Until recently, Puglia hasn’t made the itinerary of the average European traveller. However, it’s starting to get noticed in a big way. It’s a region with beautiful beaches, unique villages and the most warm and lovely people. We spent a week this past summer on a road trip exploring Puglia and fell in love with it. There are so many things to see and do, so read on to find out how we made the most of a one week trip and start planning your Puglia itinerary.
Puglia is officially the heel of Italy’s “boot”. This means it’s a fair distance from other tourist hotspots. It’s likely you’ll find it easier to fly into the area. The good news is, it’s well serviced by two main airports, Brindisi or Bari. We flew EasyJet from Venice to Brinidisi. Taking just over an hour at a cost of less than €65 per person.
Once you’re in Puglia, we recommend hiring a car. This area is vast. Despite some train services up and down the coast, you’ll have much more freedom with wheels of your own. Driving in Italy can also be a fun and rewarding experience but you may want to equip yourself with our guide to driving in Italy first if you haven’t done so already.
This site may contain affiliate links which may provide a commission. Our reviews and commentary remain independent and commission comes at no cost to you. Income derived help us create more content to help travellers like you make the most of your travel experiences. Thank you!
Days 1 – 3: Explore the Salento region
The Salento region is the southern part of the Puglia region. This area has amazing coastal towns and sleepy villages and deserves a visit on any Puglia itinerary. You have the choice of visiting the east coast which lies on the Adriatic Sea, or the west coast for the Ionian Sea (or indeed both!). We based our travels on the east coast, and would recommend visits to the following towns.
Lecce
Known for its baroque architecture, it’s sometimes called the “Florence of Puglia”. I know, the nicknames are getting quite niche! We spent the best part of a day walking around this cute little town, and you could make this your base. The food scene here is evolving, and there are a range of quality, hole in the wall restaurants to try. Most not even on Google Maps or Foursquare, so take the opportunity to walk around and find the one that takes your fancy.
For sightseeing, check out the Basilica di Santa Croce, and the Roman Theatre. These ruins would be overflowing with tourists if they were in Rome or Florence. Here, you’ll share with only a few others. Consider it a reward for making your way down to this end of the country.
Lecce is easily managed on foot, but if you’d like an insider’s take on the city, a sunset tour with a guide can be an excellent way to learn more about Lecce.
BOOK ONLINE: Sunset guided walking tour || 2.5 hours || From €33
Torre dell’Orso
Some of the most beautiful blue water we’ve ever seen was right here. You can take a short, easy walk around the cliffs for magnificent views. If the weather is hot (super likely in summer!), spend the day here and rent some beach chairs and umbrellas. Be sure to get there early though. Whilst this area isn’t hugely well known outside of Italy, the locals know all about it! And they aren’t the type of folks to give up their chairs easily!
Otranto
A gorgeous little town right on the water. The old town is pedestrianised and has loads of wonderful shops and restaurants. It’s an easy stop on any Puglia itinerary.
Ostuni
Known as the “white town”, because the buildings are predominantly white with some beige, off white and cream thrown in for good measure. Ostuni is yet another beautiful Italian city with a gorgeous old town made for strolling.
Stay – Dimora Del Duca
This boutique luxury B&B is newly opened. The local owners, Nicola and Simona will make sure you have an amazing stay. The B&B is a converted farmhouse with four guest rooms, surrounded by landscaped gardens.
We need to call out the breakfast here, prepared with love by Nicola and Simona. Delicious cured meats, homemade cakes, fresh fruit from the property and local dishes. We also have to thank them for introducing us to the southern Italian dish of frisa. Stale bread, dipped in water, topped with tomatoes and olive oil. The dish originally came from the region when times were tough and fresh bread a luxury. The tradition has hung on though, and it’s something of a different take on bruschetta. It’s simple and delicious.
To cool off in the hot summers there is also an inviting pool. It’s a 10 minute drive into Lecce and well positioned for a base in the Salento region on your Puglia itinerary.
Days 4 – 6: Explore the Bari region
Alberobello
A small town famous for the cute “trulli” cone-like homes. The whole area looks like a scene out of a fairytale. You’ll be wanting to take pictures at every bend. You only need a few hours here to explore, but you could also spend a night if you want to experience staying in a trulli. Most of the town is pedestrianised, keep an eye out for parking on the way in, and be conscious of the one way streets.
Similar to the other towns in Puglia, Alberobello is also compact enough to explore on foot independently. If you’d prefer to have the help of a guide as well as try some local delicacies and step into a trulli home yourself, a guided walking tour is available.
