Hidden Gems of Puglia

Ok the title and the picture (which is Baia Mergoli/Zagare near Mattinata) is to get your attention. What I really mean is places to visit in Puglia which are usually and unjustly neglected in the rush to visit Lecce, Alberobello, Ostuni, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare. This blog is about slow travel which also means  seeking out less visited destinations, where a polite, respectful tourist with the desire to discover something about a land and its culture (and that includes food and drink for me) is still welcome. This list is based on our travel experiences in the splendid region of Puglia in the south of Italy. If you want crowds, noise, to tick monuments and destinations off your 'to-do' list and popular selfie destinations, this list is probably not for you and in any case is not applicable in July and August.

1. Trani. My favourite place as I have explained at great length here.

2. Bari. Is not just the name of your arrival airport but a city with a splendid historical centre, two of the most beautiful Romanesque cathedrals, a great seafront, fantastic mercati rionali where you can buy local produce. An excellent base to travel up and down the Adriatic coast by train. See more here.

3. Vieste. Gargano peninsula. Better not in July and August. Shoulder season fantastic. The 3km long Scialara beach with its firm walkable golden sand, and Vieste perched on the cliff beyond, are places I never tire of. More here.

4. Bitonto. Not on the sea. For the architecture, the quiet historical centre, the cathedral. A day in Bitonto here.

5. Giovinazzo. Pale Puglia stone on a dazzling blue sea, a tiny harbour, a historical caffè. Slow Puglia. More here

6. Pietramontecorvino. In Daunia. Tiny and splendidly restored historical centre in the heart of Puglia. Difficult to forget such a friendly welcome for two stray and momentarily dispirited tourists. 

7. Troia. For the cathedral, for the people sitting in the square who ask you where you're from and have the time to chat and be interested in the reply, for the Pasticceria next to the cathedral that invented La Passionata and puts these little cakes in a special box and the box in a special paper bag, and for the best lamb I've eaten in my life. Our day here

8. Bovino, also because I slept in a castle without needing to be rich. Three nights in Bovino described in these posts

9. Molfetta for the cathedral near the sea, the twisting lanes of the old centre with an unexpected garden, the fish market and the harbour, an afternoon here 

10. Martina Franca for the decadent Baroque splendor, the palazzi and the square perfect for sitting and staring: an afternoon here

11. Locorotondo not just from a distance for the picture perfect whitewashed centre full of flowers:

12. Sant'Agata circling around on itself as you climb to the castle at the top.

13. Gravina, for the Gravina

14. Galatina for the Basilica di Sant’Alessandria and the Pasticciotti invented here by Andrea Ascalone.

15. Monte Sant'Angelo 

for the whitewashed houses, spectacular views and the Sanctuary and the Eremo di Pulsano, which is one of the most special places I've ever visited. Here's why

Have you visited Puglia? What were your favourite places? Did you find some hidden gems? Leave a comment below!