Puglia has become my favorite region in Italy. After conducting extensive research about experiencing Italy in its most authentic form, I knew Puglia was for me. Being known for its limited visitors, the birthplace of burrata, and lack of English being spoken, I got excited, took an Italian language course, and started counting down the days to my trip! I come back each summer because it has become my second home.
Puglia is unlike any other part of Italy right now. I feel as though it may be on the verge of being discovered, so go now before the rest of the world descends. Step one- RENT A CAR! Because Puglia isn’t as frequently traveled by visitors, it doesn’t have the extensive rail systems that the rest of the country has. You can definitely take the train to get between the major cities, but Puglia is all about getting out there and exploring, pulling over on the side of the road when you see an amazing beach or breathtaking cliffs. For more information about Italian car rentals, go to my Italian Driving Tips page.
OSTUNI
The first time we went to Puglia, Ostuni was our home base for exploring Puglia because it’s pretty central to what we wanted to see. The worst thing you can do to yourself on vacation is to move around from hotel to hotel and spend too much of your time packing and repacking each night. Ostuni allowed us to visit a myriad of locations that we really wanted to see in reasonable day trip times. Day trips we took from Ostuni included Matera, Alberobello, Locorotondo, and Polignano a Mare. We intended to go south to visit Lecce, Otranto, and Brindisi, but the weather was not cooperating. Ostuni basically allows you to see the entire Adriatic coast of Puglia.
Like many cities in Italy, Ostuni has a new town and an old town. You definitely want to stay in old town! My recommendation to rent an Airbnb. Most of the hotels in Ostuni are in the newer part of the city, which is not why you’re going to Ostuni. Speaking of the newer part of the city… don’t get scared off as you drive through new town. If you keep following your GPS you will eventually get to the beauty of Ostuni.
Old town is made of limestone, giving it its nickname, The White City. Wander through the winding, white marble streets to find shops, food, and culture. I loved getting lost in Ostuni and simply exploring. They have a unique nightlife that involves yummy drinks and a propensity for bean bag chairs- an odd, and potentially dangerous combo for the klutzy of the world, but fun all the same.
OSTUNI TIPS and INFO
- Our Favorite Bean Bag Bar: Gipas 111: Largo spennati, 4, 72017 Ostuni
- Delicious Breakfast place: Coffee & More: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 1, 72017 Ostuni
- Best Dinner: Osteria del Tempo Perso Make reservations ahead of time. They are packed from open to close.
- Parking: Make sure to use the pay meters! Seriously! They’re so diligent about parking that the phone number of the towing agency is on the parking meter. Take a picture of your license plate when you get out of your car because you’re going to need to enter it into the meter. If you get frustrated finding parking in Ostuni, go to the coordinates on this map and you will find spots with only a few minutes of a walk through the park and into Old Town. https://goo.gl/maps/JpgkwH3TkxBhqXT77
CISTERNINO
Cisternino is my Italian home. I often find myself feeling homesick for this quaint town. I miss wandering around the intricate alleyways, getting my morning cornetti at the local pasticceria, shopping at the markets, and spending time with our friends who feel more like family. Because Cisternino holds such a special place in my heart, it deserves its own posting. Please click on the link above to learn more about Cisternino.
ALBEROBELLO
Trulli. When you say it, most people don’t know what you’re talking about. Trulli, singular trullo, are the adorable homes that are white and round with a grey pointed roof. Well, Alberobello is an entire town of trulli and they’re awesome! Although you will find various trulli all over Puglia, these unique homes make for quite the view when you see them all together. No other location has the amount of trulli all in one place.
We chose to explore the trulli with segway tours. Now, I’m not a big tour person. In fact, I adamantly urge people not to do tours and to explore for themselves. Yet, this seemed like a unique place and I thought it deserved to be seen in a unique way.
I’m so glad we did! Like many places in Italy, it’s not flat and the motorized tour allowed us to cruise along, while other travelers looked on in envy. It also introduced us to the part of Alberobello that most people don’t go to. The average visitor will just go to the main area where the shops and restaurants are, but trust me when I tell you to go to the other half of the town first! This is where the authentic Alberobello is, including the few remaining families that continue to live their lives there.
ALBEROBELLO TIPS and INFO
- Allways Puglia: Allways Puglia Tours
- DO THIS TOUR! Francesco is amazing!
- Non-Commercial Area: There is a main road dividing the shops and restaurants from the original area that is only residences. It’s very easy to see which is which.
- Olive Oil/Balsamic: Gift Idea Puglia- Via M. Sabotino, 10/14. Best olive oil and balsamic I’ve ever tasted. We shipped a bunch of bottles home. They do free tastings in the store.
LOCOROTONDO
This is the prettiest and cleanest city I’ve seen in Italy! If Ostuni is the “White City”, then Locorotondo is that Crest White Strip version of that. Every morning, after first cleaning their own homes, all the nonnas go out and clean the street in front of where they live. You could eat off the streets of Locorotondo. That, combined with some well-placed window embellishments, makes strolling around Locorotondo a thing of beauty. Don’t come here looking for something “to do”. It’s not like that. Just go and enjoy.
