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Puglia is the region forming the heel part of Italy and is full of beautiful beaches and historic towns. This region was once inhabited by the Greek colonies and you can see the influence in the white houses with blue accents.
Puglia is not the first place everyone thinks of when they are planning a trip to Italy, but it is becoming more and more popular due to its beautiful views and amazing food! You’ve probably already seen some pictures or videos from Polignano a Mare while on social media.
I wanted a calm few days near the ocean and Puglia turns out to be exactly what I needed.
Those are the towns I wanted to see: Bari, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Matera, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Ostuni, Lecce, Gallipoli. Some turned out to be a must, but some can definitely be skipped. So here are my reviews and recommendations.
How to explore Puglia :
To visit Puglia, I highly recommend you to rent a car, the buses aren’t practical nor reliable in this region. We came from Tuscany and already had a car, but you can easily come to Bari by train and rent a car from there to start your exploration of Puglia.
Where to stay:
I spent five days in Puglia, staying at one place and exploring the rest by car. Personally I was way more interested in the north part of Puglia so I only went in the south part for a day. By staying only at one place, it allows me and my friends to get to know the town, its cafes, restaurants and, of course, its best gelato. It kind of became our new home and we were a little heartbroken when we left it. Puglia is vast and you’ll need at least five days to explore it.
However, if you want to explore more of the south part, I would recommend staying at least at two places. Otherwise you are going to lose a lot of time on the road and the views on the road aren’t really interesting from what I’ve seen.
I chose Monopoli as our base camp because it is a charming and fun little town bordered by the sea and its location is central to the towns I wanted to explore. I recommend choosing a room in the old town of Monopoli, and close to the waterside. No cars are allowed and it’s full of little restaurants and shops. We park our car in a free parking lot just beside the old town. Sometimes you have to search a little bit but we were never far.
Another nice experience would be to live in Trulli for a night. It’s a type of habitation dating as far as the 14th century. It is really charming with its circular shape and a pointed roof. You’ll find the majority of Puglia’s Trulli in Alberobello or near Locorotondo, but there are some elsewhere in Puglia.
Itinerary
Day One : Monopoli
We arrived during the afternoon, so we decided to take the rest of the day to relax in Monopoli. We wanted to just stroll the streets that run along the waterside and eat a lot, which is of course one of the best things to do in Italy. We took a walk from Porto Monopoli, through Castello Carlo V and then Porto Bianco beach before exploring all the little streets.
Then, my husband and I had aperitivo at Calamari & liquori. We had a spritz with the calamari cone, which was so good that we came back the next day. Then we met our friend to take some more appetizers and wine at CarloQuinto which is just beside the water. We admired our first sunset there and took some great pictures.
Then we just really wanted pizza so we dined at The King street food which was very close to where we stayed. You absolutely need to try their frittelle del Re, it was absolutely amazing and I craved it for a few weeks. It is balls of fried pizza dough with a selection of sauces, simple and perfect. It is a really fun spot so we came back on our last day!
Last but not least, we had to finish the day with a gelato! I always try to find the best gelato beforehand, because there’s so much fake gelato even in Italy. You can recognize real gelato by their metal pot with a lid. The extra fluffy and flashy ones are not true gelato. We went to Il Gelato per Passione and it was everything we were looking for ! We actually came three times during our stay here.
I recommend you to take a day like this to just relax, admire the town and see how people live here. It’s really revitalizing.
Day Two : Polignano a Mare
Polignano a Mare is probably the first picture you stumble upon during your research of Puglia and for a good reason! The town is bordered by the Adriatic sea, with the bluest of water and beautiful cliffs full of little caves. The views are breathtaking and you’ll find yourself taking pictures of every corner, at least I was.
We found a big parking lot near the city, you’ll need to pay a few euros.
We spent the morning getting lost in the beautiful streets. You’ll get Italian vibes mixed with Greek vibes with all the little streets bordered by white houses and blue accents. Every now and then there’s beautiful spots at the edge of a town near the cliffs, perfect for pictures!
Diner : I highly recommend picking some delicious food at Frumé! Their Focaccias are amazing as well as their arancini.
For the afternoon, I had reserved a boat tour to see all the beautiful caves. I saw many recommendations online and after reading a lot of feedback I’ve chosen to book this tour with GetYourGuide.
The tour was amazing! We had taralli to snack on and a glass of prosecco. We also had time to swim and enjoy the beautiful water. The boat went into some of the caves, including in the one near the famous Grotta Palazzese restaurant which was beautiful with the ray of light coming through. We had a great time and it is in my opinion the best way to view the cliffs and take the best pictures of Polignano a mare.
