And in this post, you can learn more about one of them, the cozy Masseria Cimino.

This masseria dates back to the 18th century and is located just outside Fasano, in an olive grove (of course). One thing that is unique with this one is that one of the buildings is red, where the traditional local style is all white. And another stand-out is the closeness to the sea. At Cimino you just cross a meadow at the far end of the hotel garden and you are right by the Adriatic.

There are 14 rooms at this masseria, spread over three buildings. And when you pull up you are greeted by a member of the staff in a buggy to take care of your luggage while you stroll over the reception to check in.

Our room was situated in the building across the courtyard from the main building and the inside was all white with a contrasting blue-grey color. One thing that stood out was that we had an open fire place in our room (which we never got to use considering it was already warm when we stayed here).

There is a lot of space at the hotel, where it is easy to find a quiet corner to relax and enjoy some down time in the shade, if that is your thing. The lovely staff are more than happy to bring you an apertivo or two, while awaiting the main event of the day, the dinner. The food at the masseria is amazing and must not be missed. If you didn’t book half board, change your booking immediately! Trust me when I say that you will regret it otherwise.

Most masserie are all white but this one is unique with its red tower building.

…you will arrive in the lounge/reception/bar area.

All checked in and ready to head to our room.

Our room was located in a separate building, across the courtyard from the main building.

The entrance to our room and our very own patio under the pergola.

It was warm when we stayed here so we never got to use this, but high coziness factor to have an open fireplace in the room.

This was a first for me, an all wood toilet flush.

This is the third of the three buildings belonging to the hotel where the rest of the rooms are located.

The hotel is located right in an olive grove and like so many other masserie, they produce their own olive oil.

The vegetable patch where a lot of what's served for dinner is grown.

At the far end of the garden there is an opening in the stone wall. Cross the meadow and…

…you’ll have the Adriatic right at your feet.

…followed by an apertivo (Negroni, of course!) at the Cala Masciola Beach Club right next door.

Dinner at the masseria is a hearty affair. First there is a buffet of local and classic Italian dishes. Followed by pasta, of course!

The desserts at Cimino are next level. This pistachio cake made my head spin.

New day. The first rays of sun are caressing Masseria Cimino.

Out for a morning run with our friend Tanja to digest the dinner from the day before and get ready for…

Simple, straight forward and really delicious.

There is so much to do and see in these parts. One of our favorites is Ostuni, the white city on the hill with its winding alleys and cute houses.

We have stopped for som light lunch. The local classic Puccia. Basically it is a kind of Puglian fast food.

The famous Lama Monachile in Polignano a Mare. A must-visit when in this area. And a dip is mandatory.

Our friends Jack and Tanja enjoy some ice cream after their dip in the sea. The tip when in Italy is to always look for “artignale”, hand made, to make sure you get the really good stuff. Because life is just too short to eat bad ice cream.

RG inside info

Date of RG stay:

May 2025

This place is perfect if you…

…are looking for a relaxed, cosy, rural hotel where the food is hearty and delicious and the sea is a short stroll away If this is your thing, you will most likely really appreciate Masseria Cimino.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the food. Come evening a fantastic menu is served where one ”dish” is a buffet. A mix of local delicacies combined with classic Italian staples. And the best thing is they change the menu every evening. Had some great things I have never tried before like lightly deep fried sage leaves and a heavenly pistacchio cake.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to explore the area. Puglia has so much to offer, it is almost stressful. Two favorites are the towns of Ostuni and Polignano a Mare. Ostuni is the famous white city, resting high up on a cliff. Winding alley ways lead to cute little squares. And then we have Polignano a Mare, the cute seaside town with its famous Lama Monachile, a small bay with a beach which is almost a must when visiting this region. Just look at the photos above and you will understand why.

If you like this hotel you might also like:

Masseria Moroseta / Ostuni, Puglia, Italy

Don Ferrante / Monopoli, Puglia, Italy

Canne Bianche / Torre Canne, Puglia, Italy