Apulia area as nice as Cinque Terre?

I've driven along that coastline but I never stopped in the town you mentioned. Although my experience is not the last word, from what I saw the coast in that area is flat and the hills do not start till several miles inland. The area is well covered by Google Street View.  I've never been to the (farther north) Gargano Penninsula but from what I've seen in Flickr and YouTube you might want to investigate it if you want little villages amongst steep hills dropping into the sea.

Karen, I did not find PaM to be very interesting. (except for the romantic waterfront cave restataurant in the Grotto Pallazzese.) Comparing CT to Puglia is like comparing Portland ,Maine to Portland ,Oregon. Both are are the water, have wonderful residents, great food, and lots to do, but each has it own charm and culture. We did not find anything like the CT, but we did love the college town of Lecce (sort of a mini Siena) and used it as one base for day trips to the East and West south coasts, etc. For waterfront towns we really enjoyed Trani, with its wonderful restaurants lining the port, and a neat B&B 1/2 block from the waterfront. (Albergo Lucy) We used the Lonely Planet guidebook to plan our vacation in Puglia. We found all of their suggestions to be "right-on'the money." We absolutely loved the area; food, wine, people, but it is much differnent than the CT. Luckily it is not overrun by people like us; Tourists, and that added to its charm. A restaurant critic from NY Times did a great article on Puglia'
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06Puglia.html?pagewanted=all Read it, and also listens to Frank's audio.

I see you're not getting a lot of responses here. In addition to the RS archives, you can search SlowTrav's Italy Forum. I've tried to embed a search for Puglia on that site here but I'm not sure it will work. I hear you need a car to really enjoy the area. (We're considering it for a future trip.) Good luck.

Karen and Michael, I've traveled in Puglia quite a bit - you don't really need a car if you have a fair amount of patience.

Thanks for the responses. We have rented a car for a week - the price is very reasonable and we need it to get to Umbria after Apulia. -Have noted all your favorite spots - Matera, Trani (Albergo Lucy B&B), Alberobello...
Also, did a 1/2 hr. consult with Rick Steves' pro, Paul Orcutt. Thanks to all we think we have a much better handle on the region. It will be fun to see if our vision is accurate. Karen

Karen -
My wife and I biked through Puglia last Fall, and though I wouldn't compare it to CT, it had its own character and romance. We stayed one night in Polignano, two in Alberobello (in a trulli!), and 2 nights in Ostuni, which was our favorite. You won't find as many crowds or touristy areas, but it's beautiful in its own right. We've also biked through Tuscany and Umbria, and each area was memorable and charming.

I also would recommend Otranto, it's an adorable little walled town with a castle, ancient ruins, and an almost greek feel to it. Great beach nearby. If you're heading to Alberobello (tourist central) stop in Locorotondo first for great views at the top of the plateau of the whole Valle d'Istria and the Murge, and you'll see all the trulli houses popping up all around you. The greatest beach we found in the area was a secluded little beach north of Otranto called Torre dell'Orso. Do a quick google images search and you'll see why we loved it. If you like fishing towns, Gallipoli on the Ionian side is quaint and has a great beach next to it. Good luck!