To think of summer and not think of Italy is like buying cereal for breakfast and forgetting to buy milk, in fact, for some of us, all we can think of this time of year (all year really) is to pack up and leave for la dolce vita once some more.
Forever it has been that the northern region of Italy attracts the most foreign visitors, with all the reasons, this part of the country is where the most renowned cities and towns are located except for Rome in the middle; you have here Milan, Florence, Venice, and up-and-coming Turin, but where do the locals go for Ferragosto?
The boot is big enough to hold all of us this summer, with all sorts of amazing places to explore and share, one part of Italy is my favorite sojourn, and so it seems to have been for many years to Romans: La Puglia.
This lesser-known region is a beach paradise, with kilometers of white-sand spots along the Adriatic Sea to place your towel and take in the extra sun. It extends from the Gulf of Manfredonia all the way down to the heel, ending on the Taranto side. What’s more, the cultural offer is as rich as the north, maybe richer.
Two routes have been recommended the best based on the access to international flights, one is through Bari and the other one is through Brindisi, both well-connected with major cities in Europe, and either being a great first stop to start the exploration.
The list of charming towns and cities to visit is long, as one is more charming than the other. It all comes down to what you want to see and experience, for me, I wanted to sort of skip Bari and Brindisi as I was “escaping the city” and experience more rural and rustic settings.
When I think of Puglia, the thoughts that immediately come to mind are thick and uneven-walls, rustic outdoor terraces and fields of olive trees, although every town in this region displays a distinctive architecture, some resembling cities in the north, while others only found here, they all share a rural, rustic-edge, sort of unfinished work, countryside vibe that I simply love.
Where did I go? I spent time in (no particular order) Lecce, Bari, Taranto, Otranto, Ostuni, Gallipoli, Galatina, Monopoli, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca and, due to a complication with a train, Fasano. It sounds like a lot for a two-week-long trip, however, some of these places are day trips as they are located between “interesting sights.”
My Top 3 Favorite Towns in Puglia
Every one of these sites have a particular feel to them, and of course, the experiences are very much up to the visitor, however, here are my top 3 favorites (unintentionally ordered from larger to smaller size):
The Florence of the South also known as the “Lady of Baroque”, Lecce, is where this architectural style reached its highest peak thanks to its characteristic pietra lecce (Lecce stone) of a light-yellow limestone used in most buildings in the old quarter (centro storico).
Thought to have been founded during the Trojan War it is not short of history; from the Greeks to the Romans and Normans, the city center of less than 100,000 is an open museum with main sights to visit like the compound Piazza del Duomo, the Basilica di Santa Croce, Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the remains of ancient amphitheaters, and much more…
When it comes to small villages, my pick is hands down Ostuni, built in a hill surrounded by fields of olive trees, this whitewashed cluster had me already in complete awe as the train was approaching. Much anticipated, I stayed in a cave turned into a cozy Airbnb with everything I wanted except for Wi-Fi, which I did not mind at all (it seems the thickness of the walls makes it impossible to get connection in this sort of property).
The centro storico, which is basically the whole of the hill, has a relaxing atmosphere as you walk through the alleys. Life happens outside, with most shops and restaurants displaying some form of outdoor terrace, those at the edges offering breathtaking views of the landscape around town.
Another thing that I loved about Ostuni was the absence of crowds when I visited, giving me the sensation of having it all to myself; the service at restaurants was usually more intimate—no rushing, and walking back home at night felt super safe.
Last, but not least, Alberobello, by far the most charming of them all. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is in the Itria Valley within the Municipality of Bari, it consists of a compound of Trulli which are limestone dwellings built using a prehistoric technique that is still in use today; the result is a unique cluster of over 1,500 traditional dry-stone huts with a corbeled roof in white and grayish as shown below.
Arash Bernal Ponce Aguilera
For Avenue B
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