THE REGION
Puglia is undeniably a unique and captivating region, where you will find some of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Italy, charming historic towns, miles of sandy beaches and pastoral countryside.
Blessed by a pleasant Mediterranean climate, Puglia is welcoming and engaging all-year-round, and boasts an endless range of sights, activities and festivals.
Yet, this is the perfect place to slow down, sit back and rejoin with the simplicity of life and its understated pleasures.
Enjoy every bite of delicious local food and every sip of the masterfully produced wine of the region.
Under the vaulted blue sky of Puglia, ride a bicycle along ancient dry-stone walls and century old olive groves, or head to the seaside and dive into one of the clearest waters of the Mediterranean.
Venturing out to discover Puglia’s many handsome towns, rich in history and architectural delights, is something not to be missed.
Ostuni
The "White City" has an impressive location spread over three hills facing the Adriatic Sea with nothing else but thousands of olive trees in between. The all-in-white historic town stands out like a glittering jewel from the surrounding countryside. Due to its proximity to the sea (about 6 km), it has always been popular with tourists, but has become a touch more chic in the past few years. Ostuni also has a vibrant night life.
Cisternino
Is one of Italy`s most beautiful towns (“borghi più belli d’Italia”). With its narrow streets in between whitewashed houses and little squares, it has a romantic and very oriental feel to it. Cisternino is also famous for its fornelli pronti- butcher shops where you choose your meat at the counter before it is traditionally roasted in a wood burning oven and served at your table. Try the Bombette- breaded slices of veal or pork rolled up with either ham, or cheese, or both!
Locorotondo
Another one of Italy’s most beautiful towns, it is built in a circular shape around a hill looking out to the trulli-dotted Valle d’Itria. Locorotondo is a quaint little town and wandering through the alleys between the gleaming white walls of its buildings is delightful, while the smell of fresh laundry and glorious food lingers in the air. Locorotondo is also famous for its excellent white wines.
Martina Franca
Is probably the most elegant of all the towns in the Valle d’Itria. Many of its fine baroque buildings showcase wonderful details such as wrought iron balconies, richly decorated portals, arches and secret gardens. One of Martina Franca’s signature dishes is Capocollo- a type of cured ham.
Alberobello
Is the quintessential Trulli village and was made a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1993. Alberobello houses a cluster of about 1500 Trulli which are now mostly functioning as restaurants and souvenir shops where you can buy your own little Trullo- in miniature format. Understandably Alberobello is on most people’s itinerary when travelling to Puglia. Despite its rather touristic vibe it is still worth visiting- especially in the off season and with children.
Ceglie Messapica
Is the food mecca of the region with a high accumulation of excellent and highly regarded restaurants. Ceglie has a lovely and very authentic old town centre which gives the impression of still being rather undiscovered.