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.
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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.
Nous avons dormi à la masseria San Francesco, le lieu est juste sublime. C’est un vieux corps de ferme magnifiquement rénové au milieu des oliviers, avec une grande piscine creusée directement dans la pierre, dépaysement garanti !
2. Beaches and coastal towns: Monopoli, Polignano a Mar 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.
– À Monopoli: Palazzo Indelli est au cœur de la vieille ville, sur une jolie place avec des restaurants à proximité. Vous pourrez visiter entièrement la ville à pied. Nous avons très bien dormi, la literie est confortable et les chambres sont d’une propreté impeccable. Bref, un bel établissement !
– À Polignano a Mare: nous avons repéré l’hôtel D’aprile Dimore pendant notre exploration de la ville qui est hyper bien placé avec une belle grande terrasse sur le toit, les photos et les commentaires donnent clairement envie de réserver ici si vous souhaitez dormir à 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.
Sans hésitation nous vous conseillons, Il belvedere Matera, le rapport qualité prix est imbattable dans la ville, situé au cœur du sasso Caveoso, vous pouvez tout faire à pied.
Nous avons eu un énorme coup de cœur pour cet hôtel. Il est idéalement situé. La chambre est complètement atypique puisque creusée dans la roche, une vraie habitation troglodyte. Et le gros plus, la vue est impressionnante depuis la terrasse où est servi le petit-déjeuner. Bref, nous avons passé un excellent séjour.
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 est un magnifique hôtel tellement bien rénové, avec un gros coup de cœur pour l’immense salle de bain. L’accueil est top et nous avons eu plein de super conseils pour visiter 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
Remember to book your hotels as early as possible, as Puglia is very popular in high season and accommodation quickly fills up.
1. Notre coup de cœur : Palazzo Indelli à Monopoli, un hôtel charmant en plein centre historique.
2. Petit prix : Il Pumo – Apulian Rooms Bari Piazza Moro, à Bari, idéalement situé à 10 minutes à pied de la vieille ville.
3. Expérience unique : Il belvedere Matera, à Matera, pour dormir au cœur d’une habitation traditionnelle.
4. Avec piscine : Masseria San Francesco, à Alberobello pour une nuit en pleine nature au calme dans un environnement verdoyant.
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)
L’organisme Evaneos propose des circuits organisés 100% personnalisables.
Nous vous conseillons de contacter un expert local pour demander un devis gratuit et sans engagement, afin de gagner du temps dans la préparation de votre voyage et vous donner plein d’idées !
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.
Nous vous avons sélectionné 3 activités, les plus intéressantes selon nous, ci-dessous. N’oubliez pas de bien lire le descriptif afin de savoir ce qui est vraiment inclus afin de profiter pleinement de votre 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.
Location de voiture: Pour comparer les prix des locations nous vous conseillons le site RentalCars qui compare le prix de centaines d’entreprises de location de voiture pour trouver le meilleur prix. Pour vous donner une idée de tarif, nous avons trouvé une voiture pour 60€ par jour, à l’aéroport de Bari.
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.
