ACAYA GOLF RESORT
Luxury hotel, 18 holes, 2 swimming pools & 1 Adriatic sea!

The Acaya Resort

The old fortified town of Acaia sits close to the sea, south of the baroque exuberance of Lecce; the whole surrounded by acres of quiet olive groves (like most of Puglia).  Here, there is a wonderful golf hideaway - the Acaya golf resort.  A new building now houses a big spa, the Clubhouse (replacing the old one by the First Tee and range) and holds conference facilities too. The hotel used to have a slightly American feel as it was  under Hilton management, but it's now back in Pugliese hands  so once again feels part of the scenery.

The golf course is  a tough and varied test, the kind of layout that most golfers will want to play more than once; so it's no harm that Acaya is a little isolated  (the San Domenico course is about an hour away) - some might even say its secluded location is a good thing?!?

Acaya Golf Course

Without a shadow of a doubt, Acaya is one of the finest courses in Italy.  Broad panoramas and a wonderful variety of holes will keep you entertained from the 1^st to the 18^th.  The opening holes are quite striking with an almost heathland feel, lots of purple heather mixed in with the indigenous vegetation; the back nine has plenty of water: always in play but often with an alternative route.  All across the course the bunkering is intelligent, forcing you to stop and make a decision on every Tee-box.  Great fun to play and the views alone will have you coming back for more.

N.B.  The original Clubhouse (an old Masseria, now a halfway hut) First Tee and driving range are about 300 yards from the hotel (beside the fourth Green).  If you don't want to stroll across to the First, there is a free shuttle buggy that will run you over - and bring you back!

The Acaya Hotel

The Acaya Hotel is very much a self-contained resort and holds everything you could want within its walls to enjoy a few days luxury, golf, relaxation and fine dining in southern Itlay.  The hotel forms a square around a central courtyard with pool.  Bedrooms are huge, with large sitting areas and private gardens or balconies; fully air conditioned and with every mod-con, very four star.

There are two outdoor pools at the hotel, one within the courtyard and an even larger one in the grounds outside. At the latter there is also a cooling pool bar to refresh you during the hottest months.

Breakfast is a vast array of fine fresh local produce served in the restaurant on the first floor.  Lunch is available in the Clubhouse and dinner served in the same new building.  Needless to say, the food is superb with plenty of locally inspired dishes; so is the wine list (which is also sensibly priced).

The Acaya Spa

The Acaya hotel has a very impressive spa on the lower ground floor of the Clubhouse.  Unlike many Italian spas, this is not a 'medical' spa purely a beauty and relaxation spa.  There is a multitude of treatments available, saunas, steam rooms, aroma-showers, jacuzzis, ice baths the list goes on...
In additon, there are myriad treatment rooms for massages of all varieties including the more exotic Ayurvedic and Thai specialists.

Totally relaxing.

Around and about Acaya

The town of Acaia is less than a mile from the Acaya resort and has a medieval fortress guarding the entrance to the old walled town. Inside the walls the narrow streets and small squares harbour quite a few good little restaurants - many more than you would imagine for a town of such size.  It is probably too far too walk for dinner so a short drive is required for dining out - or maybe avail yourself of the resort's (electric) bicycles?

The nearby towns of Lecce and Otranto are well worth visiting during your stay.  Lecce is a big city these days but once you get through the modernist outer layers the baroque kernel is quite something to behold.  If you are an afficionado of eclisiastical architecture then the 34 churches in Lecce will give you ample opportunity to indulge your passion. 

Otranto is a smaller town, with a beach and a medieval centre with streets made for for strolling, browsing and lunching within the (car-free) fortifications.

If you prefer sea swimming to either of the hotel's big pools, the beaches of San Cataldo with their acres of pure white sand bordering the impossible azur of the Adriatic are only a few minutes away.  During the Summer these beaches are busy with holidaymakers staying at the numerous campsites along the coast: outwith these months the sands are silent, perfect for a solitary stroll. 

And if you have a penchant for rocky coastlines, the drive down to the tip of Italy's stiletto heel at Santa Maria di Leuca will satisfy all your cravings!