Puglia

Puglia is a fantastic region to explore by car, driving past the olive groves and hidden beach clubs before stopping for a bit to eat in a seaside restaurant. Here are our top places to visit while in Puglia:

Bari

This busy port town is steeped in history and full of culture. Gaze out at the sea and watch the fishermen bring in their catch, walk through the old town past artisan workshops and nonnas making orecchiette pasta, and enjoy lunch in an unfussy trattoria.

Locorotondo

This is one of Puglia’s prettiest towns, with whitewashed buildings clustered around little piazzas and streets that give way to panoramic views over the Valle d’Itria.

Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare is a lively seaside town built into the cliffside with superb sea views, some of the best gelaterias in Puglia and tucked-away coves that are perfect for sunbathing.

Castellana Caves

Take a guided tour through these impressive limestone caves. The journey spans three kilometres through extraordinary sights of stalactite and stalacmite formations.

Lecce

Known as the ‘Florence of the South’, Lecce is filled with stunning baroque architecture and over 2,000 years of history to explore.

Alberobello

A UNESCO-protected site, Alberobello’s unique landscape of trulli houses makes it a popular tourist attraction. This pretty town is a pleasure to wander around, ducking in and out of the conical-roofed buildings that have been turned into bars, cafés and shops.

Puglia has some of the freshest cuisine in Italy. This is a farmer’s region meaning food is taken straight from the field to your table and locally-sourced produce is the star of the show. The region produces most of Italy’s olive oil and you’ll see olive trees wherever you look, some more than 1,000 years old! You can visit some of these farms and see the traditional ways of making olive oil. Another must-do is spending time in Bari where ladies will sit on the street making orecchiette, or ‘little ears’, Puglia’s pasta.

Pasta is very popular here, often accompanied with fresh, in season vegetables. Seafood is also readily available and you’ll find plenty of restaurants along the coastline that range from little family-run places to upmarket, fine dining restaurants. Both are equally good.

If you enjoy full-bodied reds then you’ll be in your element in Puglia. Our favourite is Primitivo but Negroamaro deserves a mention too – it can be traced back to the 6th century! Puglia’s wines have come a long way. Once they were only available in Puglia itself but you’ll now find them taking pride of place in many wine lists across the UK. Nothing beats trying them in their home though and one of the best places to do this is Enoteca Thalos in Alberobello. Step inside the trullo and enjoy a tasting of three of four wines, paired with delicious local food. Gino is a master in his field and will explain the wines as he pours.