Looking for the best home base in Puglia, inland, will have a car. Small town or just outside, want to do day trips and if anyone knows of a small villa or rental with a kitchen, great!
What places do you intend to visit?
For the central area, the Itria Valley, there are lots of rentals.
I used the company https://helloapulia.com/en/ and stayed in Monopoli.
I have also stayed in Cisternino, using Airbnb.
Puglia stretches about 200 miles from the Gargano Peninsula down to the tip near Otranto. It would be hard to pick one place as "best".
Two weeks ago (mid-April 2024), we stayed in a trullo about halfway between Alberobello and Locorotondo. Those are beautiful towns worth a visit, but they're also very popular and crowded, with restrictions on where you can drive and park cars, so we opted for a much quieter place in the country which we absolutely loved. The trulli are nicely restored and still have a lot of character. The grounds are beautiful, staff and service are great, an on-site manager who speaks English, and a pool if you're there in the summer (still a little too chilly in April). You can book this place through airbnb, Trulli del Bosco. There is a kitchen. Rick's book on Italy doesn't deal much with Puglia so we are happy to share our very positive experience and hope it helps. Have a great trip!
Thanks so much! I agree, I would much rather be away from the fray . Your location sounds perfect. Do you think it’s worth getting a private tour of either town and the trulli? Any specific restaurant recommendations?
Thank you