Puglia

I have not been there yet but I have been reading and collecting information. If you type "Puglia" into the search line at the top of this page, you will get at least 40 forum entries from the past 12 months and many more in prior years. There is also lots of information elsewhere online. I look forward to see what responses you get from people who have been there.

I have been last October. It’s good. It’s Italy. There are some regional wines and foods to try. Threads about this area will give you much, maybe too much info. Sometimes it is nice to go somewhere new unencumbered by other peoples reports and suggestions and simply with you own expectations in mind. Keep your magic.

We've been to Puglia 4 times, each time for at least 2 weeks. We would not dream of going there in the summer, since we hate heat and beaches, but it's wonderful in March & April, November & December. There are really interesting Romanesque churches whose facades are full of strange beasts, mermaids, elephants, people doing odd things, twisty vines, etc. The countryside in one area is dotted with small round igloo-like stone buildings called "trulli" and there is a town called Alberobello made up of trulli (many somewhat spoiled by their displays of tourist knick-knacks inside and out, but still the town is cool and a unique place to go see). You can rent a trullo in the area or you can stay in one in a B&B.

The medieval town centers are fun to roam around it, the food is great and interesting, the coast is beautiful and so are all the olive trees, and, because there are no major, famous, popular sites (no Uffizi, no Pantheon, no Grand Canal) there are not the tourist crowds. Towns we particularly enjoy are Ostuni, Trani, and Lecce. Plus, you can quickly drive over to the cave town of Matera in the next region (and stay in a cave). You do kind of need a car, but you can reach several towns by train. Two nice small airports. When Rick Steves and other people are talking about the south of Italy being "chaotic," they are NOT talking about Puglia. The stores and museums and churches do close for lunch and a rest period afterward, but that's a good time to have a long lunch and to walk around the town.

After our RS Tour of Sicily we spent 2 weeks on our own in Puglia. April, this year. We used public transportation. Train travel was great - on time and easy. We stayed 1 night Polignano a Mare, 4 nights Lecce, 3 nights Grottaglie (my favorite), 3 nights Ostuni, 2 nights Monopoli, 1 night Brindisi.
Very enjoyable.

We spent ten days in Polignano a Mare and loved using it as a base. We had beautiful views of the Adriatic Sea from our room. Wonderful seafood meals.

Last 2 sundays NYT Full page “ads” for Puglia. I’m curious about it. I’m not even sure what section of Italy it’s in.

We rented a trulli in the town of Cisternino for a week. We absolutely love the area. It is best if you have a car. The trulli was part of the La Fogliarelli resort. We went in mid-September and it was warm but the house was airconditioned also we don't mind the heat. The area is less touristy and the food is fabulous. i would love to return. Maybe when we return from Sardinia this September.
I would be happy to answer more questions.

Regards,

Lorie

Wonderful area with few American tourists. (Not a blue and gold guidebook in sight.)

As noted above, stay away during the summer. Not only is it incredibly hot, but the summer is when the Italians descend on the area and pack not only the beaches but the cities as well.

Road Scholar does winter tours to Puglia, to explore the culture and history.

Thank you for all of the information.

Italian language point: "Trulli" is plural. One dwelling is a trullo.

Edited to add: "Panini" is also plural. One sandwich is a panino.

Elaborating on Lola’s post about Road Scholar - they do a tour of Puglia and Basilicata. It covers all the places mentioned in the various posts above. I’m taking it in October and I’m super excited - 17 days and lots of small villages!

For what it's worth, we're going to Puglia in a little over a month (!), and here's our itinerary, which I shared on a few other threads here:

• 6 nights in Nardo' (Salento, on the Ionian coast) - a base to explore the more Southern end of Salento.

• 5 nights in Valle d'Itria (near Ceglie Messapica) in a trullo complex with pool - a base to explore the Valle d'Itria, Ostuni and central part of Puglia.

• 2 nights in Rodi di Garganico - to explore the Gargano peninsula as we meander back to Rome for our departure.

We'll probably day trip to Matera from Ceglie Messapica, or possibly pass through there on our way into Puglia from Calabria, which is where we'll be prior.

Lecce was going to be one of our bases (instead of Nardo'), but I never quite found a place in Lecce that seemed to suit us (husband & myself, our 3 kids ages 16, 23, 27). I stumbled across an Airbnb in Nardo' that looked delightful, read up on the town, and decided to go for it. So we'll take a day trip (or 2) to Lecce instead.

Oh, and yes, we rented a car - everything I've read makes it sound pretty indispensable if you want to hit all the little towns & beaches.

I just spent the first two weeks of May in Puglia and I absolutely fell in love with it. It has all of the delicious food, gorgeous blue seas, picturesque villages, and oozes history and culture but none of the huge tourist crowds packed into tchotchke lined streets. (Barring a few areas like Alborobello and some of the main streets in the seaside towns.)

In Lecce, the minute I entered the historic center, I felt as if I'd stepped into a fairytale! At the same time there are excellent restaurants and plenty of great shopping. I also went to a cocktail bar that is on par with some of the best I've been to in NYC.

The train infrastructure is decent, especially if you are sticking to the coast, but I found I had some of my favorite moments when driving between places on my scooter. This allowed me to stop into random little towns that I'd heard nothing about that charmed the socks off of me.

I can't wait to return.

I am in Puglia now..I am charmed! Making Lecce my base..what a beautiful elegant
Small town. People are so helpful..food is wonderful..have been to Otranto..loved it..spent a few hours on.the Lido swimming in the exquisite blue water..eating Calamari. Went to Ostuni..amazing white city on a hill..others may disagree however after hiking up to top to visit Cathedral and checking out back streets...well..I have no need to return. Lunch in seaside towns with beyond perfectly prepared seafood..not too many tourists right now..I am certain it cannot get any hotter! Alberobello tomorrow..today a Masseria re: Olive trees..2 to 3000 years old and waiting for Unesco approval..very easy to just enjoy life here..much more to see and do..but..I am finding that slowing down here is the best!

We went to Puglia last year in July as part of a road trip through Italy. It was definitely very hot but since we have a daughter that has her schoolbreak in July/August we had no other choice.
We loved Puglia. Lots of lovely “white” small towns/villages. We stayed at an wonderful apartment just outside Locorotondo with a nice view of Locorotondo from our terrace. Locorotondo is very nice. A small town with a nice centre, especially at dinnertime, and not many tourists. We also liked Martina Franca. We visited Alberobello ( just before dinnertime) for the truli. We went to Polignano a Mare and Monopoli for a day trip. We liked Monopoli better since it’s less crowded. Furthermore we visited Lecce and Matera. Matera is wonderful! Like to go back again and see more of Puglia. Beside Alberobello and Polignano it didn’t feel crowded but Puglia is getting more attention as a vacation spot for non-Italians so I wouldn’t wait to long 😊. Definitely can recommend exploring it by car .