After the boat ride, we were taking a little walk to our car when we noticed a little rock formation creating a small cove with amazing blue water with some people swimming. We decided we wanted to spend a little more time in the water and go for a swim. I find out later that this beach is called Grottone. It is really rocky so you need to be careful and take your time until you reach the water. Also, your feet are not gonna touch, but there are no waves. We had a great time and it was the best end of a beautiful day in Polignano a Mare.
If you want, there are other beaches, like the famous Cana Monachile, but I find it too touristy.
Then, we went back to Monopoli to finish the day and have dinner.
Day three: Locorotondo and Alberobello
Our Third day was dedicated to trulli, those pretty circular constructions with pointy roofs. So first, a bit of history. This unique type of habitation dated all the way back to the 14th century. During that time, the Kingdom of Naples asked all new settlements to pay taxes. The hypothesis is that in response to that policy, this type of construction made from limestones was invented as a way to build and demolish houses easily allowing the inhabitants to move before having to pay taxes. Today, they are definitely a tourist attraction, but some are still inhabited. If you want, you can rent one as your accommodation while you stay in Puglia.
We decided to start with Locorotondo, have lunch there and then go to Alberobello. But I recommend you do the opposite, because Alberobello can become very touristy during the day. So here is how I wish I had planned my day.
Alberobello
I recommend you come before 9 am if you want to skip the crowds and have the best time possible.
Alberobello is THE place to see trulli when you start your research. It is a town made of more than a thousand trulli and is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Start by going to the main area, Rione Monti. That is where you’ll see hundreds of trulli. It is truly impressive! However, be aware, this is a very touristy place. A lot of the trulli are converted in little local shops to buy souvenirs including small models of trulli, jewels and local liqueur. But I still think it deserved to be seen because it is truly an unique place! Then, go to the neighborhood just beside the Rione Aia Piccola, to have a more peaceful moment.
I recommend going on one of the many rooftops to admire the view, see another angle of the trulli and have a more peaceful moment. My favorite pictures from Alberobello were taken on a rooftop. It is possible you’ll need to buy a little something to have access to the roof, but I think it is worth it!
I think one to two hours in the town is perfect.
Locorotondo
Then, take the road to Locorotondo, which is only a 10 minutes drive or 10-15 minutes bus ride if you are using public transport.
You can see a lot of trulli in the road to Locorotondo, then a lot more around the town. There’s no cars allowed in the streets, so we parked in a free parking lot at the entrance of the town at Piazza Antonio Mitrano.
Locorotondo is a charming small town atop of a hill and surrounded by valleys full of vineyards and olive groves. There’s not many tourists there which is refreshing.
Take this time to really appreciate the architecture of the old town, to wander in the sinuous streets and admire the views. Start by wandering all the little streets, take a look at Chiesa Madre di S. Giorgio, palazzo Morelli, and just get lost in the streets. Eventually you’ll get to the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. From there walk just a little bit to the lungomare. Go to the belvedere, admire all the trulli mixed with vineyards and olive groves and continue your sightseeing taking Via Nardelli back to the piazza Antonio.
Locorotondo is also known for its white wines, including a sparkling Bianco Locorotondo DOC. The grapes are grown in the Valle D’Itria around the town. You could reserve a wine tasting in one of the few wineries in the region or you could try some at a restaurant, like we did.
We then went back to Monopoli, but if you want you can also explore some of the towns nearby like Ostuni, Martina Franca or Cisternino which all look charming.
Day four: Lecce and Gallipoli
Our fourth day, we decided to go to the south of Puglia. We really wanted to spend a few hours relaxing at the beach so we did not visit a lot. But I’m gonna give you some ideas of places to go if you want to take a little road trip or if you want to spend a few days in the south part.
Lecce
So we went to Lecce first. Lecce has a lot of historical monuments dating to Roman times. All the historic monuments are intertwined with the modern city so the charm was a little lost for me, but it is still interesting to see so much history mixed with modern life. If it’s your type of town, you can visit it for a few hours or can even be used as your base if you want to stay for a few days in the south of Puglia.
We arrive at the Porta Rudia, we then walk around a little bit the streets until we arrive at the Piazza del Duomo and Lecce Cathedrale. From there, I recommend you go see the Roman Theater followed by Piazza di Sant’Oronzo where you can see the Roman amphitheater of Lecce. take a walk through the Public Garden of Giuseppe Garibaldi if you want to see a little bit of greenery in the center of the city. Not far from there, you’ll find the Basilica di Santa Croce. It has a beautiful baroque style, with a centrale rosette, a lot of details, carvings, columns and pale stones with golden hue. There’s other beautiful churches all around the city, so for the rest of the time here I recommend you just wander in the streets of the historical center if you want to see more.