LOCOROTONDO TIPS and INFO
- Winery: Beautiful winery just outside the main town. This wine was so yummy we brought some back to the US. http://www.ipastini.it/
- Parking: It’s not a very big place. Find parking as you enter the outskirts and walk. The prettiest parts can’t be reached by car.
- Dinner: Pizzeria Casa Pinto- Via Aprila, 23. Delicious pizza and great service. Make a reservation ahead of time, as they’re always busy.
POLIGNANO A MARE
Everyone told me, if you’re going to Puglia, you have to go to Polignano a Mare. So, off we went! As we were driving into town I couldn’t help but thinking WTF was everyone talking about. But, as you might be able to guess at this point, we just hadn’t made it to the old town yet. Enter old town: It’s gorgeous! The cliffs are incredible, the water looks like the Caribbean, and the theme of limestone alleyways continues. Here you can access the Insta-famous Grotta Palazzese restaurant, also known as the Cave Restaurant. As always, park in the new town and pay your meter because cars can’t get to the best spots!
Unlike a lot of places in Puglia, don’t just stay in old town, walk to the water. If you head back towards new town from old town, walk towards the bridge. There are stairs that lead down to this amazing inlet.
From here you can walk over the rocks and take a dip in the Adriatic. You can also access the tops of the cliffs if you walk down a set of stairs that are behind that statue dedicated to Domenico Modugno, who’s famous for singing Volare. Here, the ocean puts on a show as it crashes into the coastline.
POLIGNANO A MARE TIPS and INFO
- Boat Rental: Rent Me Charter- Cala Ponte Marina, Via S. Vito.
- We decided we wanted to experience Polignano by boat this time so that we can see the beautiful coastline. We found Gianni at Rent Me Charter. He was very personable and accommodating. You can go down to the Cala Ponte Marina and ask about a charter in person or you can go onto their website: Noleggiobarchemonopoli.it
- Restaurant: Grotta Ardito- Largo Grotta Ardito, 11.
- This restaurant was recommended to us by our boat captain when we asked him where to go for food. Set right on the coast of Polignano a Mare, this place is not only beautiful on the inside, it also has incredible views. In addition to the views, it also has delicious food and a great wine list. I highly recommend making a point to visit this restaurant if you’re in town.
- Cave Restaurant: Grotta Palazzese- Via Narciso, 59. This is the place you’ve seen on Instagram with incredible pics. The food and service were good, but just know going in that it’s going to be one of the most expensive meals of your life. It’s my opinion that the food and service don’t justify the prices. What you’re really paying for is the experience. It should also be noted that you can get pics of the gorgeous restaurant from a 25 euro/person boat ride.
MONOPOLI
Located on the Adriatic, Monolopi is a beautiful coastal town filled with cute shops and good food. It has an adorable port area with a castle and many different piazzas. Monopoli is where I found my “Italy” dress and my long-searched-for spoon holder. You can see Italians plopping their towels onto errant rocks and spending the day while others enjoy food in a square and still others shop.
So dress for a day of strolling through alleys, but throw on your bathing suit and bring a towel, because the gorgeous waters will call to you.
MONOPOLI TIPS AND INFO
- Parking: Like most places, you can’t park in old town. There is a lot of paid street parking in new town. We had good luck finding parking on Via S. Vincenzo.
- Gelato: Il Capriccio- Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 37. This cute little gelato place had yummy gelato, good service, and the tastiest mango gelato in Puglia.
- Ceramics: GiuinLab Ceramiche, Architettura e Design- Via Cavaliere, 32. We came across this beautifully crafted ceramics store and had to take a peek. I’m so glad we did! The owner/artist was there, creating in his workshop, and he stopped to come over and explain his vision. It was really neat to hear the mindset of the artist. Check out his website to see some of his creations: giuinlab.com
GALLIPOLI
Gallipoli is my new Sorrento. I love it so much! It won me over in a way that makes me feel like I’m cheating on Sorrento. It’s on the western coast of Puglia and on the Ionian Sea and it’s amazing! It’s a walled city connected to the mainland by a bridge. It’s what I picture when I think of a quintessential Italian town. From only hearing Italian spoken, to taking their daily 12-3 “La Pausa” very seriously, Gallipoli does it right. You’ll find yourself strolling through the never-ending maze of alleyways, listening to the bells of the 17 churches each project their own unique sound. These breathtaking streets are small enough to only be pedestrian, but never underestimate the Italians ability to fit a car where they don’t belong.
GALLIPOLI TIPS and INFO
DAY TRIPS: Some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy are found in Puglia and they’re primarily found within driving distance from Gallipoli. We personally visited Pescoluse (Maldives di Salento), Porto Cesareo, and Punto Prosciutto. Each one of them was unbelievably beautiful. We were told that there’s many more breathtaking beaches along the coast that we simply didn’t have time to get to. If you’re planning on visiting Gallipoli, allow for a few days for beach hopping during the day and exploring the nightlife and food in the evening.
