Agriturismo La Stornara

I’m not sure what’s happened here, because there are many good reviews, but our stay was very different. We booked through Airbnb expecting an agritourism experience on a citrus farm, with exclusive access to a nature reserve and access to horses. None of that matched what we found. The reserve was open to the public, with paid parking, and there was no process to identify us as guests. When we asked, the host said farm guests could enter the park even without camping there, with a winky face. The horses in the photos belonged to another farm, cost extra, and apparently had to be arranged separately. The listing also uses old photos and videos that appear repeatedly across different online sources. The property was in poor shape, covered in garbage and debris, and a far cry from what it might once have been. There was a dog in a cage on site that looked extremely neglected and malnourished, almost as if abandoned. The host confirmed nobody lived there, so no one was on site to care for it. We only saw the dog, rubbish, and disrepair after we’d been shown our room. The room itself was fine, but hot water lasted about five minutes, and there was nothing special about it. At check-in we initially liked the rustic feel, which seemed right for agritourism, but without the experience that was promised, it was just a very expensive, dated, and questionable place with an ongoing animal neglect case. It was one of the most expensive places we stayed. We left after one night, deeply uncomfortable about the poor sweet dog, and reported it to Airbnb. We also found the property listed for private sale online, which makes you wonder why. After looking closely at reviews across several sites, something about the whole operation seemed suspicious. I feel something has gone wrong here, and either the five-star reviews are fake or the quality and standards have suddenly fallen dramatically. We’d seen reviews saying people’s dogs loved it, but found it strange they didn’t mention the host’s dog or whether the dogs played together. The owner has responded, but the photos I shared speak for themselves. We sent passport photos, then deleted them once we became concerned that we didn’t know the identity of the person we had sent them to. He isn’t shown in his Airbnb photos. There was also an error in the number of guests: we had first booked larger accommodation, and the owner asked if we could switch to a smaller room. When we rebooked, the guest count was clearly wrong, but the host accepted the booking and never raised it until I brought up my concerns. Then he used it to defend himself and distract from the actual issues. He still hasn’t addressed the garbage in the photos. We confirmed by text that nobody lived on site when we asked about the dog’s care. I assure you, the dog wasn’t well cared for. The host’s timeline is wrong and contradicted by the photos and evidence I have.

Roberto messaged us through WhatsApp, and his father Francesco was there in person. Both were very friendly and helpful with ideas for activities and good restaurants, and they welcomed us warmly with a full fridge: milk, fruit, jam, butter, ham, cheese, and fresh eggs from the farm’s chickens. The farm is beautiful, with cozy apartments, and it would suit families as well as a young couple like us. The beach is about 10 minutes away by car. Roberto recommended a lovely, untouristy beach, and in mid to late September we had it to ourselves. We’d love to come back someday!

We had an amazing breakfast waiting in the fridge, and the room was really spacious with a handy kitchen. The masseria was lovely too, with a gorgeous garden. It was a perfect start to our Puglia holiday, with Marine Di Ginosa or Castellanata Marina only about 10 minutes away for the sea, and Matera close enough for a historical outing. We didn’t meet Roberto because our schedules didn’t line up, but he was easy to reach and his advice was really helpful. I recommend this place.

We had a lovely, quiet holiday here with my family. Roberto was always available, and his tips about restaurants and places to visit were interesting.