Why I love Puglia

We've been visiting Puglia in the autumn every year since we first 'discovered' it, in 2019. It has become our favourite place in mainland Italy. Here are some of the reasons why.

1. Food

I’m not talking about restaurants although there are plenty of those if you want to eat out. I’m talking about the local produce you can buy at the outdoor markets or from a small-holder with an ‘Ape’ in the piazza or on the side of the road. Just the produce is fantastic, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, fish, not to mention taralli, pasticciotti, rustici, focaccia barese. Better, and cheaper than anywhere else in Italy. More here.

2. Landscapes, nature, agriculture.

Valle d'Itria in the spring with the trulli, olive groves, green fields, flowers and poppies everywhere. Tilled fields in the autumn driving through Daunia. Brilliant green Mediterranean vegetation with vivid blue sea and rocks around Gargano peninsula.  The light coloured soft stone and white villages, punctuated by flowers. The clear light stone of the Romanico pugliese churches or historical centres next to the blue sea. Sunrises and sunsets. Vivid contrasts by day and soft pastels as the light fades at dusk.

Let my favourite photos do the talking…here are just some examples: Puglia is a delight for the eyes.

3. Towns and villages 

Ideal for slow-travellers who like wandering: Trani, Giovinazzo, Alberobello, Martina Franca, Vieste, Bari (city), Locorotondo, Lecce, Porto Cesareo......HIDDEN GEMS HERE

4. Architecture

I’m in love with ‘Romanico Pugliese’ combined with frescoes, and chiese rupestri (rupestrian churches)

5. The coast

My favourite place on the coast is Vieste in the Gargano area but these are also beautiful: Punta Penne and Torre Guaceto nature reserve, the coast near Campomarino-Salina dei Monaci in Alto Salento, other beaches in Gargano like Mannacora and Portonuovo in particular; the sea around Porto Cesareo.

6. Unique places

The trulli di Alberobello. No, not just quaint, not just touristy….they are a Unesco World Heritage Site: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/787

Not technically in Puglia (it's in the neighboring region of Basilicata), known for its ancient cave dwellings, or "sassi," Matera is unique and is another a UNESCO World Heritage Site. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/670 

The cathedral on the sea in Trani (not quite sure why it isn’t UNESCO!)

Tips for visiting Puglia

- Don't go in July and August when it’s too hot and the rest of the world is there.

- Most activities stop between about 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, especially in smaller towns. This means you might as well relax since museums and churches and shops will probably be closed. It also means that if you’re nervous about driving this is a good time to arrive and park. About 6pm will be chaotic!

- Public transport: the trainline down the east coast which links Barletta, Trani, Bisceglie, Molfetta, Giovinazzo, Bari, Mola di Bari, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli and then Brindisi and Lecce is fast, modern and reliable and with a little patience public transport can get you everywhere except to the most remote beaches. Driving is no big problem in Puglia as long as you avoid historical centres which are ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato). More about driving in Puglia here.

- All good? Puglia improves every year but you will see some rubbish abandoned in lay-bys and the bit about the coast of Salento being like the Maldives doesn't mean that all the beaches are exactly like that. Also, unfortunately there aren't as many olive trees as in the past, the Salento area has been hit by Xylella fastidiosa, a disease of olive trees and it's changing the landscape there.