Two Weeks in Puglia, Italy: Exploring, Eating and Relaxing

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We’d counted down to our time in Puglia, Italy for a year. My husband and I, our adult children and their partners, nine adults in all, gathered in Puglia for two weeks of exploring, eating, swimming and just simply being together.

What we hadn’t counted on was poor roads, long driving distances and seven of us coming down with a virulent bout of gastro.

Despite the challenges, though, it was Bellissima.

Where is Puglia?

Puglia (“Apulia” in Italian) stretches down the southeast coast of Italy and forms what is known as the “heel of the boot.” It is an agricultural area and tourism is reasonably new.

We chose to self-drive which meant trying to work out different car parks and parking meters. Each town we visited was unique, but the roads were universally poor. Driving takes longer than expected because the roads are narrow, often windy, single carriage-way and poorly maintained.

In addition, where we stayed, there was little or no street lighting so driving at night was an extra challenge.

The roads were the only real negative though. The food is great (universally true in Italy I think), the sky was cobalt and the area is studded with olive groves, orchards (peaches mainly) and stone walls. Plus, at the end of June, the golden, freshly harvested hay bales sitting in the fields look like scenes from Van Gogh paintings.

There are many “tourist-worthy” towns in Puglia. We didn’t see them all in two weeks.

How Did We Do It?

We rented a holiday house, that was part Trullo, with a pool about 10 minutes’ drive out of Alberobello. With one base, the plan was to unpack once, self-cater for breakfast and dinner and explore a different town each day.

Our beautiful accommodation, Casa Castagno, which we booked through VRBO, lived up to the online photos.

We had lunch out nearly every day. There was often a look of horror when we asked for a table for nine but we always managed to sit outside in the shade. (We always went at the earlier time of 12-12:30 pm which tends to be less busy.)

So as not to have to rent a van big enough for nine people and luggage, we rented two, five-seater cars.

When Did We Go to Puglia?

We visited Puglia in early summer – the last week of June and the first week of July. It was hot so we loved retreating to our pool and eating al fresco. Every meal. For two weeks.

Puglia also has a lot of coastal towns with some glorious beaches – if we didn’t have a pool back “at home,” we would definitely have had more beach time.

Where Did We Go in Beautiful Puglia?

We have been to Italy before but never to Puglia so we were excited to explore a new destination. I had mapped out a draft itinerary that revolved around the market days.

We all arrived (by plane to Bari or train to Bari Centrale) over a couple of days.

Monopoli and Matera

First up was Monopoli – a cute, seaside town. After we wandered around the “centro storico,” (historical centre) including visiting the Cathedral and an underground Church, we had a refreshing swim at Cala Porto Rosso Beach.

The next day, it dawned cooler and overcast (the only day of the fortnight that was like this) so we decided to drive to Matera. Matera is not actually in Puglia but in neighbouring Basilicata.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the most outstanding example of troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean. In 2020, it was featured in scenes from the James Bond movie No Time to Die.

Matera’s cave dwellings are carved into soft tufa rock, and the town is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. Evacuated in the 1950s due to public health concerns, it is now vibrant.

We arrived mid-morning and enjoyed a memorable lunch on a terrace overlooking the “Sassi” (cave houses). After many hours of wandering the cave houses, we didn’t arrive back at our accommodation until after 7 pm.

We then put together a platter of “salumi” (Italian meat products) and “formaggi” (cheese) together with figs from the Matera market and prickly pear (“figs of India”) jam from a shop in Matera.

The cheese included divine stracciatella and burrata bought fresh from the next-door cheese farm. We ate under the stars and no meal could have been more delicious.

Alberobello, Locorotondo and Ostuni

Staying just outside of Alberobello (beautiful tree), we visited Alberobello a few times. Alberobello is known for the Trulli which are dry stone buildings constructed without mortar and with conical roofs. They honestly look like they belong in Disneyland.

Trulli (Trullo is singular) are found in and around Alberobello. Another UNESCO World Heritage site, the collection in Alberobello (over 1,600 Trulli) in an urban environment is unique.

Alberobello is an enchanting, fairy tale town. Touristy, yes. Crowded, yes. A plethora of souvenir shops selling much the same stuff, yes. But unlike anywhere else in the world.

The next stop was the hill town of Locorotondo. Its name derives from “Luogo Rotondo” (Round Place) which was a name given to the town in the 800s referring to its circular form. Looking out over patchwork green countryside and Trulli, it is one of the White Cities of the Itria Valley.

