Benvenuti in Puglia - welcome to Puglia
Puglia is a diverse region. Geographically as well as culturally. From rugged, to green and glorious. With olive groves stretching all the way to the coast, limestone cliffs, sparking azure sea and exceptional, long sandy beaches.
The most frequent question that we are asked by people planning a visit to our region is: “where is the best base for a vacation in Puglia?”. To help your planning here are two tips to guide you to your perfect base.
Tip 1
Think of our region as a drama in three acts.
- Act 1: the north from Bari to Gargano.
- Act 2: the Valle d'Itria, sandwiched in between Acts 1 and 3.
- Act 3: Salento from Brindisi south, all the way to the tip of the heel.
Whilst Puglia is eminently navigable and it is only ever a short hop from one town to another, our region is one of Italy's longest - approximately 400km from north to south. A day trip to Santa Maria di Leuca from Vieste may not be practical. But if you have the luxury of two weeks in Puglia you might want to choose a couple of bases. Perhaps one inland, and another on the coast. Or one in the north, the other in the south. That way you will have the opportunity to better sample our region's diversity.
Tip 2
Our drama plays to 3 different audiences.
- #1: Those who come for the beaches. Northern Italians have been coming to the seaside resorts in Puglia for years, seeking out only the sun and a beach to spend the day on, day after day.
- #2: Those who come to see “brand” Puglia - our region's most visited destinations often and easily recommended in the echo chamber of travel forums.
- #3: Those visitors who are seeking something off the beaten track, seeing Puglia in 360°.
Armed with this information ask yourself what you want from your holiday. Do you plan to hop from town to town, with a little rest and recreation on the beach? Or is it to be sun, sand and sea all the way? Are you content to take in the tried and tested destinations that attract most visitors, or do you prefer to venture and discover some off the beaten track spots that you can find in abundance in our region?
Alberobello, one of the Valle d’Itria’s most visited spots. A must see for those seeking Brand Puglia.
The verdant Valle d'Itria has rolling olive groves as far as the eye can see. It has medieval white walled old towns: Locorotondo, Cisternino, both officially among i borghi piú belli d'Italia (Italy's most beautiful towns), and la città bianca itself, Ostuni. Here you will discover brand Puglia; destinations that most international visitors will know about and associate with Puglia. The Valle d'Itria is the most visited part of our region, especially popular with British and American visitors.
However, if you are planning a beach holiday the Itria valley has the least interesting beaches on offer in our region. The coast along the Valle d'Itria has long, narrow stretches of golden sand, in between stretches of rocky shelves and coves. Those who choose to come to Puglia for a beach holiday typically head south or north.
Torre Guaceto is a popular family beach in the Valle d’Itria near Brindisi and Ostuni.
To discover Puglia's finest beaches head to the Gargano or Salento. Here you will find pristine award winning beaches of white sand, crystal clear waters and dramatic sea stacks, superior to the Valle d'Itria's best. Baia delle Zagare and Spiaggia dei Faraglione, en route to Mattinata, in the Gargano are not to be missed. In Salento try Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle or the Maldives of Puglia at Spiaggia di Pescolouse.
Vieste’s main beach is a 3km long stretch of white sand.
Whatever you want to get from your holiday, wherever you base yourself, be sure of two things. First, good food is everywhere. You will eat well no matter where you find yourself in Puglia. Second, there is as much to do in each part as in the whole of our region, so where and how you decide to spend your visit really is up to you.
Buone vacanze in Puglia.
