The other day I wrote and asked about beaches not far from Rome and got a lot of wonderful responses. The most intriguing being the island of Ponza which we may consider. We still have a week and having travelled through most of the popular tourist destinations in Italy I want to go somewhere different. We want to stay put and rent a house, near the sea for about a week. I have taken the train from Rome to Brindisi to catch a ferry to Greece but haven't really explored the region of Puglia. Doing some research I see that there are nice beaches and some hill towns. Does anyone have experience with this part of Italy? What do you think? Where might be a good place to search for a rental for the week that would be centrally located? I would rent a car there. Thanks and I do love this forum.
Posted by
Washington DC
27187 posts
Puglia's great. There are many interesting small towns to visit. Alberobello is a must, and Matera (just over the border in Badilicata) should not be missed. I was dependent on public transportation so stayed in Lecce, but I remember seeing an earlier thread or two sbout possible bases for auto touring in Puglia. You may have some luck with the search function.
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2186 posts
You might look at the Gargano Peninsula (Vieste or Peschici) for beaches, though that's farther from the inland towns you might want to explore. We enjoyed Trani on the coast, though I don't know about swimming beaches there. Acraven's suggestions are good; also look at Ostuni and Locorotondo (beautiful "white towns"). Only problem with Puglia is that a week isn't long enough!
Posted by
4434 posts
Ditto. Puglia is wonderful. If you want to stay put mostly, then I'd consider Gargano, which includes a park and a couple cute towns, but it is far from anything else. For beaches and exploring many small towns, then consider the Otranto area north to Bari and including the just-inland Itria Valley towns, which would be close to beaches. Then a third option is the Salento--you can stay in a small village, a coastal place, or the baroque city of Lecce.
If you want to do this in July-August, then get to work!