BOOK ONLINE: Guided walking tour || 2 hours || From €25
Eat – La Lira
Your classic hole in the wall eatery, you’ll spot this place for the line out the door. To be clear, this is a foccacceria, and is not to be confused with a pizzeria. In fact, Jeff made that mistake. Whilst ordering, he got a prompt, passionate lesson on the differences from the owner, much to the dismay of those behind him. Italian culinary lessons, aside, it’s cheap and tasty. No need for your budget to hold you back on a great lunch here.
Polignano a Mare
This is the insta-famous town we were most looking forward to visiting, and was the highlight of our Puglia itinerary! This clifftop town has the most amazing views of the crystal clear Adriatic sea. Surrounded by a jaw dropping cliff face, Lama Monachile is the most famous beach from your Instagram dreams. We spent our afternoons here taking in the unique scenery and enjoying a refreshing dip in the ocean. It’s a pebble beach, so rock shoes are a wise investment and can be purchased for €12. Jeff was adamant his lack of rock shoes was worth it, yet the wincing on his face told me otherwise!
One thing that isn’t evident when you first arrive in Polignano a Mare, is what the town is built atop of. It’s an amazing, if not scary, sight to see the town is literally on top of caves! To get this unique view, take a tour by boat. It was €20 for a 2 hour trip that also gave us time to swim in some more isolated coves along the coast. There are a few different operators, and we chose Polignano In Mare excursions. Tours depart a 10 minute drive out of town, so take an Italian tuk-tuk to reach the port. When booking your tuk-tuk, it’s a flat fee return, so represents great value.
Eat – La Locanda Porta Picc
We enjoyed some of the best pasta we’ve ever eaten in Polignano a Mare. Don’t miss dinner at this small family run restaurant located in the old town. Despite being a laid-back town, bookings are essential. They have only a handful of tables. We counted dozens of disappointed parties who didn’t get a chance to dine here. Don’t be one of them!
Stay – Alalama B&B
Located outside of the old town, this affords you a short walk to the action, and a peaceful place to rest at night. It also provides free and ample parking, which is a huge benefit in these old Italian towns. The rooms were comfortable and basic, with some providing sea views. The owners Angelo and Angela were most helpful with tips and securing activity bookings.
Day 7: Relax in a Masseria
Stay – Masseria Montenapoleone
On our last night in Puglia we decided to splash out and treat ourselves to a night in a Masseria. There are quite a lot of masserias in Puglia, which are effectively luxury farm stays. This property was recommended by an Italian friend. From the moment we arrived we wish we could have stayed longer.
On arrival, you’re given a tour of the property, which is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards. There are so many beautiful open areas that are thoughtfully decorated. It’s an Instagrammers paradise. The pool area is so inviting and the perfect place to relax. It’s also not a bad spot to enjoy the complimentary Aperol Spritz either!
The rooms blend into the natural surroundings whilst being super comfortable. The rooms aren’t numbered here, you’ll have a local plant assigned. We stayed in the Ficodindia (prickly pear) room which was sensational and true to the original design of the building.
We ate a lovely dinner here, but breakfast was the highlight. If you’ve been to Italy before, you’ll know they love a good cake breakfast. They had the best spread of freshly prepared cakes I have ever seen and tasted! We left completely satisfied with our visit and hope that we will be able to return one day soon.
This stay marked the end of our week long Puglia itinerary. A trip with a mix of exploration and relaxation. If you favour one over the other, there’s plenty to be enjoyed. We hope this guide will help you plan a trip to this beautiful part of Italy. Let us know if a visit is on your bucket list!
Like what you read? We’d love to keep you up to date with the latest travel tips, insights and inspo. We don’t spam – we promise!
Like it? Pin it for later!
Puglia is amazing. I was lucky enough to attend a wedding in the region and had a chance to travel around a bit, but I still need to see several more places. I loved Lecce, Otranto and Gallipoli. And of course, Alberobello which was too touristy for me. Your itinerary inspired me to visit other places I haven’t seen yet. I’ll be back, Puglia 🙂
A wedding in Puglia would be very, very special! We would love to revisit and spend even more time there, it’s such a wonderful region. Maybe we’ll see you there on your return too! 🙂
This is a great guide – thanks so much! We have 5 nights and want to base ourselves in 2 locations. We’re doing the first 3 nights at the B&B outside Lecce you recommend! For the last 2 nights, would you recommend we go south (i.e. to Otranto) or a little further north (i.e. Monopoli / Polignano a Mare)? We’re flying into/out of Brindisi but everything looks reasonably close together. Thanks again~
G’day Jordan, thanks for the feedback! We love Puglia – it even has a space on our wall here at home which has been a useful escape this last year and a bit!
So we did go south to Otranto for a day trip from Polignano. So perhaps you could do a drive and drop in before staying in Polignano a Mare? Polignano A Mare can’t be missed, so we’d absolutely recommend staying there. Hope that helps and we look forward to hearing about your trip!