Dominic (San Domenico) Stroll around Nardo to discover its beautiful architecture like this gorgeous gate.

Puglia, Italy 17 Really Useful Things to Know Before Visiting Puglia, Italy

This part of town features an impressive castle (built by the Byzantines in the 13th century) and equally impressive fortification walls and towers. If it all seemed like a folly, then she was willing to take the risk, she moved to a house that she had only spent a week in the year before. Obsessed with exploring the world, meeting amazing people (and goats) and getting as lost as possible with my camera. It’s also an excellent place for Vegetarians and Vegans due to this, as oil is still most commonly used. For a meal in Ostuni, check out Risto Caffe Cavour ( Corso Camillo Benso Cavour) and Osteria Del Tempo Perso ( Via Gaetano Tanzarella Vitale, 47), excellent restaurants with an atmospheric cave setting.Here, you’ll find long stretches of fine, white or golden sand, lapped by crystal-clear turquoise water. The town is also home to Angelo Sabatelli, a Michelin-starred restaurant that’s famous throughout Puglia. It is the limestone of Salento, soft and easily carved, riddled with sea fossils, that has been central to its architecture, art and history. Note that the coperto tends to increase the closer you are to big tourist destinations or plazas - yet another reason why it's always a good idea to explore some hidden streets! If you’re dropping by Torre Canne, I recommend a meal at Vico Pescatori or grab the famous octopus sandwich at La Baia.

Things To Do in Puglia: Places to Visit, Attractions 20 Best Things To Do in Puglia: Places to Visit, Attractions

Restaurants in Gravina in Puglia I can recommend include Osteria Radici, Osteria 1881 and 13 Volte (with a stunning underground cave setting).We live in the Ionian Island of Kefalonia, Greece, so if you ever want any suggestions here, I’d be delighted to help! Puglia is those inappropriate summer love affairs that last a week and that you remember a lifetime.

places to visit in Puglia on a self-drive Guide to the best places to visit in Puglia on a self-drive

Central Puglia is also home to Valle d’Itria or Itria Valley, an area famous for its ‘trulli’ (whitewashed, cone-roofed houses), charming towns and agricultural products. In the late evenings, on your way home from a long dinner, the backstreets feel like a film set with antique street lamps pooling into chiaroscuro gloom. You can start the trip in Bari or Brindisi and follow the entire itinerary or concentrate on 1-2 areas, depending on your interests or the length of your stay. I’ve been here in winter and summer, and it was just as busy both times, so I highly recommend spending at least one night here so you can rise early.Gelato parlours are decorated with colourful flower pots, and squares offering alfresco dining dish out Puglian specialities. Being in the heart of the valley, Martina Franca is a great base from which to explore the area but spend some time exploring its old centre which boasts beautiful Baroque architecture (like the Palazzo Ducale and the impressive Basilica di San Martino) and quaint streets. Accommodations in the town centre I can recommend are Palazzo Papaleo and Palazzo de Mori (the first building on the left in the photo below). Perched on the edge of a ravine, this ancient town is famous for its Roman bridge (used in scenes of the James Bond movie, ‘No Time to Die’), cave dwellings, underground network of tunnels and caves, and its beautiful Cathedral.

in Puglia | CN Traveller The best places to visit in Puglia | CN Traveller

In the city of Lecce, Salento’s focal point, the possibilities of the local limestone come into their own.Coffee culture is strong here, with a particular focus on almond milk iced coffee, and there are plenty of cool bars for both coffee, and cocktails, as well as an abundance of fantastic restaurants on little streets, and central squares with live music. We based ourselves in the charming little town of Sternatia for a few nights during our first stay (in this gorgeous little airbnb - still one of our favourites around the world), and had a wonderful slow experience, surrounded by locals and gained a real small town Italian life. Lanes twist between old palaces like gangways before rounding a last corner and emerging on the wide decks of the seafront.