Puglia

Where are you coming from, and how are you getting there? Very hard to pick one, so maximizing time would be one goal. Do you want rural or urban? In October, Lecce would probably be my pick if the latter. For rural, the Itria Valley.

I'd also recommend Lecce--we spent 4 nights there a few years ago and took day trips north and south.

We rented a trulli at La Fogliarella in Cisternino last year. We stayed for 7 nights as a base for the region. It was Fabulous! .... Great location friendly people, wonderful food, beautiful beaches, and magnificent countryside. I would love to return but I still have the most northern area of Italy to see. So far Puglia is my favorite.

Really all of Italy is special in it's own right.

Enjoy your trip.
Lorieann

I would recommend staying in a masseria in the Valle d'Itria. It's like an agriturismo -- a working farm. Ours was Masseria Montenapoleone, near Torre Canne. An easy drive to the trulli villages and Ostuni. Quiet & relaxing.

We also stayed in Lecce (for 6 days) but it was frankly one of our least favorite places ever. It burned us out on churches and had little else to offer -- not even a bite of food available between 2 & 8 pm so you're out of luck if you come back from a daytrip needing a snack.

One of the most picturesque towns we saw was Gallipoli. And Matera, of course, which is not in Puglia but very close.

We'll be at the Rick Steves group meeting the 3rd Saturday of August if you want more details.

We also found Lecce to be our least favorite of the towns we visited, though not bad. We liked Ostuni, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Otranto, and Taranto.

Hi Valadelphia -
I will be coming from Sicily after the RS tour. I will be traveling solo and prefer to be close to restaurants and other attractions; I don't think being too rural would be ideal.

Thanks!

People slam Bari, but the old town is gorgeous and atmospheric and the food great. We had no trouble there on two occasions. I suggest reading up on it and deciding for yourself, especially if you are flying there. Otherwise, my recommendation is still the fantastically baroque Lecce. Most of the sea towns will be dead in October.

Do you think the sea towns will be dead in March, too?

Yes, with the possible exception of Otranto and Gallipoli. Some of the sea towns were even nearly shuttered in May. And everything closes mid-day for several hours, so be sure to plan accordingly.

We spent three weeks in Puglia in late February to mid March and loved it. Another vote for Lecce or Bari. In your case Bari might be better. We didn't know what to expect of Bari but ended up loving it. The old town has enough to keep you busy for the time you have. If you do go to Bari check out the restaurant La Tanna del Polpo. They serve mostly seafood. We ate there the three nights we spent in Bari and wished we had more time just to eat their meals! Besides the churches, castle, architecture, back streets, and coast, we enjoyed the open air fish market selling fresh fish and also serving raw shellfish. We stayed within 7 minutes walking distance to the old town and about 5 minutes to the bus station which takes you to the airport. Very convenient.

We really enjoyed staying in Bari which had a great vibe, good restaurants, friendly people, and St.Nicholas' tomb which was beautiful. Also, Martina Franca is a wonderful walled town with fantastic
restaurants, interesting places to stay, and a lively passeggiata. Lecce has interesting architecture.

http://www.viaggiareinpuglia.it/hp/en

It's difficult to make a mistake with any of the towns cited above, as each upon our various visits was pleasurable. It's much less difficult for my wife and to I to choose Lecce inside the walls as the clear favorite: piazzas, architecture, dining options, wonderful night walks, churches, shops and stalls, delightful flocks of birds at sunrise and sunset, etc. Mmmmm!