After years of dreaming and six months of planning; my husband and I finally made it to Puglia; a Southern Italian region that is quickly gaining popularity but still retains immense authentic charm, friendly hospitality and real hidden gems.

Given that the region is quite large with multiple interesting towns and villages to visit, it wasn’t easy deciding where to base ourselves and which spots to visit instead.


We spent 10 days in Puglia and for a first timer, I think we did really well. We love every single location, experience and meal; which isn’t an easy thing to achieve! SO, if I were going to Puglia again for the first time, here’s how I would do it (and did it).

*This assumes you land into Bari, we didn’t have the option of Brindisi and if we did, our plan would be quite different so keep this in mind.

Bari


We actually only spent one night in Bari on our way out but I would highly recommend spending at least one to two nights in the Old Town.

Bari feels like an incredible mix of the beautiful architecture you see in Rome and the traditional Italian customs you see on Instagram. You will most definitely find groups of locals hanging out at bars for aperitivo — somehow they all know each other — as well as spotting nonna’s hand rolling orecchiette on Strada Arco Basso.

It’s an incredibly charming town and has a lot to offer. We were in the city for less than 24 hours and chose the Mövenpick Bari, I wouldn’t really recommend this as it’s a more business hotel however it did the job, is well-located and had a very good breakfast.

Eat and drink at:

PerBacco / Biancofiore / Terranima / Radicale / Al Pescatore / Al 2 Ghiottoni / Mostofiore / Enoteca al Centro / Baretto

Must do:

Explore old town

Monopoli


Less that an hour’s drive from Bari is your first fairytale town. Monopoli is a seaside village that looks like it’s out of a movie. I don’t know how Google Maps works in places like this because it’s full of tiny lanes, each one more picturesque than the last. Monopoli is famous for it’s fishermen’s harbour, nearby beaches and fresh seafood.

There is one main square/street which gets busy in the evenings however the town itself is pretty quiet. We also went in the peak of summer which means most towns are pretty empty until 6pm when everyone gets back from the beach.

You can easily do day trips to Matera from here which we missed out on — but now we have a great reason to come back!

You must also visit Polignano a Mare which is much busier than Monopoli but feels a bit more touristy as well. We had a brilliant experience at a nearby vineyard and farm where we were served a farm to table lunch in a forest — something I highly recommend trying out.

Where to stay:

Monopoli is a completely pedestrian town and has mostly B&Bs with no car access. We stayed at Palazzo Mulini which was close to the car park and had huge rooms, however, ask for a room on the first floor. Our friends stayed at Corte Sant Angelo which was also good, and had less stairs. I would really suggest staying in the town if you can however if you’re driving and can find parking then you can visit the town for meals and stay somewhere more luxurious.


Eat and drink at:

Al Vicoletto / Trattoria San Domenico / La Locanda dei Mercanti / Tuttaposto Winebar / Carlo Quinto / Sottocoperta

Must do:

Wine and olive oil tasting at Azienda Agricola Rivale / Porto Bianco Beach with a meal at Lido Bianco / Drinks and dinner at Borgo Egnazia (about 20 mins away) / Boat tour to the caves of Polignano a Mare / Beach clubs like Le Palme, Lido Bambu, Cala Paradiso (also about 20 mins away)

Lecce


Known as the Baroque Town, the architecture here is completely different to Monopoli with the town feeling a little more sophisticated and lived in. There is an old and new part, and both are quite nice though the newer part does feel a bit run down.

The highlight of our stay was our hotel, Patria Palace. It’s incredibly well located, offers a valet service if you’re driving, has a lovely rooftop bar and spacious rooms. The staff are super attentive and the AC works well (this is very rare in Italy in summer).

We also had one of my favourite meals here at Le Zie Trattoria, a very local, very family run spot with only a few very fresh, well made items on the menu.

My other highlight of our stay here was our day at Bagno Marino Archi, a beach club that is about 45 mins away where you’ll find a great mix of locals and tourists and some of the bluest water you’ve ever seen.


Where to stay:

Patria Palace Lecce

Eat and drink at:

Lunch at Le Zie Trattoria / Cucina di Mamma Elvira / Aperitivo at Gusto Liberrima / Folia / Filiera / Alex Ristorante / Santavoglia

Must do:

Bagno Marino Archi

Ostuni


When researching Puglia you’ll come across many masseria accommodations, many of these around Ostuni. A masseria is essentially a fortified farmhouse, many on olive groves, which have been converted into hotels. You will find a huge range of options from 100 eur a night to 2,000 eur a night so it really depends on what you’re looking for and a location that works for you.

Regardless of what you choose though, I highly recommend staying at a masseria. We stayed at the Instagram sensation Masseria Moroseta and though I don’t think it met my expectations, the endless greenery and peace and quiet was so lovely. They also do one of the best farm to table breakfasts and dinners I’ve ever had that non-hotel guests can book on their website.

We did not drive but were able to call a taxi to pick us up and take us to Ostuni for the two meals we did there, they charge about 25 eur for a 10 minute drive.

Ostuni is a stunning hilltop city that is literally out of a movie. It has teeny tiny alleyways, tons of stairs and incredible views over the surrounding olive groves and ocean. I would highly recommend *not* staying in Ostuni and rather outside the town as it’s fully pedestrian with a lot of stairs and slopes.


Where to stay:

Any masseria within a short drive from the town

Eat and drink at:

Osteria Piazzetta Cattedrale / Ristorante La Vecchia Terrazza Ostuni / Osteria Ricanatti / Ristorante Trattoria Fave e Foggia / Orto Urbano for aperitivo in a garden / Acquasanta

Must do:

Visit Alborobello and Locorotondo with this private tour / Nearby beach clubs like Cala Maka, Calderisi Beach, Dolce Vita Beach Club / A guided tuk tuk tour of Ostuni


Other Tips

  • I would not recommend staying in very small towns like Alborobello, Locorotondo, etc. as they get full of tourists in the day and are quite far away from the beach. Better to do day trips.
  • It’s very very hot in the summer so plan to be at the beach till at least 5pm.
  • ACs are not very effective in most hotels during summer, so keep this in mind.
  • Most people drive, however, if you choose not to like we did, every hotel was super helpful when it came to organising transfers. We actually found this more convenient and comfortable.
  • If you book a boat tour choose a private one and spend the whole day out on the water vs. the 2 hours tours that operators offer.
  • Most towns are pedestrian only so check where you can get dropped off, park, etc. before booking hotels.
  • The two places we couldn’t visit were Matera and Gallipoli which I would add to my itinerary if I had more time.
  • Otranto is another great option to stay near Lecce if you want to focus on the beach.
  • If you have any questions about my trip please feel free to DM me at https://www.instagram.com/devikapathak/