Though small, and tucked away in a little-known part of Puglia's Salento peninsula, Nardò is a bit of a Baroque beauty, with elegant streets, squares and passages, and historic buildings that will surprise you with their grandeur. Close enough to the coastline for beach lovers, but surrounded by acres and acres of olive groves, we recommend the best places to stay in Nardò to anyone asking for an Italian destination with great food, a relatively rural setting, plenty of peace, and a name not too many people will recognise. Our accommodation picks for Nardò include a beautifully converted 15th century masseria, and an equally beautifully converted 16th century palazzo in the centre of town.

Nardò is also an excellent base for cyclists and hikers exploring the Puglia’s western coast, and the region’s national parks and forests. At five kilometres from the sea, Nardò has escaped an onslaught of beach tourism, but it’s still a workable distance if you’re looking for access to wild or public beaches, and low numbers of people to share them with. This is a really sunny region, with warm weather and warm seas stretching long into September and October, but even during the summer months, Nardò escapes the mass crowds of other towns on the Italian coast.

If you plan to use one of the best places to stay in Nardò as a base for exploring the region, our Gurus recommend day trips to Lecce; Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Ionian and Adriatic seas combine; Grottaglie — for its ceramic workshops; the nature reserve of Porto Selvaggio; the Ionian beach town of Torre Colimena; the Adriatic beaches of Baia dei Turchi and Torre dell’Orso. They also recommend getting back in time to spend your evenings in the Piazza Salandra, to enjoy the friendly atmosphere, local wines and gelato.

The Best Places to Stay in Nardò

For a Rural Retreat

• The Masseria Bernardini is a small and stylish contemporary hotel, made within the beautiful shell of a 15th century masseria. The wonderful vaulted ceilings, pale stone and boxy exterior lend well to contemporary minimalist style, and the result is really chic. There are just nine rooms and suites, some with kitchenettes, and all with their own private outdoor space — where you can take your meals — plus a welcoming sitting room with an open fire, and a beautiful pool terrace and gardens. 

For Historic Style

• The Relais Il Mignano is a 16th century palace in the heart of the old town, with seven carefully renovated rooms and suites, featuring plenty of the building’s original charm: expect ornately carved stone, vaulted ceilings and grand scale, all offset with unfussy contemporary decor. The rooftop terrace, and its hot tub, is somewhere you will really want to hang out, as are the shady courtyard, the bar, games room and library.

For a private apartment or villa

• If you’d prefer to stay in an apartment or private villa we recommend you visit our online partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Nardò’s closest international airports are Brindisi Airport, which is about an hour away by road, or two and a half hours by public transport, or Bari Airport, which is a bit further away again, about two hours by road, or three and a half by train and bus. Bari Airport is served by Ryanair, and some flag carrier airlines, while Brindisi is also served by Ryanair and other European low-cost carriers.
• If you plan to hire a car, which we would advise if you want to get out and explore further afield, we recommend you visit our online partner Rentalcars.
• Nardò is in Salento, on the Puglia heel of Italy’s boot, where the Mediterranean climate offers hot, dry summers and mild, but wet winters. Because Nardò is spectacularly positioned close to a peaceful stretch of coastline, most visitors come here for the sunshine, sand and the food, so summer is the most popular season. But this peaceful corner of Italy is beautiful year round. In spring the flowers are a wonder, and you’ll have the gradually warming beaches to yourself, then there’s bustling summer, lasting until late September, and the quieter, but still very cheerful stretch between October and December, when the weather is still mild and you can still enjoy lunch on the terrace. 

Still not sure which to book?

• You could expand your search to include the best places to stay in Puglia
• Include some of the best places to stay in nearby Gallipoli, or the best places to stay in Bari
• You might want to refine your search by the kind of accommodation you’re looking for, and consider the the best beach hotels in Puglia, the most romantic hotels in Puglia or the best hotels in Puglia with a private beach
• Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.