Olive tree-filled valleys littered with UNESCO listed conical white buildings are broken up by white-washed towns lifted straight from a postcard. In the Foggia mountains, a slower pace of life takes place in hill-top towns where locals meet on squares to share stories and coffee.

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

But if you are looking for what many would call a more ‘authentic’ Italian experience, then you can’t go wrong with Puglia. With more and more international flightsto Bari and Brindisi airports cropping up, it has also never been easier to visit. Discover the top things to do in Puglia and best places to visit, such as Alberobello, Lecce, Locorotondo and Polignano a Mare in this guide. Embracing the natural beauty of this inland valley is the name of the game here; whether through hiking, or taking a bike with Puglia cycling tours. You can choose to stay along the coast to enjoy the province’s stunning beaches and visit Lecce on a day trip, or you can stay in Lecce for 1-2 nights to truly appreciate its historic gems. If you enjoy cooking, I highly recommend joining this Puglia cooking course in Lecce. I recommend spending 1-2 nights in Lecce.I was drawn to the book because of my love of Italy but this book was very introspective, mostly about the author and not enough about Italy. There were some attractive pieces of writing, on Taormina, for instance, which she portrayed very accurately and appealingly, and Tuscany. However, the prevailing impression was of a solitary English expat connected to the outside world (of England and expats) via the Internet. Including why you should alway stay in the historic centre, hire a car and follow the rhythms of southern Italian life, these are 17 essential things to know before you visit Puglia, Italy.

Laine B. Brown (Author of Finding Myself in Puglia) - Goodreads

If you are looking for the quintessential Puglian sleeping place, then you can actually book into more modern and upgraded conical style Trulli accommodationhere in the valley. Many of these are set amongst ancient Olive Trees and with swimming pools to escape the summer heat. Looking out from the castle of Sant’Agata di Puglia Sant’Agata di PugliaIf you’re heading to Gargano from southern/central Puglia, consider a stop at the historic Castel del Monte, an imposing 13th century citadel, and a lunch stop at Trani, a quaint fishing village with a lively promenade. Castel del Monte Gravina in Puglia The Trulli part of the town is surrounded by a more modern, contemporary setting of typical shops and restaurants. In the historic centre, you can see a split between the more touristed side, where little shops and restaurants live in most the Trulli, and across where they are more residential. Read more about things to see in Bari. While in Bari, I stayed at the lovely Gatto Bianco Ducchesa, situated at the edge of the Old Town. Search for hotels in Bari (Booking.com). Central Puglia

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

The town used to be completely walled off, and the large squares, little restaurants and spotless setting make this an ideal lunch stop if nothing else. While here be sure to sample Capocollo, one of the best cured meats in Italy. In fact, most of Puglia’s most celebrated cured offerings come from Martina Franca. City centre cooling down in Otranto Otranto In the Foggia province, popular for slow-travel and agritourism, you’ll find yourself in the hills and mountains, often with views to neighbouring regions of Italy. To the Apennines, these medieval villages provided strong visual outposts, and most have a castle or fortress sitting at their highest point. Santa Agata di Puglia as seen from above Locals sit around a bar’s terrace Home » Destinations » Europe » Italy » Things to do in Puglia, Italy: a photo guide to the best places in Italy’s dazzling heel

Day 6-10: Southern Puglia (4 nights) which includes the city of Lecce and the towns/beaches of Otranto, Gallipoli and Porto Cesareo. Suggested base: Lecce, Otranto, Nardo and/or Gallipoli. 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. When you’re here, drop by for a meal at Osteria del Coco Pazzo, a charming restaurant in a vaulted space that serves excellent Puglian food and wines. Ask for the local specialty ‘capocollo’, a cured pork salami. Other restaurants I can recommend include Ristorante Garibaldi (with a lovely terrace in front of the Basilica) and La Tavernetta. It’s a joy to explore the streets in the old town. Laine gave up her job as a nurse, sold her home and gave away most of her belongings. She has three desires bubbling at the heart of her to write a book, paint a picture and climb a mountain before she died. I would learn to value silence , be comfortable with being alone, be more spontaneous and risk my life on the Italian roads.” If you’re planning a trip for ten days to two weeks, then the world is your oyster and you’ll be able to cover a lot of ground and have many fantastic experiences at a really enjoyable pace - we opted to do a road trip and recommend this as the best way to explore Puglia.

Finding Myself in Puglia By Laine B Brown | Used

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. Not only are the historic streets quieter, but the gorgeous golden light on the white-washed round homes truly brings them to life. 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. She knew no one and yet she had surety in her resolve. She wanted to feel fully present in feeling unsafe and comfortable with the not knowing. Take your inner self on a journey. Spot the references to challenges in your own life. Highly recommended.' 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. Trulli can be found all across the Itria Valley. Sure, it can get a little frustrating when you want to be productive in the afternoon, but instead of fighting it, go with it. Do your sight-seeing in the morning and save the afternoon for beach time, have an extra scoop of gelato for your afternoon treat to tide you over til your late dinner and generally do what the locals do!With bell towers sprouting out of cathedrals, and a Roman amphitheatre, Lecce brings it with the architecture too. Some of the buildings are so old and constructed with such fine sandstone, there are places you can rub the walls, and they basically crumble, so try not to do that! We even saw part of windowsill fall while we were there, but happily heard that isn’t a common occurrence — a stunning city and a must-visit in Puglia. Locorotondo is one of the prettiest spots in Puglia Locorotondo Still reading, loving it, recommend it as a holiday book, you can relate your own life through the author.'