Discover Matera and Taste of Salento
SOLETO TRAVEL: First of all, Omar at Soleto Travel was great, from my first inquiry to the last day of the trip. He returned emails promptly, answered questions clearly, made suggestions and generally made the whole experience very easy. I highly recommend Soleto travel and would not hesitate to book any of their tours.
The trip I took was Discover Matera and a Taste of Salento. I was a solo female traveler on this tour and just took a leap of faith - it was well worth it.
TASTE OF SALENTO: Pretend that someone told you that you had long lost relatives who owned an olive oil farm in Salento and wanted you to come visit for six days? That is exactly what this felt like. From the moment Antonio (the father) picked me up at the train station to the moment Emilio dropped me off in Matera, I could not have been treated more warmly. This did not feel like a “tour”, it felt like a “stay”. Don’t get caught up in the printed itinerary and stated activities. Emilio adjusts the schedule based on the season, the weather and other circumstances. You might not get every single thing listed, but you will get a lot more that are not. Emilio fixes a light breakfast every morning and explains where we’re going and what we’re doing that day. Because this experience is capped at four people (we had two), Emilio drives you in the family car to all the cool places (many that would be inaccessible by a tour bus). You walk around while he explains the history of the place or his experiences there. You set the pace (the other woman in my tour had hurt her foot and couldn’t walk very fast - no problem. We were still able to see everything). And you get free time to walk around, grab a bite, shop or just sit and appreciate the experience. The highlight of every day was dinner. Emilio is a fabulous chef and prides himself on cooking fresh, organic, local food paired with local wine (all served with his family’s organic olive oil of course). His passion is evident and every meal was excellent. Two of the days we had Carlo as a guide, who was fun and knowledgeable. One day Emilio’s wife Clara took us wine tasting and sightseeing. And of course Antonio, who was a character, popped by to say hi and stir up trouble! I could go on and on but I will stop and just say this: If you want a 4-star hotel with a “farm” theme in a big city, this is not for you. This is an actual farm in a very small town with very comfortable accommodations run by a sweet and generous couple (plus four kids and a dog) who want nothing more than for you to learn about, experience, and hopefully appreciate, the land they love. No tour buses, no guides with hankies tied to poles, no one-size-fits-all restaurants or cookie-cutter tours. Live like a local, with locals, for a one-of-a-kind experience. I highly recommend it.
DISCOVER MATERA: I knew nothing about Matera so I was excited to arrive and see this beautiful city. The only thing I would mention is the whole city is practically stairs, including up to the room, so it might be a difficult city for some people with mobility issues so keep that in mind when booking. That said it is such a beautiful and unique city and I loved just wandering around and getting lost in all the little streets and passages. The accommodations were fabulous and so unique (a room built into a cave!)
My guide was Cosimo, who took me one day on a city tour and the next on a tour of Murgia Materana, the park across the ravine. He was so knowledgable, friendly and patient with all my questions. Even though I was the only one, our tour went beyond the allotted time and he did not complain or try to rush me. I also got a private food and wine tasting with Lucca who was also wonderful, knowledgeable and generous. The place I stayed had a restaurant, but because I was the only one there, I would have my breakfast on site and then they would book dinner for me at a nice local restaurant. I loved Matera and wish I had a couple more days there.
All in all this was the perfect vacation. The people were wonderful, the food and wine delicious, the history fascinating, the scenery breathtaking and the experience unique. I highly recommend this tour and Soleto Travel to anyone!