Excellence Luxury Villas · Lecce
Luxury Villa Rentals in Lecce
Palazzi, pool villas and sea-view homes in the baroque capital of the Salento, between the Adriatic and the Ionian
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A city carved in golden stone, at the heel of Italy
Lecce is built of pietra leccese, a honey-coloured limestone soft enough to carve in fine detail when it is freshly quarried. Its seventeenth-century masons made the most of it, and the result is the most exuberant baroque in Italy: cherubs, garlands and grinning beasts crowd the façade of Santa Croce, while a Roman amphitheatre lies half excavated in the main square. Around the city spreads the Salento, the flat, olive-grown heel of Italy, with the Adriatic on one side and the Ionian on the other.
Our Lecce collection runs to 100+ properties across the province: restored palazzi in the city and in villages such as Melpignano, apartments with sea views, country villas among the olive groves with private pools, and even a castle for a family gathering.
What follows is a guide to the city, its two coasts and the rhythm of a Salento summer.
Lecce at a glance
- Villas
- 100+ across the province of Lecce, with up to 12 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,400 to £7,300 a week, from around £1,700
- Best areas
- Lecce itself, Otranto and the Adriatic coast, Gallipoli and the Ionian shore, and the far south towards Leuca
- Best time
- May, June and September for the sea; late August for Sant'Oronzo and the Notte della Taranta
- Airport
- Brindisi, around 40 minutes from Lecce by road; Bari around two hours
Browse all 100+ villas in Lecceor see them on the map
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Trullo Salentino Lecce: Spacious 6-Bedroom Apartment with Saltwater Pool – Lecce6 bedrooms
Palazzo Alba Rudiae Lecce: Luxury 12-Bedroom Villa with Eco-Friendly Features – Lecce12 bedrooms
Castello Salentina | 10-Bedroom Chateau in TREPUZZI (LE) Sant’Elia10 bedrooms
Palazzo Dorato Melpignano Lecce: 6-Bedroom Historic Palazzo with Heated Pool – Lecce6 bedroomsWhere to stay in Lecce
Lecce for baroque streets and evening life, Otranto and the Adriatic for cliffs and clear coves, Gallipoli and the Ionian for long sandy beaches and sunsets, and Tricase and Leuca for the quieter far south.
Baroque by day, passeggiata by night
Start at the Basilica di Santa Croce, whose façade took the better part of a century to finish and rewards a slow look through binoculars. From there it is a short stroll to Piazza Sant'Oronzo and its Roman amphitheatre, then along Via Vittorio Emanuele to Piazza del Duomo, an enclosed square that glows at dusk.
Lecce also keeps up an old craft in cartapesta, papier-mâché saints and figures made in small workshops around the old town. In the evening the whole city seems to come out for the passeggiata, and an apartment or palazzo within the walls puts you right in the middle of it.
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Cliffs, coves and a mosaic Tree of Life
East of Lecce the Adriatic coast is all limestone cliffs and water of startling clarity. At Roca Vecchia, the Grotta della Poesia is a natural sea pool where locals have been jumping in for generations, and Torre dell'Orso has a sweep of pale sand beneath its watchtower.
Otranto, Italy's easternmost town, has a walled old quarter and a cathedral whose twelfth-century mosaic floor spreads a great Tree of Life across the nave. South of here the coast road towards Castro and Tricase is one of the most beautiful drives in Puglia.
Browse villas near Tricase
Long beaches and western sunsets
The Ionian side is gentler, with long sandy beaches and shallow water that suits families well. Gallipoli's old town stands on a small island joined to the mainland by a bridge, its fishing harbour still busy in the mornings. Near Nardò, the nature park of Porto Selvaggio pairs pine woods with rocky coves, and the beaches around Ugento are among the longest in the Salento.
At the very tip of the heel stands Santa Maria di Leuca and its lighthouse, where by local tradition the two seas meet.
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Pasticciotti, pizzica and a hot August
Breakfast in Lecce is a pasticciotto, a warm custard-filled pastry, followed later by a caffè in ghiaccio with almond milk. At lunch look for ciceri e tria, pasta and chickpeas with fried ribbons of dough, and a glass of Negroamaro from Salice Salentino.
August is the liveliest month: the city celebrates its patron saint, Sant'Oronzo, from 24 to 26 August, and the Notte della Taranta tours the villages before its great closing concert of pizzica in Melpignano. May, June and September are quieter, and the sea is still warm. Our concierge can book tables, wine tastings and boat trips, and arrange transfers from Brindisi.
Ask our conciergeFeatured villas in Lecce
Villa Levante Rudiae Lecce: Luxury 6-Bedroom Apartment with Pool & Sea Views – Lecce6 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £11,445 a week
Palazzo Sant’Oronzo Lecce: Elegant 6-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview & Pool – Lecce6 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £10,948 a week
Villa Libeccio San Cesario Lecce: Luxury 7-Bedroom Villa with Private Pool & Sea Views – Lecce7 bedrooms · sleeps 18From £10,794 a week
Villa Zaffiro Arnesano Lecce: 5-Bedroom Sea View Villa with Spa in Historic Puglia – Lecce5 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £10,240 a week
Villa Sirena Frigole Lecce: 5-Bedroom Sea View Villa with 10 Guests – Lecce Italy5 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £10,060 a week
Trullo Scirocco Lecce: Elegant 9-Bedroom Luxury Apartment with Seaview & Pool – Lecce9 bedrooms · sleeps 18From £9,744 a week
Villa Amaranto Rudiae Lecce: Luxury 7-Bedroom Villa with Pool – Lecce7 bedrooms · sleeps 18From £9,576 a week
Trullo Quercia Lecce: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Stunning Seaview – Lecce3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £9,429 a weekWhy book your Lecce villa with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
The Salento runs between two very different seas, and we know which villas are an easy drive from the old town, which are close to a sandy beach and which villages stay lively once the sun goes down. With 100+ properties in Lecce, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Restaurant tables in the old town, boat trips along the Otranto and Leuca coast, cooking lessons, wine tastings around Salice Salentino, transport for the Notte della Taranta, car hire and transfers from Brindisi. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay near Lecce?
Stay in Lecce itself for its baroque streets, restaurants and evening life. Choose Otranto and the Adriatic coast for cliffs and clear coves, Gallipoli and the Ionian side for sandy beaches, or the villages towards Leuca for peace and space.
When is the best time to visit Lecce?
May, June and September are the most comfortable months, warm enough for the sea and less crowded. August is hot and busy, but it brings the Festa di Sant'Oronzo and the Notte della Taranta.
What is the Notte della Taranta?
It is the Salento's festival of pizzica, a fast and hypnotic folk music and dance. Through August it tours villages across the province, then ends with a huge free concert in Melpignano, usually on a Saturday late in the month.
Can you arrange a private chef at a villa in Lecce?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury villa in Lecce cost?
Across our 100+ villas in Lecce, weekly rates typically range from £2,400 to £7,300, with the most affordable from around £1,700 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
Which airport is closest to Lecce?
Brindisi airport is the closest, around 40 minutes from Lecce by road. Bari is around two hours away. Our concierge can arrange car hire and private transfers.
Are there villas in Lecce for large groups?
Yes. Our Lecce collection includes properties with up to 12 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your villa in Lecce
100+ villas, palazzi and apartments across the Salento, booked direct with our concierge on hand