A Mini Slow Living Retreat in Vieste, Puglia

I’ve been invited to this little corner of paradise, Cala Molinella, not far from Vieste, Puglia, from June 12-15, 2025 to make bread and I’d suggest you come too. This is my third time back here in this wonderful place.

The Gargano is a wonderful little Pugliese jewel, an off the beaten path part of the heel of the Italian boot, partly because of its isolation, which is thanks to the vast and ancient Foresta Umbra that you have to cross to reach the pretty, white-washed town of Vieste. The beaches of fine sand have crystal clear water, not too many people and dotted along the coastlien you can find the wooden trabucchi (an old and intricate fishing system that was used for hundreds of years until around the 1980s). It feels almost like an island in the way that its accessibility is limited to cars willing to drive over the small, hilly roads that hug the coastline or cut through the forest directly. Here, less than 10 minutes from Vieste, you can find Cala Molinella.

Once you’re in the Gargano Peninsula you are rewarded with stunning beaches, beautifully conserved traditions and a real, slow life of dolce far niente.

This is a very different workshop from my usual ones because I am just there to bake bread for the Sant’Antonio festival, then the rest of the time, like you, I’ll just be enjoying the simple, traditional Pugliese life!

If you are in need of a reset, a few days away from the world, nestled in simplicity, where you can have time to rest, to immerse yourself in some gentle activities — strolling through the white-washed laneways of Vieste, listening to Pugliese folk songs in the evening in the olive grove around the pool, getting your hands sticky with dough as we make bread for the Sant’Antonio festival in Vieste (fireworks, music, markets, processions), and foraging herbs and mulberries, perhaps a bit of star gazing, then this is for you.

Slow Living Puglia Retreat
12-15 June, 2025

The itinerary:

Day 1: 3pm Arrival at Cala Molinella and check in. Once you’re settled in your rooms and had some time to enjoy the grounds, at 5pm I’ll be hosting a cooking class where we will bake focaccia and bread rolls together. That evening, there’s a welcome aperitivo in Pugliese style around the olive trees.

Day 2: This day, June 13, is the Festa di Sant’Antonio, a special holiday in Vieste. The whole town celebrates for days! On this particular day we will visit Vieste in the morning for a walking tour of the old town, we will see the Sant’Antonio procession and have an exclusive look at the blessing of the bread for the festival, before relaxing with a panoramic aperitivo in the old town. You’ll have plenty of time then to relax by the beach or the pool and around 6pm we will meet up again for some foraging. At 8pm, there is a traditional Pugliese dinner among the olive trees with local folk music.

Day 3: After a Slow Breakfast, pool side or under the olive trees, we will visit Cala Molinella’s centuries old olive grove and have an olive oil tasting. You have then free time for “Dolce Far Niente” by the pool or the beach. At 8:30pm, we’ll have an outdoor movie screening of Eat Pray Love.

Day 4: After breakfast and check out at 9am, we will head to an organic Masseria (farmhouse) in the Gargano National Park for lunch before saying our goodbyes.

Why Sant’Antonio:

Sant’Antonio (Saint Anthony) di Padova is celebrated around Italy in various places on June 13th, but the one in Vieste is special. The bakeries close that day because they’ve been up all night baking bread to be blessed for this day and there’s a cavernous garage next to the church of San Francesco (home to the precious statue of Sant’Anotonio) that is filled with the town’s bread supply. It’s a round bread loaf, seemingly ordinary, but rather than keep it to yourself, this bread loaf is shared by tearing off small pieces and giving them to your friends, family and neighbours. It’s an act of conviviality and sharing what you’ve got and although I am not religious, this is something that I can really appreciate.

The place:

Cala Molinella is a sustainable, friendly, family-run resort full of heart near the pretty, protected bay of the same name. With a beautiful central “piazza” filled with olive trees, fruit trees, a stunning pool, a bar and a repurposed boat as a children’s playground, it is a family friendly atmosphere with many lovely outdoor spaces to relax in. They have their own vegetable patch, chickens and even donkeys. Rather than rooms, the resort offers cottages that are very simple but absolutely clean and comfortable (there is air conditioning!) with a kitchenette included. There’s a little fruit and vegetable truck that comes around in the mornings with the most incredible array of fresh Pugliese produce to entice you or you can order traditional Pugliese meals from their small kitchen to takeaway to enjoy under the olive trees or in your rooms.

To me, it is a little slice of paradise exactly for this refreshing simplicity, which I personally feel is nostalgic! It is just the place to switch off and relax in.

The nearby beach is easy to get to on foot (350 meters away) or with a quick ride on the Cala Molinella golf buggy. There, you can relax by the calm, shallow waters with a view of Vieste and one of the few remaining Trabucchi — old fishing vessels that cling to the cliffs — this one was carefully restored by the family of Cala Molinella and you can still visit it, with a demonstration of how they once worked and aperitivo. There is a beach bar for snacks and light lunches and even showers. Your lounge chair and umbrella comes with the package. On the beach, you’ll find Italians doing their best job at dolce far niente, playing cards or bocce (petanque) until sunset, it’s a very relaxed vibe, and this time of the year is still surprisingly quiet.

If this sounds *too* slow for you, then you can also use the free time perhaps to visit the Foresta Umbra or rent a bike and ride around the coastline. Maybe go for a wine tasting at the nearby natural wine cantina Vini Elda, or perhaps hire a boat to take you around the coast. Antonella at Cala Molinella can arrange all of these for you. If you have a car, you may like to visit the nearby town of Peschici and the Trabucco da Mimi for an unforgettable meal.

Cost: 550 euro per person

Price includes:

• 3 nights stay (one is complimentary)
• Private parking
• Sunbeds and umbrella at the private beach club
• Activities mentioned above
• 1 breakfast, 1 lunch and 1 dinner
• There are options for a studio cottage (1-2 guests), one bedroom cottages (2-3 guests) or two bedroom cottages (2-5 guests).

To book, email Antonella at info@calamolinella.it

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