A guide to Puglia, Italy

It’s hard to sum up the kaleidoscope of territories, ecosystems and rhythms of life that make up Puglia. Perhaps that’s why some older Italians use the plural Le Puglie (meaning “many Puglias”) to describe this alluring region. Once part of the Magna Graecia and home to ancient Romans’ mighty flotillas, Puglia fills the boot heel at the southeastern tip of the Italian peninsula, and its major cities, Bari and Brindisi, are now the primary ports of entry for visitors eager to roam between the top attractions strewn along its 940km coastline. 

In the past decade, some places in Puglia have made headlines for flashy weddings and celebrity escapes, yet much of the region remains a little-known historical, natural and culinary gem. When you venture into any of its hundreds of small towns, you will encounter a traditional way of life filled with earthy flavors, sharp colors and welcoming smiles (particularly if you manage to avoid the peak season in busy coastal towns, when crowds mass in tiny historic centers, traffic can snarl and parking is at a premium on the edge of restricted access zones).

Intrigued? Here’s all you need to know about how to get to Puglia, where to go and how much it will cost.

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When should I go to Puglia?

Puglia gets hectic during July and August, when almost all Italians take their summer vacations. Hotels are pricey and book up months in advance, beaches are uncomfortably crowded, and it can get scorching hot, with some days heating up past 40°C (104°F). However, during this time the nightlife blooms. Clubs in the Salento area blast music until sunrise, music festivals such as Locus and La Notte della Taranta draw musicians from all around the world, and town squares fill to celebrate sagre di paese, the much-awaited yearly religious and food fairs.

Before and after the two central summer months, the region’s mild climate produces 25°C (77°F) days as early as April and into October, making these months ideal if you are looking for peace, charming towns and empty waters. This is also an excellent time to venture into the green countryside and taste some of the region’s wine and olive oil. Hotels are more affordable; what’s more, as the pressures of the high season abate, the quality of food and services improves.

You might find yourself among few other travelers from November to March, when some restaurants and hotels close for the season and public services wind down. Still, this might be the best time to visit a neighborhood cafe and drink an espresso. Many pugliesi (the region's residents) will point you to their favorite local restaurant and take the time to explain why their town’s panzerotto (fried pastry), tiedda (Bari’s famous dish of rice, potatoes and mussels) or grape variety is, undoubtedly and incontestably, the best.

How much time should I spend in Puglia?

Puglia is not a day-trip destination. How long to stay in the region depends on the time of year and what you seek. I would allow a full week to pass through its four main areas, savor what the region offers and take some time to understand its rhythms.

But suppose you have only a weekend to spare. In that case, land in Bari in the morning and have a focaccia barese slice at Panificio Fiore accompanied by a cold Peroni beer while checking out the Basilica di San Nicola and the historic city center. Next, drive to visit Castel del Monte and sleep in a masseria (a working farm) in Valle d’Itria. The following day, visit Alberobello and a coastal city such as Polignano a Mare or Monopoli. If the weather and season allow, count on a swim before the day's end.

If you can spare a couple more days, consider adding a night in the Alta Murgia area to enjoy a dinner in Minervino Murge. After the day in Valle d’Itria, check out Lecce and its baroque splendors.

How do I get to Puglia?

For visitors arriving in Puglia from outside Italy, the region's two biggest airports, in Bari and Brindisi, are the main gateways. Low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet, as well as national carriers like KLM and Air France, have flights to Puglia at both destinations.

If you are already in Italy, determining how to get to Puglia depends on your itinerary as a whole. High-speed trains to Puglia (the Frecciarossa and Frecciargento) depart from Rome, Naples and Milan with reasonable frequency, going to Bari with extended service to Brindisi and Lecce.

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When coming by car from the more northern parts of Italy (that is to say, all of them), do not think, We have finally arrived once you cross the regional border. You might still have 400km – almost the distance between Paris and Amsterdam – to drive if you aim to reach the deep south in one go. 

Ferries to Puglia arrive at Brindisi and Bari from Greece, Croatia and Albania.

Is it easy to get around Puglia?

Affordable intercity train and bus routes connect the main cities and towns in southern Italy, though for the richest Puglia experience, I recommend renting a car, even for just a weekend. Having your own wheels will allow you to craft a road-trip itinerary that reaches several places on the same day without relying on potentially unreliable public transportation. Be sure to take note if you see a sign marking a ZTL (these letters appear in a red circle on a white background); these limited traffic zones are off-limits to unauthorized vehicles. Cameras monitor ZTLs, and you risk a fine if you enter one.

Perhaps the best way to travel in Puglia is by bicycle. Several tour operators organize group cycling trips around the region. In spring (April and May) and autumn (October and November), it’s common to encounter groups of adventurous cyclists on the roads.

Top things to do in Puglia

Cruise the Gargano peninsula

The Promontorio del Gargano, with its mountains growing 1000m above sea level, towers over the rest of the region. In this mountainous land, Foresta Umbra – an ancient forest of centuries-old beech trees – offers a variety of hiking trails. Above the peninsula sits the castle-topped Monte Sant’Angelo, whose Santuario di San Michele, built inside an old karst cave, is a UNESCO-designated site of pilgrimage.

If you dig panoramic and curvy roads, don’t miss the drive between Peschici and Mattinata, during which you'll notice wooden structures leaning forward into the sea. Those are trabucchi, the traditional fishing structures of the area. While some lie abandoned, others have been refurbished to host some of the most memorable restaurants in the area. At Al Trabucco da Mimì in Peschici, you can sip a glass of d’Araprì, one of Puglia’s best sparkling wines, while jazz musicians play as the sun drops down below the horizon.

