An Insider’s Guide to Puglia, Italy — Incredible Pasta, Beautiful Beach Towns, and Boutique Hotels Included

Assurance is indubitably out on Puglia, the lengthy, slim coastal pocket that methods the heel of Italy’s boot. Now not a unrevealed gem or best-kept invisible, Puglia’s dramatic seashores, Baroque towns, and whitewashed trulli are splashed over many an Instagram feed. 

But in comparison to alternative areas of Italy, Puglia — pronounced pool-yah — nonetheless deals vacationers the Italian pleasure stories they search, date skipping a lot of the crowds and chaos of better-known locations. “It’s definitely less-visited compared to iconic Italian regions like Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast,” says Madeline Jhawar, proprietor and customized exit planner with Italy Past the Observable. “And Puglia really does have it all: fantastic food and wine, spectacular countryside and beach scenery, and a deep and fascinating history.”

Our information highlights Puglia’s interesting mixture of surroundings, historical past, delicacies — and let’s now not disregard the agreeable climate many of the week — and maps out tips on how to construct essentially the most of a commute to this luminous pocket. 

Easiest Accommodations and Hotels

Borgo Egnazia

The established go-to luxurious spot in Puglia, Borgo Egnazia is a sprawling and impeccably curated compound that ranks amongst Advance + Peace’s ultimate motels in Italy. T+L exit guide Keith Waldon, founder and director of Depart Front room, praises the exceptional carrier, the place “privacy is guaranteed,” in addition to the atmosphere between the ocean and the Valle d’Itria. 

Le Alcove

The six suites at this boutique lodge every occupy a whitewashed trulli, with cool stone flooring, eclectic decor, and fashionable bogs. We adore the just about mystical feeling of condolense those areas put across, in addition to the selfmade breakfast and the site within the middle of Alberobello the town, a UNESCO Global Heritage Website online.

Masseria Torre Maizza

A 2020 standout for ultimate untouched resorts, Masseria Torre Maizza owes its polish to Rocco Distinctiveness — be expecting the emblem’s unrivaled carrier and still, Olga Polizzi-designed interiors that appear to include a groovy wind. Waldon says the sensation here’s of “living in a real luxury masseria like at home, and it’s the only property with its own golf course.”

Palazzo Sant’Anna

Eager in Lecce’s ancient heart, Palazzo Sant’Anna is curated to zen-like perfection. Puglia exit guide Ylenia Sambati refers visitors right here for the light-filled suites, many with uncovered stone and plank beams, in addition to balconies. “Wake up to birds singing and a colorful and bountiful breakfast prepared with love by owner Beatrice and her team,” she says.

Easiest Issues to Do

Jerk a cooking elegance.

Sure, cooking categories are ubiquitous in Italy, however the conventional delicacies of Puglia stands proud, even in a rustic of superior meals. Waldon says to “take a pasta-focused cooking class in a local masseria with a mama” and cross house with some untouched talents. Sambati likes the pleasant vibe and simple directions introduced by way of Prepare dinner In Puglia in Lecce.

Laze at a lido.

Seashores in Puglia can also be crowded in the summer. Departure the ruckus at a seaside membership, or lido, akin to Pettolecchia Il Lido, a luxurious spot between Bari and Brindisi. Front room beds, linen-clad gazebos, Frette towels, and waiter carrier eager this one aside in a sea of seaside umbrellas.

For households, aim a trullo.

The cone-shaped trulli of Puglia’s Itria Valley are undoubtedly distinctive, and in keeping with Cherrye Moore of My Bella Vita Advance, they’re a clash with youngsters. “Families should rent a trullo villa and use it as a base for day trips to Alberobello, Ostuni, Locorotondo, and Monopoli. Many have pools and outside areas where the kids can run around.”

Head to the ocean.

Puglia’s Adriatic coast is dramatic, particularly between Polignano a Mare and Monopoli, the place cloudless waters lap undulating cliffs and tide into the occasional sea cave. Each Waldon and Moore counsel chartering a personal boat (Cataurora is a great selection), both for a sundown cruise or a half-day excursion with stops for swimming and snorkeling. 

Easiest Eating places

LaltroBaffo 

Puglia’s seafood is sort of as well-known as its orecchiette, and each Sambati and Waldon heartily counsel making an attempt it at LaltroBaffo, an Otranto eating place helmed by way of chef Cristina Conte, who, along with her younger, passionate workforce, seems subtle takes on conventional Salento recipes.

