Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, is the country's best-kept travel secret. An elongated peninsula stretching 400 kilometres into the Adriatic and Ionian seas, it combines an extraordinary culinary tradition (pasta made fresh daily by the nonne, olive oil pressed from trees 1,000 years old, burrata so fresh it was made that morning), a remarkable architectural heritage (the trulli of Alberobello, the Baroque city of Lecce, the Castel del Monte of Frederick II) and a coast of considerable beauty at a price point that makes the Amalfi Coast seem extravagant by comparison.
The masseria hotel, a converted Puglian farmhouse, its rooms arranged around a central courtyard shaded by olive and almond trees, its table laden with the produce of the surrounding estate, is the defining luxury accommodation format of southern Italy, and Puglia's concentration of exceptional masserie makes it the finest destination in Italy for this type of travel.
The Valle d'Itria: Trulli Country
The Valle d'Itria in central Puglia is the region of the trulli, small, circular dry-stone dwellings with conical roofs, built using an ancient construction technique that allows them to be assembled and disassembled (to avoid property taxes in the feudal period) without mortar. The town of Alberobello, with its UNESCO World Heritage-listed district of over 1,500 trulli, is the most concentrated example, but the valley villages of Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca offer the trulli landscape with considerably less tourist pressure.
Several trulli complexes have been converted into accommodation, sleeping in a trullo is a genuinely memorable experience, the thick stone walls providing natural insulation that makes them cool in summer. Masseria Il Frantoio near Ostuni and Masseria San Domenico near Fasano represent two of the region's finest estate hotels.
Lecce: The Florence of the South
Lecce, the capital of the Salento peninsula at Puglia's southernmost point, is known as the Florence of the South for the extraordinary concentration of Baroque architecture that lines its streets, churches, palaces and public buildings all executed in a honey-coloured local limestone (pietra leccese) soft enough to carve with extraordinary detail, producing facades of rococo exuberance. The Basilica di Santa Croce is the showpiece, but the entire historic centre rewards unhurried exploration.
The Patria Palace Hotel (occupying a 17th-century palace opposite the Santa Croce) is the finest hotel in the city; the Risorgimento Resort provides a more contemporary alternative. Lecce's food scene has evolved considerably, the combination of genuinely ancient local traditions (pitta di patate, ciceri e tria, rustico leccese) with a new wave of restaurants using local ingredients with modern technique creates a table of considerable interest.
The Puglian Coast
Puglia has over 800 kilometres of coastline, the Adriatic side (from Bari south to Otranto) offers long sandy beaches and the extraordinary sea caves of the Grotte di Castellana; the Ionian side (from Taranto south) has calmer, warmer water and the fine sand beaches of the Salento peninsula at Porto Cesareo and Torre dell'Orso. The northernmost point, the Gargano promontory, is Puglia's wildest coast, the Foresta Umbra (a dense beech forest covering the promontory's interior, unique in this part of Italy) and the offshore Tremiti Islands (accessible by ferry from Vieste) are the Gargano's finest attractions.
Food and Wine
Puglia is Italy's most productive agricultural region, the source of a third of the country's olive oil, enormous quantities of wine (much of it historically used to beef up thinner northern wines before Puglian DOC designations created an incentive for quality production) and the fresh vegetables and legumes that define the regional kitchen. The local pasta shapes, orecchiette ('little ears') tossed with cime di rapa (broccoli rabe) and anchovies, are deceptively simple and deeply satisfying. The wine estates of the Salento (Primitivo di Manduria) and around Brindisi (Susumaniello, a rare indigenous variety) are worth visiting for tastings.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit Puglia?
May, June and September are the finest months, warm enough for beaches, comfortable for sightseeing, and the olive groves and vineyards are at their most beautiful. July and August are very hot and the coastal areas become busy. Spring (April to May) brings wildflowers to the countryside. Winter is quiet but Lecce and the inland towns remain worthwhile.
How do you get to Puglia from the UK?
Direct flights from London Gatwick and Stansted to Bari and Brindisi operate with Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways. The flight takes approximately two and a half hours. Car hire from the airport is strongly recommended for exploring the region.
What is a masseria holiday?
A masseria is a traditional Puglian farmhouse estate, historically a self-sufficient agricultural unit. Converted masserie range from working farms with rooms to some of the finest boutique hotels in Italy, the finest have pools, spas, cooking classes and meals sourced entirely from the estate. This type of accommodation is unique to Puglia and represents its most distinctive luxury offering.
Can you combine Puglia with other Italian destinations?
Puglia combines naturally with the Amalfi Coast (a three-hour drive to Naples, then the coast road south) and Naples itself. The Trenitalia high-speed network connects Bari to Rome in three and a half hours, making a Rome-Puglia combination easy. We design itineraries combining Puglia with other Italian regions based on your interests and time available.
