We dreamed of visiting Puglia, the region that had been so highly recommended to us. It’s a much less-visited region than its neighbors, such as Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, the Naples and Venice areas… Obviously, we were very attracted by this end-of-the-world aspect!
Wewere not disappointed, we are looking forward to going back. In order to help you, as always, to organize your trip in the best and quickest way possible, we reveal you our must-see places in Puglia, on our personalized map. As well as our tips,tricks and best accommodations to fully enjoy your stay.
The program includes charming little Baroque villages, traditional dwellings unique in the world (Trulli and Sassi), sublime beaches with crystal-clear waters and incredible gastronomy– our palates still remember it!
In short, PARADISE. As you know, we love Italy, and Puglia is right up there in our top 3. Below, we detail our 5 must-do things to do in Puglia (and it wasn’t an easy selection!), as well as our itinerary from one week to 10 days.
What to do in Puglia Our 5 must-haves
1. Visit the trulli of Alberobello
To reach the famous village ofAlberobello, you will cross the Itria valley, with its fields of olive trees dotted with trulli. These small, primitive stone dwellings with conical roofs.
We loved our exploration by car in the Itria countryside, around the main towns, we were able to see these unique dwellings in a beautiful countryside.
The town of Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is very popular with tourists during the day. The alleyways are narrow, and with the crowds, it loses some of its charm.
We recommend exploring the area by car or on foot and then exploring the city in the early morning or late evening to enjoy the beauty of the place calmly.
Second advice, don’t miss the viewpoints, it is especially the whole that gives this incredible charm and these postcard landscapes.
We stayed at the Masseria San Francesco, a sublime place. It’s a beautifully renovated old farmhouse set amidst olive groves, with a large swimming pool dug directly into the stone – a guaranteed change of scenery!
2. Beaches and coastal towns: Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Otranto
We were pleasantly surprised, as the Puglia region, geographically isolated from the rest of Italy, is still very wild. You’ll find magnificent white sand beaches with turquoise waters lost in the pine forest.
In northern Puglia, don’t miss the two pretty coastal towns of Polignano a Mare, a magnificent village perched on the sea, and Monopoli, with its pretty white houses and adorable little port. Good news, these two towns are located only 30 minutes from Bari.
In the south of Puglia, don’t miss the fortified city ofOtranto, the medieval town has kept all its charm and enter its imposing cathedral famous for its mosaic floor.
– In Monopoli : Palazzo Indelli is in the heart of the old town, on a pretty square with restaurants nearby. You can visit the entire city on foot. We slept very well, the bedding is comfortable and the rooms are impeccably clean. In short, a beautiful establishment!
– In Polignano a Mare : we spotted the Hotel D’aprile Dimore during our exploration of the town, which is superbly located with a lovely big rooftop terrace, and the photos and reviews clearly make you want to book here if you want to sleep in Polignano.
3. Explore the incredible city of Matera
Matera is an extraordinary city , unique in the world, and a must see. The configuration and history are very different from other cities we have already visited.
It is also one of the oldest cities in the world, imagine that people lived 7000 years in these caves, and that they stayed there until 1952.
The incredible town of Matera is often forgotten, because it’s not located in the Apulia region, but is the capital of the province of Basilicata. And yet, only an hour fromBari, we guarantee you won’t regret your visit.
If you only have a few days in Puglia, our advice is to choose the incredible city of Matera over the lesser-known city of Bari.
Without hesitation we recommend Il belvedere Matera, the value for money is unbeatable in the city, located in the heart of the sasso Caveoso, you can do everything on foot.
We fell in love with this hotel. It is ideally located. The bedroom is completely atypical, as it’s dug into the rock- a real troglodyte dwelling. And the big plus is the impressive view from the terrace where breakfast is served. In short, we had an excellent stay.
4. Lecce: the “baroque Florence”.
Lecce is another unmissable place when exploring Puglia. Located in the south of the Puglia region, its elaborate architecture has earned it the nickname “Florence Baroque“, which is no mean feat! You will immediately fall in love with this beautiful city full of history.
Beautiful beaches and rock formations are located near the city, another reason to go there!
Vittoria Luxury House is a beautiful hotel so well renovated, with a big favorite for the huge bathroom. The welcome was top-notch and we got lots of great tips for visiting Lecce.
5. Test the local food
In our opinion, Italy is second only to France in terms of gastronomic quality;) In the restaurants, in the agriturismos and on the steps, you’ll enjoy a feast your taste buds will long remember. The primi, the pasta dish with sauce, is more than enough to satisfy our stomachs. The secondi, is usually a meat dish to accompany the primi. Below we detail the specialties of Puglia.
Burrata
It’s a delicious cheese from Puglia, made from spun mozzarella filled with fresh cream(stracciatella). You can also find it on pizzas, a real delight!
Stracciatella
It is the creamy part of the famous burrata, it is inevitably a delight.
Wine
This region has a handful of wines recognized as the white Locorotondo, undoubtedly among the best regional wines. We did a tasting of very good organic wines at the Tenuta Santoro, next to the town of Martina Franca.