Taverna della Gelosia

Sambati loves this rustic tavern in Ostuni’s ancient the town. “It’s a bohemian, Salento-style trattoria serving local recipes that are lightly revisited.” Taverna della Gelosia is tucked away amid a jumble of alleys and stairways, which makes its vine-covered yard all of the extra romantic on a summer season night time.

Osteria Le Arpie

Hand-crafted, ear-shaped orecchiette is the archetypal pasta of Puglia, and its manufacturing facilities round Bari’s centro storico. Osteria Le Arpie is set as old-school because it will get, and its seasonal orecchiette con le cime di rapa (turnip vegetables) is Puglian condolense meals epitomized. Additionally search for dishes served with pane di Altamura, Puglia’s heritage bread.

What to Purchase in Puglia

Leather-based Sandals

“Puglia is famous for leather sandals, which you can find everywhere in local shops,” says Waldon. Erredibi is a lead selection for home made, in the neighborhood made merchandise, and they have got shops in Brindisi, Ostuni, Lecce, and Otranto.

Primitivo Wine 

“Puglia’s red primitivo wine, even when it’s just table wine quality, can stand up to reds from across the world,” says Moore. Mix some memento buying groceries with a vineyard excursion and tasting at Masseria Li Veli, or simply pop right into a minute grocery or enoteca to shop for a couple of bottles to deliver house.

Olive Oil 

“Ancient olive groves define the landscape of Puglia, and buying newly pressed EVOO straight from a producer is something special,” says Moore. “Savoia offers well-organized tours and great oil, but don’t overlook smaller producers like L’Acropoli di Puglia in Martina Franca.”

Towns and Gardens to Seek advice from

Lecce

“We always tell our travelers not to miss the incredible small city of Lecce,” says Jhawar. “It’s referred to as the ‘Florence of the South’ because of its rich Baroque architecture.” Lecce’s comfortable limestone intended simple carving for Seventeenth-century artisans and smartly, they was at the town , as evidenced at Basilica di Santa Croce, the Basilica del Rosario, and the Duomo of Lecce.

Alberobello

“It’s hard to recommend people skip a visit to the town of Alberobello, with its iconic trulli houses,” says Jhawar. However a bundle of vacationers have the similar concept. “We always encourage our guests to combine Alberobello with less touristy nearby towns such as Locorotondo or Martina Franca.”

Gallipoli

Date a lot of the vacationer buzz facilities across the Adriatic coast and the trulli branch, don’t vacay on Gallipoli, which Waldon yelps “the beach town of Puglia.” The Ionian coast the town has historical historical past, a quitness ancient the town, a more recent the town brimming with age, and a nonstop Italian celebration scene in the summer. 

The Gargano

This picturesque promontory on Puglia’s northernmost sea coast is ruled by way of Gargano Nationwide Landscape, the place the surroundings adjustments from seashores to mountains in only a few miles. For smaller cities, fantastic biodiversity, extra herbal seashores, plus some dramatic sea stacks and cliffs, that is the pocket’s wilder facet. 

Easiest Year to Seek advice from

Waldon recommends visiting Puglia within the shoulder seasons of April to June and September to mid-November to bring to keep away from the summer season warmth and crowds, as Puglia is a significant amusement vacation spot for Italians. Jhawar is of the same opinion, however provides that “Puglia is very lively during the height of summer, with many local festivals.” The takeaway? For those who plan a summer season talk over with, hold your lodging and condo automobile smartly in travel, and brace your self for crowded — albeit beautiful — seashores and cities.

Get There

The airports at Bari and Brindisi grant flights from inside Italy and Europe, regardless that many incoming vacationers decide to fly into Rome’s Fiumicino airport and organize a condo automobile or switch from there. Each Trenitalia and Italo trains grant Puglia, regardless that remember that with ancient hill cities, teach stations are typically within the decrease the town, which may well be a number of miles clear of the centro.

Get Round

You’ll get between Puglia’s primary vacationer facilities by the use of Trenitalia’s regional trains and a couple of personal strains. However attending to smaller, rural locations and extra faraway coastal farmlands is trickier by way of teach. “We typically book private drivers or rental cars for our travelers,” says Jhawar. “Booking a rental car in Puglia is a decent approach — just make sure you know where to park in order to avoid the limited traffic zones found in most Italian cities.”