Gallipoli
Gallipoli is known for its beautiful beaches at the edge of the Ionienne sea. There’s many beaches in this part of Puglia, so choose your resort or lido according to your preference.
Spiaggia di Baia Verde: The longest one is Spiaggia di Baia Verde with many lidos side by side where you can rent a chair and umbrella, order food and drinks and enjoy a good day in this crystal clear blue water! There’s many clubs here with DJs and concerts.
Padula Bianca beach: This one is north of Gallipoli center, less touristy and has less of a party vibe. It’s better if you want some calm. Also, you can find some free beaches along this part of the coast.
Purità Beach: This one is just beside the historic center of Gallipoli, so if your plan is to visit the castle and churches of Gallipoli, you can easily have a good time at this beach afterwards. You’re very close to shops and restaurants so it’s a great location.
Here are some other places you can explore in the south of Puglia (I did not have time, so I can’t give you my feedback):
Otrante : Another beautiful town with charming cobbled streets and white buildings abutting the sea. You can explore Otrante’s castle, visit its churches, and relax on its beautiful beaches.
Ponte Ciolo : It’s considered a great viewpoint. You’ll find a bridge passing over a cove with amazingly blue water where you can take a little swim. There’s also a hiking trail just beside the cove.
Grotta della Poesia: If you have time in your itinerary and are doing a road trip, you can pass by and admire this natural swimming pool. But beware, it became a touristy place and you need to pay for the parking and then to see the site. Also, now you are not allowed to swim in the pool, people jump in without the approval of the security guard guarding the stairs. So go there if you want to see this natural gem and the coast around it.
Day Five: Matera
Matera is not technically in Puglia, but I absolutely recommend adding this destination to your itinerary! Plan at least a complete day here, or two days if you want to experience living in a cave carved in the sassi or even one of the beautiful hotels.
Matera is part of UNESCO World Heritage and was named European capital of culture in 2019. James Bond movie No Time to Die was even filmed there! It’s truly unique, packed with fascinating history and you absolutely need to see it in your life!
Matera has existed for thousands of years and has seen many civilizations. It started on neolithic settlements, was a trading route in Roman times, Byzantine monks carved churches in the rocks in the VIII century and more. But as time passed by Matera eventually became too crowded and afflicted by poverty, unsanitary conditions and diseases. In the 1950s, people were still living there without running water, sewage or electricity. Authorities eventually forced the habitants out of the ancient town to live in new constructions.
Now, there’s beautiful hotels or B&B and restaurants, but the majority of Matera was preserved and is unlike anything you’ll ever see!
Matera is made on two Sassi, Sasso Barisano et Sasso Caveoso. The Sassi are rock cliffs where people used to live in caves carved in limestone. Next to the Sassi, you’ll see a ravine full of grottoes dating back to Neolithic time. Every part of Matera is unique and deserves a look.
How to go to Matera :
By car : It’s what I recommend. There’s a free parking lot dedicated to tourists.
Bus : You can take the bus from Bari, but it takes about 2h30. From Monopoli you’ll need to take a train then a bus and it takes about 3h.
Transfert : You can pay for a transfer between Bari and Matera.
What to do :
- Walk tour of Matera. Like many Italian towns, it is best explored by foot. Matera is a labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets with a lot of stairs, so put some good shoes on and bring water!
If you want, you can take a guided tour, which I recommend if you have the time because there’s so much history everywhere and good explanations will definitely enhance your experience!
Matera: 3-hour Full Sassi Guided Tour Idris Church & Tasting
Matera’s Sassi Walking Tour – History and Culture
Matera: Private Walking Tour
- Belvedere Murgia Timone. Don’t miss this view! This viewpoint is at the top of the ravine facing the Sassi. You can either go there by car, there’s even parking, or you can cross Ponte Tibetano della Gravina and hike the ravine. It’s steep and the sun is directly on you, so be prepared if you decide to hike (which I didn’t do)!
- Via Madonna delle Virtù. This street gives you a beautiful view of the ravine.
- Rione Casalnuovo. This street also gives you an amazing view plus you’ll be able to see uninhabited caves from up close.
- Piazza Pascoli. Admire the view from there.
- Church San PIetro e Paolo and piazza San Pietro Caveoso. Another historic church and view you need to see.
- Santa Maria di Idris. It’s the most famous rock church in Matera. You’ll definitely see this church stand out from the rest because it’s carved in rock on top of a hill in Sasso Caveoso. There are many churches in Matera, but this one is definitely my favorite. You can even visit the inside if you want.
- Live in a cave in the sassi. As I said, there’s beautiful hotels and B&B in Matera, some of them are carved in stone to give you a better feel of Matera.
Flo's Travel Plans 