Forage in the Alta Murgia

Where the Apennines end, the hilly Alta Murgia begins. This stony land is one of Italy’s last wild steppes. I grew up here, at Biomasseria Lama di Luna, my family’s organic masseria, one of the typical, guest-welcoming farmhouses that delineate the landscape. A dozen towns hide precious city centers, stunning but austere cathedrals – Trani’s cannot be missed – and castles.

With its octagonal geometry, Castel del Monte, a medieval castle and another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a must-see wonder: make sure you get a guide who will tell you more about its story and legends. Antonella Urbano, who taught me how to ride horses when I was a kid, can take you for a slow afternoon horseback ride through Parco Nazionale dell'Alta Murgia. With the perfume of wild herbs and flowers surrounding you, you’ll be able to see the outline of the octagonal castle on the horizon.

Puglia produces about 50% of Italy’s olive oil, and the town of Andria is first when it comes to the extra virgin kind. Check out Le 4 Contrade in the surrounding countryside for a walk in the olive fields followed by a tasting with Sebastiano and Valeria, a couple who makes a stellar oil. Next, try glass of Nero di Troia (the local red wine) at Morasinsi winery in Minervino, where Sveva will tell you all about regenerative agriculture. Stop for a meal at Antichi Sapori in Montegrosso or Mezza Pagnotta in Ruvo; both restaurants make local recipes based on foraging from within Parco Nazionale dell'Alta Murgia (make sure you book well in advance).

Visit hilltop towns in Valle d’Itria

South of Bari, the regional capital, you’ll hit Valle d’Itria, where your first sight will be a continuous forest of monumental olive trees, so twisted by age that their branches seem to be supporting the weight of the sky. All around, white towns pop out on hilltops. With its stunning views, Ostuni, known as the White City, claims the prize for the most brilliant. At the same time, Alberobello, yet another of Puglia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, will leave you speechless with its trulli, traditional stone houses with cone-shaped roofs.

If you stop by the medieval town of Cisternino, stop into one of its many butchers and select your set of bombette (little bombs); they’ll grill these bundles of sliced meat rolled and stuffed with cheese and herbs for you on the spot. Admire the view from one of Polignano a Mare’s dramatic cliffside terraces and maybe stop for a tuna tartare and burrata sandwich at Pescaria. If you fancy sleeping in a masseria, Borgo San Marco, Il Frantoio and Masseria Cervarolo are worth considering.

Sample local wine in Salento

As you reach the tip of the region, you enter Salento, the easternmost part of Italy. Its capital, Lecce, is known as the Florence of the South for the stunning baroque architecture and splendid palaces that grace its city center. Each town in Salento has a historic center that brightens up during summer nights, when religious festivals and food fairs take place. In addition to its history, the crystal-clear waters off Salento’s coast set it apart. With choices like Torre Sant’Andrea, Porto Cesareo, Castro, Santa Maria di Leuca, Gallipoli and Porto Selvaggio, you’ll have plenty of options for swimming, or perhaps rent a little boat to cruise along the rocky coastline for the day.

For the past 10 years, a foreign bacteria has devastated the region, killing most of its olive trees (those gray trees you’ll see along the road are all dead), yet a pocket of young farmers is working to revive this vital resource. Tàccaru, for example, is processing the beautiful century-old dead olive wood and replanting young specimens resistant to the deadly invader. Wineries are doing their part for sustainability, too, preserving the area’s old vineyards. At Castello Frisari in Scorrano and Castel di Salve in Depressa, young winemakers will be eager for you to taste traditional Primitivo and Negramaro varietals. Between glasses of wine, check out Taverna del Porto in Tricase and Farmacia dei Sani in Ruffano for a hearty meal.

My favorite thing to do in Puglia

My perfect day in Puglia involves a drive along the coastal road that connects Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca in Salento. On the way, I’ll stop off at one of the rocky bays with access to the sea for a swim, maybe at Grotta Zinzulusa in Castro, followed by a caffè leccese (an espresso shot with ice and a finger of almond syrup) and sweet pasticciotto (a pastry filled with sour cherry and cream) at Martinucci. I keep driving until I reach Tricase Porto for another dip in the clean port waters. At the end of the day, I’ll walk a few stairs up to Caffè d’Oltremare for a glass of Negroamaro wine, a handful of taralli (wheat crackers shaped like rings) and pickled olives. Sitting on the open terrace overlooking the sea lets the blue Mediterranean calm my eyes and reward me for taking the time to slow down.

How much money do I need in Puglia?

Puglia is a generally good-value destination, especially compared to other parts of Italy. Food and drinks deliver high quality for fair prices; you can expect pay for coffee with a €1 coin and a sandwich with two more. Puglia is known as the Garden of Italy, with many of its fruits and vegetables cultivated locally; flavors in most meals will reflect this tradition. Still, be on the lookout during July and August in more popular destinations such as Gallipoli or Polignano a Mare, when suddenly, instead of €2 for a Peroni beer, it can cost three times the off-season price.

• Night in a hostel room: around €50

• Night in a basic hotel room for two: €80–100

• Night in a self-catering apartment: from €120

• Public transportation ticket: €1 for a single ride, €2.50 for a day ticket 

• Car rental for a day: from €40 

• Tolls: €9 for 100km 

• Bus ticket from Naples to Lecce: from €7

• Coffee: €1 

• Panzerotto: €1.50 

• Sandwich at a bakery: €3 

• Dinner for two with a bottle of local wine: €70 

• Pint of beer at the bar: €2