Spritz
The Italian drink par excellence, as we are sympathetic with our readers here is the very simple recipe:
- 3 doses of sparkling white wine like prosecco (6cl)
- 2 doses of Aperol or Campari (4cl)
- 1 shot of sparkling water (2cl)
Then mix it all together directly in your glass and add ice cubes to serve chilled!
6. Agriturismo and Masseria, to stay in an authentic setting
The agriturismo and masseria are the equivalent of our bed and breakfast, it is an alternative to hotels, less expensive. It is usually a farmhouse where some rooms or the whole building are reserved for travelers.
The addresses are generally nestled in the middle of nature and have all the modern comforts, very often a beautiful swimming pool. A must to rest and regain strength between two visits!
The best accommodations of our stay
Are you looking for a place to stay during your stay in Puglia ? To help you, we give you all our advice in this article on Where to stay in Puglia in Italy, and share our best hotel addresses and unusual accommodations.
Remember to book your hotels as early as possible, as Puglia is very popular in high season and accommodation quickly fills up.
1. Our favorite: Palazzo Indelli in Monopoli, a charming hotel right in the historic center.
2. Small price: Il Pumo – Apulian Rooms Bari Piazza Moro, Bari, ideally located 10 minutes’ walk from the old town.
3. Unique experience: Il belvedere Matera, in Matera, to sleep in the heart of a traditional dwelling.
4. With pool: Masseria San Francesco, in Alberobello, for an overnight stay in a peaceful, green setting.
Our itineraries to visit Puglia, from one week to 10 days
To explore this incredible region, we recommend renting a car to get to every nook and cranny. We suggest two itineraries, ideally completed by car.
Our recommended one-week itinerary
- Day 1 – Bari -> day dedicated to the visit of Matera – accommodation at Il belvedere Matera
- Day 2 – Matera -> day dedicated to the visit of the city ofAlberobello – accommodation at Masseria San Francesco between Alberobello and Monopoli
- Day 3 and 4 – Alberobello –> D3Poligano a mare and D4 Monopoli + beaches – accommodation at Palazzo Indelli in Monopoli
- Day 5 and 6 – Monopoli –> D5 Lecce and D6 rock formations + beaches – stay at Victoria Luxury House in Lecce
- Day 7 – Lecce -> Bari
Our recommended 10-day Puglia itinerary
- Day 1 – Bari -> day dedicated to the visit of Matera – accommodation at Il belvedere Matera
- Day 2 – Matera -> day dedicated to the visit of the city ofAlberobello – accommodation at Masseria San Francesco
- Days 3 and 4 – Alberobello –>J3 Poligano a mare and J4 Monopoli + beaches – accommodation at Palazzo Indelli in Monopoli
- Days 5, 6 and 7 – Monopoli –> D5 Ostuni – D6 Lecce and D7 rock formations + beaches – stay at Victoria Luxury House in Lecce
- Day 8 – Lecce –> day dedicated to the visit of Otranto – stay at Hotel Bellavista – Boutique Hotel Otranto
- Day 9 – Otranto –> day dedicated to the visit of Gallipoli – accommodation in Gallipoli – accommodation at Palazzo Presta in Gallipoli
- Day 10 – Gallipoli – Bari (2h30 drive)
When to go (the best weather) and what period to avoid
In this part of Italy, daytime temperatures are mild and pleasant all year round (minimum 7 degrees in January). So you can visit Puglia all year round. Nevertheless, we do not recommend the month of August, as the population of most of the coastal cities is multiplied by 10.
If you want to enjoy the beaches, we advise you to go there in June or September, the temperatures oscillate between 19 and 27 degrees. The months of May and October are also good options, the temperatures are still mild, minimum 15 degrees and maximum 25 degrees.
Activities to visit Puglia
To visit the various points of interest in the incredible Puglia region(boat tours, bike tours, Segway tours, ice cream tasting…) you can book your tour in advance via the internet. We advise you to take a look at the getyourguide website which offers various activities at unbeatable prices. It can also give you plenty of ideas for original activities to organize your stay.
We have selected 3 activities, the most interesting in our opinion, below. Don’t forget to read the description carefully to know what is really included in order to fully enjoy your excursion.
Practical information (flight and travel)
How to get to Puglia?
From Paris, a non-stop flight takes around 2h30 to Bari, the region’s capital.
From France, you can find flights from €40.
We recommend the Skyscanner website, which we usually use, to compare prices of different airlines and find your flight at the best price.
How to get around?
The best option for getting around Puglia is to rent a car. You will be free to move around and you can stop to take photo breaks whenever you want. We have, as always, done our research on RentalCars in order to find a car at the best price.
We advise you to be careful because the Italians have a sporty driving style. Second point of attention, in all the cities of Puglia, there is a ZTL in the historical center and on the coast.
This limited traffic zone is reserved for local residents, if you enter it without authorization you will be fined. Overall in this region we recommend parking outside of the historic centers to avoid being in a ZTL and to avoid having to maneuver in the tight little streets.
Car rental: To compare car rental prices, we recommend the RentalCars website, which compares the prices of hundreds of car rental companies to find the best price. To give you an idea of prices, we found a car for €60 a day at Bari airport.
We wish you an excellent trip! Don’t hesitate to leave us a little note or 5 stars below, if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, here or on Instagram, we’ll answer you with great pleasure.
