Fasano: Between the Selva, the Sea and the Trulli Closest to the Coast
Fasano is where the Itria Valley meets the sea. Unlike the other villages of the hinterland, here the Adriatic coast is not a day trip: it is just around the corner. The coastal hamlets of Savelletri and Torre Canne offer beaches, seafood restaurants and a seaside life that blends naturally with the countryside of trulli and olive trees inland. For anyone who wants a trullo with a pool and the sea close by, Fasano is the most logical choice.
But Fasano is not only coast. Its territory stretches from the beaches up to the Selva, a wooded plateau 450 metres above sea level, the highest point in the province of Brindisi, with spectacular views over the countryside and the sea. In between lie the historic centre with its white lanes, the Egnazia Archaeological Park with the remains of a Messapian and Roman city, and the Zoosafari, one of the largest wildlife parks in Europe. It is a surprisingly varied territory for a single municipality.
The Historic Centre
The centre of Fasano is a tangle of paved lanes and whitewashed houses, gathered around the main square, Piazza Ciaia, overlooked by the neoclassical Town Hall and by Baroque palaces. In dialect the old town is called U’mbracchie, which means shade: the alleys are so narrow that the sun hardly ever reaches them, keeping them cool even in the hottest hours of summer.
The Chiesa Matrice, dedicated to St John the Baptist, has a late Renaissance tufa facade with a beautiful rose window and a three-aisled interior with a dome twenty metres high. The Torrione delle Fogge is the only surviving tower of the old defensive walls, and it overlooks the valley where rainwater was once collected in public cisterns called fogge, hence the name.
Fasano is more a town of services than a museum village: it has supermarkets, pharmacies, shops and banks, everything you need for daily life. For guests staying in the trulli of the surrounding countryside, it is the practical point of reference.
Egnazia and the Selva: The Two Unmissable Excursions
The Egnazia Archaeological Park lies on the coast between Fasano and Monopoli, along the ancient Via Traiana. The remains of the Messapian and later Roman city include the Forum, the walls, the necropolises, the Christian basilica and the remains of the harbour, partly submerged. The adjoining National Archaeological Museum houses mosaics, ceramics and architectural fragments. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in Puglia and can be visited in a couple of hours. From there you can also go snorkelling over the remains of the ancient harbour, a unique experience.
The Selva di Fasano is a forest of oaks, holm oaks and Mediterranean scrub covering the plateau behind the town, at 450 metres of altitude. The nineteenth-century villas scattered through the woods, including the Minareto, an early twentieth-century residence in Moorish style, give the place a timeless atmosphere. The viewpoints offer panoramas that sweep from the countryside to the sea. This is also home to the Zoosafari with Fasanolandia, 140 hectares with about 3,000 animals of 200 species: a classic stop for families with children.
Also in the Selva area, Masseria Lisi is a farm where you can find bread and focaccia, cured meats, barbecue meat and vegetables, in a landscape of green meadows and olive trees. On the road from Cisternino to Speziale, Masseria Conte makes cheese from the milk of its own cows and organises visits and tastings for small groups.
The Beaches
Fasano has two coastal souls. Savelletri is a fishing village with a characteristic little harbour, white houses on the cliff and coves of fine sand between the rocks. The fish is extremely fresh and the restaurants on the harbour are among the best on the Brindisi coast for raw seafood and sea urchins. The coast is mostly rocky with hidden inlets, ideal for those who love snorkelling and nature.
Torre Canne is the opposite: a long sandy beach with dunes, equipped beach clubs and stretches of free beach. It is the right choice for families with children, with shallow water and every service. Torre Canne is also known for its thermal baths, prized for the healing properties of the waters. Between Savelletri and Torre Canne, the Torre Canne and Torre San Leonardo Coastal Dunes Park offers a protected stretch of coast with dunes, Mediterranean scrub and trails for trekking and birdwatching.
For summer evenings, the Municipality of Fasano runs the Coast Shuttle every year, a free shuttle service linking the centre and the hamlets to the seaside resorts of Savelletri and Torre Canne on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). It is a handy alternative for enjoying a seafood dinner at the harbour of Savelletri or an evening in Torre Canne without worrying about parking. Seats on board can be booked free of charge on the service website.
Among the equipped beach clubs, Lido Bosco Verde is located in the Coastal Dunes Park and is a good choice for quality and position. Lido Morelli is in the heart of the same park. For something unique, the Archeolido is near the Egnazia archaeological park and offers the chance to snorkel among the ruins of the ancient Roman harbour with a guide.
Where to Eat
The cuisine of Fasano is divided between land and sea. On the coast, in Savelletri, the seafood restaurants serve raw seafood, sea urchins, red mullet and shellfish just caught. Inland, the trattorias offer orecchiette, fava beans and chicory, bombette and meat grilled at the fornello. Butcher shops with a ready grill can be found here too, as in neighbouring Cisternino.
In Savelletri, the Osteria del Porto is the go-to for fresh fish. On the seafront of Torre Canne, Il Punto and Il Moro offer seafood menus with sea views; on the harbour, La Baia is a large kiosk where you can eat swordfish, octopus or tuna sandwiches and fried calamari, no reservation needed. For an aperitif in the historic centre of Fasano, Il Trattino occupies a little square in the old town; in Torre Canne, Ciporti is on the harbour with cocktails and sea views.
How to Get There
Fasano is about 50 kilometres (40 minutes) from Brindisi airport and about 60 kilometres (45 minutes) from Bari airport. The town has a railway station on the Trenitalia Bari-Lecce line, with direct connections from both cities. By car, the motorway exit is Fasano on the A14. For parking in the historic centre there are paid areas near the main square.
Where to Stay in Fasano: Our Trulli
Our five properties in the territory of Fasano meet different needs, from the couple looking for the sea a few steps away to the large group that wants space and privacy.
Close to the Sea
Trullo e Lamia al Mare is the property closest to the coast: about seven kilometres from the centre of Fasano and a few minutes from the sea. The complex combines a traditional trullo with a lamia, for a maximum of nine guests.
Trullo La Zisa is the largest complex: an old trulli building with five independent apartments, nestled on the slopes of a hill covered in Mediterranean scrub. From the property the view stretches through the olive trees to the sea. It can host up to twenty-two people, which makes it the property with the highest capacity in the entire portfolio. Seven kilometres from the coast and three from the centre of Fasano. A few steps away is Vigne di Salamina, with a rare sea view from the countryside.
In the Hilly Hinterland
CalaLuna is two kilometres from the centre of Fasano and eleven from the sea. A convenient position for reaching both the coast and the villages of the hinterland. Up to six guests.
Trullo Bella Vista takes its name from its privileged position: a raised spot with an extraordinary panoramic view over the countryside and the sea. The pool sits on a terrace above the house to make the most of the panorama. Three and a half kilometres from the centre of Fasano and twelve from the sea, it sleeps up to six people.
Fasano and the Itria Valley
Fasano is the northern gateway to the Itria Valley and the natural link with the coast. Alberobello is twenty minutes away, Locorotondo a quarter of an hour, Cisternino twenty minutes, Ostuni twenty-five. Monopoli and Polignano a Mare, on the coast to the north, are half an hour away. For those flying into Bari, Fasano is the first stop in the Valley.
