Located between Bari and Brindisi, these two towns are a must visit and a main attraction for tourists that enjoy the seaside as well as historical & cultural excursions. Polignano a Mare is a gem of a seaside town with the Lama Monachile bay one of the main attractions.
20 min south of Monopoli lies Ostuni. A must see town know for being the “white city”. You will see Ostuni long before you arrive; the vast 'White City' rising high above the ocean of olive trees that sweep through this verdant area of Puglia.
Built atop a hill to protect from invaders, Ostuni is a certifiable labyrinth. A maze of alleyways, staircases and arches, of houses built upon houses, of hundreds of years of history laid out before you in a way no map can truly explain or capture. Dead ends and pretty little gardens, glimpses of the Adriatic sea, green doors and bright blue skies; everything and nothing may lie around the next corner you take.
This town is one of Oli's earliest memories of Puglia as a boy on a family holiday. Incredible pizza, chips so delicious that we still try to recreate them years later, and a charismatic waiter, Franco, who particularly took a shine to Dad.
Historic fishing town with whitewashed harbour walls. A beautiful fishing town characterised by it's stunning medieval architecture, sea views and labyrinthine streets peppered with authentic cafés, surprisingly good shopping and wine bars to wile away the hours.
Savelletri is home to six of Puglia's most luxurious masseria hotels; but, at heart it's still a modest, laid-back fishing town and seaside resort. Pescheria 2 Mari is a working fishmonger's at the southern end of the passeggiata that now doubles as a cool lunch stop and aperitivo bar, where raw seafood platters command attention. Nearby, Ristorante Maddalena has a lovely sea-level terrace and serves reliable southern Italian seafood. There is also a relaxed Coccaro Beach Club, with Bali-style daybeds shaded by palm-frond canopies, and the younger, more Ibizan-style White Beach, where the parties are legendary. Two stunning hotels where we recommend staying: Borgo Egnazia and Masseria San Domenico.
If Puglia were a movie, Lecce would be cast in the starring role. Lecce has been called the 'Florence of the baroque', more than 40 churches and at least as many noble palazzi were built or renovated here between the middle of the 17th century and the end of the 18th to create one of the most unified urban landscapes in Italy. It is a relaxed place; the locals sit outside bars such as Pasticceria Alvino in piazza Sant'Oronzo, sipping iced coffee with almond syrup (latte di mandorla, an eminently southern soft drink), or they window-shop along corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Go to Baldo Gelato for the best gelato in town. “La succursale” is known for the best pizza in town. “Alle due Corti” and “La Torre di Merlino” and “L’arzilla Furcina” are excellent lunch and dinner options.
If you've seen the latest James Bond movie, you might recognise this setting. Charm, pure charm… this is what Matera, with its colours, light and views, offers visitors. Largely carved out of and built with tuff, the town has an incredible history and a deep sense of spirituality, purity and authenticity.
Matera, Basilicata's jewel, may be the world's third-longest continuously inhabited human settlement. Natural caves in the tufa limestone, exposed as the Gravina cut its gorge, attracted the first inhabitants perhaps 7000 years ago. More elaborate structures were built atop them. Today, looking across the gorge to Matera’s huddled sassi (cave dwellings) it seems you've been transported back to the ancient Holy Land.
Head to the Belvedere Murgia Timone observation deck for an incredible view of the city. And if you do, maybe attempt it early morning or evening... we learned that the hard way.