The weather in Salento is just starting to change. With our second summer at our house now firmly behind us, it’s time to welcome Autumn.
If you’re thinking about buying a second home abroad, then make sure you’ve done your homework and visit out of season. Most places sell you the dream in the summer; beautiful beaches, restaurants open late, hot days and long evenings – what’s not to love as you imagine your life in this idyllic state the whole time.
However, visiting outside of the traditional holiday season, particularly somewhere as seasonal as Puglia, can be a completely different experience.
The holiday season is actually quite short in our part of Salento. Our favourite beach club, Lido La Castellana, opens mid June and closes by the second week of September. Although they really could stay open longer!
Over the year that it took to renovate our house, we visited every month, so we had already experienced the area and what each season had to offer throughout the year. And I honestly think Autumn is up there with one of the best times of year to visit. The countryside is green and plants are thriving and the olive harvest starts later this month.
The months of September and October can often be warm and sunny (20 to 24 degrees Celsius) with people still sitting on the beach and sunbathing, even swimming in the Adriatic. That’s very brave!
Otranto is still a lively bustling town with tourists ever present and reservations still required for dinner at our favourite restaurants. Even in our local village of Minvervino di Lecce we still book for lunch and dinner.
The best thing about coming out of season, and visiting all year round, is that the restaurant owners have more time to talk to you and to get to know you. We’re always warmly welcomed whenever we visit but especially in the quiet Autumn and Winter months.
Our house in Salento is more than a holiday home; it’s a second home, a beautiful retreat, our bolt hole and definitely a house for all seasons.