Another White City of the Itria Valley, Ostuni is a walled city with dazzling, whitewashed houses and narrow streets. It comprises a series of levels, staircases, small roads, alleys and arches.

Polignano a Mare and Martina Franca

One of the towns I most wanted to see, courtesy of Instagram being littered with photos of it, was Polignano a Mare and it did not disappoint. A cute little town situated on a steep, rocky cliff overlooking the Adriatic, there are stunning cliff views and clear, turquoise water.

The beautifully preserved historic centre contains narrow, cobblestone alleyways that lead to terraces with breathtaking views over the sea. Many restaurants, including the very Instagrammable Ristorante Hotel Grotta Palazzese, are ideally perched to capture the amazing views.

We arrived days before the annual Red Bull Cliff Diving Championships, so the famous Lama Monachile Beach was not fully open.

Fun fact – Polignano a Mare is the birthplace of Domenico Modugno (“Mr Volare”) and a massive statue of him stands in Polignano. Modugno’s song “Volare” is probably the best-known Italian song in the world.

Martina Franca, another White City of the Itria Valley, is lovely even on a Sunday (when we visited) when little was open.

Small, white houses, narrow lanes and wrought iron balconies covered in flowers abound. We ate lunch in the lovely Piazza Maria Immacolata which is in a semi-ellipse shape with arches.

Beach Day

We broke up our fortnight of historic towns by a day at a beach club. There is a small public beach at Lido Gandoli but the Beach Club takes up about four-fifths of the beach. EUR30 bought us two beds and an umbrella (in the rear rows.)

As is common for European beach lounge hire, the price rises as you get closer to the water. Food and drink are available for purchase and you are not allowed to take any food and drink in.

The Beach Club at Lido Gandoli was sublime and enormous. It sits on a sandy bay; the water was refreshing and crystal clear and it was lovely to see all ages from babies through to elderly people enjoying beach time. 

Lecce was the largest and southernmost town we visited. Also known as “Florence of the South” and “Athens of Puglia”, there are magnificent Baroque buildings, a Roman amphitheatre and a Roman theatre (both undergoing restoration).

The town is littered with beautiful churches, spacious piazzas and narrow, intricate alleyways. There are also three majestic City Gates.

Puglia Highlights (other than the towns and beaches)

Gelati after lunch was a ritual. It was very hot after all. One of our sons sourced the best-rated gelateria in each town and they were always phenomenal. Starting at EUR2.50 for a single scoop, they were also a bargain.

We had a chef, Lucrezia, come to Casa Castagno and show us how to shape the local pasta, “orecchiette” (little ears). Inside tip – shaping them is quite hard.

The night of the cooking class we ate under the stars as we did every night. This night, though, was an extravaganza of bruschetta, grilled zucchini and eggplant, bread balls, cheese (goat and cow) with fig jam made by the Chef’s Nonna (grandmother) and mortadella toast. And they were just the starters.

Our main dish was pasta with tomato sauce and cheese and dessert was tiramisu. What a feast.

The neighbouring cheese farm I have already mentioned was another highlight. Speaking in Italian only, I spoke enough Italian to buy way more delicious cheese than we could ever eat in the time we had and I was also shown into the “Cathedral of Cheese” cool room. A unique experience.

Anything We Would Do Differently?

Hiring two cars was a good idea but the distances between the towns were too far. In retrospect, we should have moved further south after one week. Or try the train or bus. Driving was very stressful.

We visited most of the towns we wanted to see but we didn’t end up going further south than Lecce. The roads were just too poor for long distances and made driving a chore and somewhat dangerous. A shout out to my husband and eldest son who both drove and who kept us all safe.

Final Thoughts on Puglia, Italy

All the towns have pedestrian old towns lined with shops and eateries. Most towns only require a half or full day for sightseeing so they fitted perfectly with a base like we had.

Our Trullo was a haven for sunning, reading, lolling, swimming, cooking, family games and movie nights. It was also a refuge when seven of the nine of us came down with gastro. We can laugh about it…now.

The cobalt skies continued as did the consistent heat, making our pool a welcome refuge after a day of sightseeing.

A very special two weeks exploring a part of Italy we had never been and making irreplaceable memories with our adult kids and their partners.

Bellissima

Read More:

• Trulli Scrumptious: A Guide to Family Travel in Puglia, Italy
• Puglia Is Italy at Its Best
• Guide to the Best Places to Visit in Puglia, Italy
• Matera: A Journey Through the Past and Present of Italy’s Stone City.
• 14 Top Things to Do in Alberobello, Puglia’s Trulli Town