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F ood, and taking pleasure in it, is inextricably linked to Italian culture. As a wine lover who has never met a carb I didn’t like, visiting Italy is fantastic – but I return from trips feeling lethargic with overindulgence rather than that post-holiday glow I had hoped for. Puglia, in southern Italy ’s rustic heel of the “boot”, is known for its sweeping coastlines, ancient olive groves, rolling wheat fields, baking sunshine and a host of Unesco world heritage sites .

Famed for producing wine, olive oil and bread (it is nicknamed “the breadbasket of Italy”), its hotels are now increasingly offering a range of activities to complement the Mediterranean lifestyle. I headed there to see if I could balance my wine with my wellness , and return from holiday feeling refreshed and revitalised for once. Yes, I wanted to drink and eat my way around sea views of the Italian coast, but I was also keen to embrace the healthier side of the local scene.



My first stop was the effortlessly elegant five-star Masseria Torre Maizza , designed by hotelier and interior designer Olga Polizzi. Just over an hour’s drive from Bari’s airport, the blazing white 15th-century fortified farmhouse rises above an ancient grove of olive trees. The room’s private plunge pool looked out onto the nine-hole golf course, with views of the sea where one can practise a swing, or simply take an easy stroll to admire the scenery, before heading to the restaurant, Carosello.

Here, humble traditio.

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