Hello All - my husband and I want to spend April 2024 in a smallish town in southern Italy. We want to rent a villa or apartment for that month where we can cook and immerse ourselves in the local culture and enjoy the local town. So - not a city but not so small we are done with the town in one week. We want to be able to use the local markets, shops, restaurants, enotecha - but still cook at home and enjoy some outdoor time. We love to run and bike and be active as well. While being near the sea woud be nice we are amenable to a charming town inland. I speak the language a bit and will brush up before we leave. Your thoughts???? Thank you!
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1529 posts
I think you would have a great time in Lecce in Puglia, and especially in April --- the most recent time we were in Lecce was at the end of March/beginning of April and there were all sorts of interesting spring ingredients in restaurants and markets like wild hyacinth bulbs and wild poppy leaves. There's also a cooking school based in Lecce called The Awaiting Table (https://awaitingtable.com/). I would get an apartment inside the old city walls --- the walls are what make the town seem like a small town, but outside the walls you can find more good restaurants, laundromats, regular grocery stores, etc. Also a cool transportation museum. If you had a car, there are parking lots outside the walls. I don't remember where the farmers markets are, but they were good. Lots of interesting churches covered with exterior sculptures of animals, birds, monsters, plants, all kinds of not-especially-religious-looking stuff. Roman ruins in the main piazza. Much of the old town is pedestrian-only. Pretty near the sea if you have a car. We've been there twice now and plan to go back and spend a week or more.
Posted by
Irving
3138 posts
Near the sea in the Apulia region there’s Monopoli, Gallipoli, Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca.
In the Calabria region there’s Crotone, Ischia, Atrani, Conca dei Marini, Praino and Vietri sul Mare.
Posted by
Washington DC
27640 posts
My first thought was Lecce.
Salerno, south of Naples, might also suit you. It's a real-world Italian city that's close to a lot of popular destinations, but it doesn't get many foreign tourists.
Salerno's about 50% larger than Lecce--roughly 135,000 people vs. 95,000. Both are definitely cities, to me. You'll have your own definition, but my worry about smaller places would be boredom after just a couple of days, much less after a week. There's also the fact that the most attractive small, coastal places may have a high ratio of foreign tourists to locals, which for me would be undesirable when staying a month.
Posted by
North Italy
371 posts
Trani in Puglia is one of my favourite places. Easy to visit places along the coast by train Bari, Barletta , Monopoli ecc but not full of foreign tourists and impossible to get bored. Fishermen down by the port for fresh fish. A long sea front for a run....
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2023/04/why-i-love-trani.html?m=1
Posted by
4811 posts
I had the same thoughts of Lecce and Salerno. You would needa car to take full advantage of the surrounding are in Lecce. In Salerno you could make do without.
Will you be renting a car?
Even though you did not say city, I would consider Bari--the old town does not feel especially city-like, and many places may feel too small based on your description and it being April.
Another that popped into my mind is Maratea.
Posted by
Virginia
290 posts
Another vote for Salerno. Not too touristed but with good access to many great sites (Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Naples, etc.). It may be that you've seen all these. I would still recommend Salerno. Good size to be interesting but not too big, on the sea.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you to all! This has been incredibly helpful. I am tending to lean toward the smaller towns - looking for a slow pace, some access to running, would love to bike to market, maybe the next town....will rent a car, but maybe not for the whole month. Now just need to find the perfect VRBO - any sites you would recommend???
Posted by
4811 posts
I've used the usual suspects (AirBnB, Booking.com, etc.), but I once rented an apartment in Monopoli (another option--small but not too small) from this local outfit (https://book.helloapulia.com), who seem to have a pretty good selection. For a long-term rental, I'd check with them first.
Martina Franca might be just the right size. The Itria valley places would have you well-positioned for runs/walks.
On the coast of Campania, a bit south of Salerno, the Hotel Mariluvo in Pisciotta offers rental apartments and a cottage: https://www.marulivohotel.it (Click on the "resorts" page for the rentals). It would not be too quiet for me there when taking day trips into consideration, plus the owners provide a wealth of info, which might be nice to have for a whole month.