Puglia is a region in the south of Italy and it’s commonly known as the “heel” of the boot. Here you can find diverse landscapes, a great gastronomy and a true Italian essence. It also has some of the best beaches in the southern part of Italy and the climate will allow you to enjoy them. As you can see, there’s a lot of beautiful places to visit in Puglia.

It’s a region worth visiting as it’s not crowded with tourists, so you can go and feel like a local. If you are living in Bari or you are planning to go, you can’t miss this Puglia travel guide.

How to plan a perfect trip to Puglia

Puglia is the perfect place to go on holiday, so whether you live in Italy or you come from another country,  it’s a good trip to do. Italians seem to keep this region in secret, because even if it’s full of beaches (something that tourists love) it’s not massively crowded. We want to give you some tips to help you plan the perfect trip so you get to see the best places in Puglia. 

• Rent a car: it’s the best way to get around, faster than the public transportation. If you rent a car you will be able to visit all the beaches you want and you won’t have to limit the number of places you want to go to. 
• Choose the right time: if you travel to Puglia, we’re sure you don’t want to miss the beaches. So, as you may be wondering, summer is the right time to go. Italians go on vacation in July and August. Keep in mind that in these two months the prices will be higher. To enjoy your time in a calmer atmosphere, choose June or September.
• Where to fly?: Puglia has two international airports, but we recommend you to travel to the one in Bari. It’s the easiest access to the region and to travel around the other towns.
• Plan an itinerary: there’s a lot of places to visit in Puglia. If you don’t want to miss any of them make sure you plan an itinerary before arriving. This way your trip will be dynamic and you’ll enjoy it to the fullest. 
• Trip time: if you want to visit all the places in Puglia and you want to have a truly wonderful experience, we recommend you to spend 5 to 7 days in here. If you spend less days you won’t have time to visit everything. 

Best places to visit in Puglia

What to see in Puglia? There’s a lot of towns and beaches to discover. Some of them are: 

Bari

It’s the capital of Puglia and a very important area of the region. It’s the main gateway to Puglia, and even though a lot of people don’t stop to visit it, we recommend you to do it. 

You will discover the Old Town, where you can walk around and enjoy an authentic atmosphere while learning a lot about the local culture and people. 

Bari has a international port and that’s why it’s an important economic area.  

Central Puglia

It consists of green landscapes and nice beaches. Here are some of the places you should visit:

Valle d'Itria: from here, you can easily reach the beaches of the Adriatic and the Ionian coasts. A popular thing to do in here is visiting the caves of Castellana Grotta.

Locorotondo: this town has a circular form and it’s on the top of a hill. You can see the amazing views of Valle d'Itria from here. If you love to visit historical places with churches and squares, you’ll love it. 

Alberobello: is one of the most famous towns in Valle d'Itria because of its trulli houses. The Old Town has a unique magical atmosphere and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its prehistoric constructions techniques that make the houses still intact nowadays.

Ostuni: also known as the “White City”, because it’s full of white houses. There’s a lot of architecture to see in here such as churches, the Cathedral and the Bishop’s palace. 

Southern Puglia

Also known as the Salento Peninsula. A region with sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

Lecce: it’s said that it’s the “Florence of the south” because you can find a lot of Baroque architecture in its historical centre. Some attractions worth visiting are: the Duomo, Porta Napoli and the Church of San Giovanni Battista.

Gallipoli: this old town is located on a little island where you can find the amazing Gallipoli castle along with fortification walls and towers. 

Otranto: it’s a charming town with an impressive castle and it’s fully fortified. In contrast, there’s also a little port where you can walk around and eat fish. 

Northern Puglia

Also known as the Gargano Peninsula. Some towns you should visit in here:

Manfredonia: it’s a port and maritime town, but there’s also a lot of monuments to visit, especially churches. 

Vieste: it’s a seaside town, but the most amazing fact is that it’s located on a cliff. You have to go to the beaches in here and of course, visit the old town. You can take a ferry from here to visit the Tremiti Islands. 

Vico del Gargano: it’s Saint Valentine’s hometown. A medieval town located in the Gargano National Park. You can visit the castle, walk around the alleys, the palace… and outside the town you can visit the Necropolis. 

In the Adriatic coast you should visit the towns of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli. And in the Ionian coast the towns of Taranto and Massafra. 

Which is the best town to stay in Puglia?

Deciding where to stay in Puglia can be hard, because there’s a lot of towns and all of them are very nice and special. 

You should choose a place to stay where you have good options for eating out and located near the beach. So the perfect towns to stay are Lecce, Gallipoli or Otranto, in the south. Here you have good restaurants and places to visit and it’s a quiet area for a good sleep. If you stay here you won’t have to be worrying about packing and unpacking all the time, you can settle in one town. Do this only if you rent a car, because you can easily move from one town to another. 

However, there’s other options, like staying in a trulli house. These are stone houses with conical roofs, very typical from this region, especially in Valle d’Itria. By doing this you will have an authentic experience, as it’s a very different environment from the one you can find if you stay in the centre of any town. They are small and only have the basic things, but they are very cozy. Alberobello is the most popular town to do it. 

Now you are fully prepared to travel to Puglia and discover a very nice region, where you won’t only enjoy the landscapes, but also the food and the local people.

See you soon,

the helpHousing team