We learned on this trip that these beaches are so beautiful that it’s where the Italian’s come for their vacations. I can tell you that after these day trips to the magnificent beaches, we traveled to a different part of Italy on the coast near Rome and it wasn’t comparable. The taxi driver on the way from the airport in Rome asked us where we came from and when we said Gallipoli, he responded by asking us why we’d leave those pristine beaches for the ones we went to. At the time we didn’t know the extent of truth in his words. Now that we do, we can’t wait to go back!
FOOD: You better be a seafood person if you want to visit Gallipoli!
- Best Lunch: Bar Picciuli Dal 1850 di Antonio Dalle Sasse- Via Antonietta de Pace, 104, 73014 Gallipoli
- This place was our go-to spot! It is one of the few places open during la pausa. The people and the food were so great, we found ourselves going back every day. It’s also a great place to grab a drink at night.
- Great Seafood Place: L’Angolo Blu- Via C. Muzio, 45, 73014 Gallipoli
- Great Sunset Dinner: Trattoria Portolano- Via C. Colombo Riviera, 69/71, 73014 Gallipoli (You’ll see bad reviews because of the old owners, the new owners gave us a wonderful experience.)
- Great Aperitivo: Blanc- Via XXIV Maggio, 19, 73014 Gallipoli. This is set in an open-air courtyard of a former historic center. It has a very cool vibe.
PARKING: There’s no place to park, so look for the signs for the port as soon as you cross over the bridge. All parking is at the port and if you miss the entrance, you have to go all the way around the outside of the city, back over the bridge, and start over again. We actually watched a Youtube video to figure out where to go.
OTRANTO
Otranto is an excellent location for exploring the gorgeous coastline of southern Puglia. From this location, you will find yourself a short drive from awesome cliff diving, stunning swimming alcoves, and incredible boat rides.
HOUSING
Masseria Muntibianci AgriResort: This was our first experience at an AgriResort and it was amazing! Our stay at Masseria Muntibianci was incredible. The staff is absolutely amazing. They go out of their way to make sure your every need is met. Alessandra and Eleanora made sure we have reservations for dinners and excursions and the waitstaff at all three meals were so attentive and kind. We looked forward to seeing Gino at dinner each night and even if we went off the resort for dinner, he’d greet us when we returned. The pool setup is so serene and relaxing. I spent many hours reading and relaxing in the poolside cabanas. I highly recommend staying at this luxury Agriturismo.
DAY TRIPS
Since the day trips don’t have clear-cut addresses, I’ve hyperlinked directly to Google Maps.
- Torre Sant’Andrea: The coastline at Sant’Andrea will take your breath away. It is absolutely stunning. This is a popular location for cliff jumping. Once in the water, you can swim to the different outcrops and explore tide pools.
- Cala di Grotta Monaca: A short drive outside of Otranto is Cala di Grotta Monaca, an amazing inlet that we spent the day floating in. Buy a couple of cheap floats at one of the many beach stops in Otranto, grab some paninis for lunch, and head out for the day. Make sure to follow the google map directions until you get to the end of the road. There is a parking lot there that is a short walk. Don’t park in the road. It only saves about a two minute walk and we saw people getting parking tickets.
- Santa Maria di Leuca: At the very tip of the heel is Santa Maria di Leuca. Here is a cute little town with lidos instead of beaches. If you like lounging in cabanas all day, this is the place for you. We chose Blanc Luxury Beach Club, which is not what I would consider a luxury beach club, but it had comfy loungers and we were able to get drinks and lunch.
FOOD
- Masseria Muntibianci’s Restaurant (Terra degli Ulivi): SP277, 73028 Otranto: This restaurant is fantastic. The service is stellar and the food is delicious. Because of how good it is, reservations are highly recommended.
- Manna dei Re: Piazza Umberto I, 3, 73027 Minervino di Lecce: We went to this restaurant multiple times because the food is so delicious. It’s small with very attentive waitstaff. It’s set in the main piazza of a tiny town. You’ll want to park outside of the square, in street parking.
LECCE
Ever since I discovered the region of Puglia, Lecce has been on my list. I wasn’t able to make it there last summer, due to weather, so it was a high priority for me to make it there this time around. Unfortunately, I have to say I was disappointed. It was touristy to a fault. I took the McDonald’s 100 feet from the 2nd-century amphitheater as a personal affront. Adding insult to injury was the giant tourist information center that’s basically attached to the edge of these ruins.
I wish I’d known about Lecce a long time ago so that I could have seen it before it became so commercialized. If you plan on going you should look into getting a guided tour, so that you can at least learned the history while you trudge down the streets with the masses.
ADDITIONAL PUGLIA INFO
We also visited other places in Puglia that I wrote about on different pages or in a blog post. Please go to these other parts of my website to learn about them.
- Matera: Has it’s only page because it’s such a unique place. https://elisaexploresitaly.com/matera/
- Puglia’s Southeastern Coast: Learn more about the Cave of Poetry, The Lake of Bauxite, and the Grotta del Pepe. Southeastern Coast Blog Post.