Forming the “heel” of Italy’s boot, Puglia is one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful yet refreshingly unspoiled regions. Its whitewashed hill towns, ancient olive groves, and crystal-clear Adriatic waters create an idyllic backdrop for relaxation and exploration. Perfect for travelers seeking a slower pace and a more authentic Italian experience, Puglia offers all the charm of Italy without the crowds of its more commercialized destinations.
Some Highlights:
- Adriatic and Ionian coastline
- 60 million olive trees; the world’s largest production of olive oil
- Primitivo and Negroamaro wines
- Fresh bread, cheeses and pasta
- Baroque architecture and stone houses
- Trulli of Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage site
Puglian cuisine tempts even the most critical connoisseur
When discussing Italian cuisine, fresh, farm-to-table ingredients always come into the conversation, and Puglia does an excellent job of representing this ideal. Family ran restaurants are at the heart of their culture where ‘Masseria’ farms keep generational recipes for mozzarella and focaccia, all prepared by hand. In seaside Monopoli, you can find just-caught seafood, something many of us miss out on living on land.
Of course, a glass of wine is a staple when it comes to holidays, and Puglia doesn’t disappoint there either. If you like red, Primitivo and Negroamaro can be tasted straight from the vineyard while white wine and rose is created just around the corner too.
Restaurant owners are well versed in wine pairings, so make sure you ask their opinion before ordering to bring out the flavours of the dish.
Architecture and cultural heritage
UNESCO-protected Alberobello is the first thought that comes to mind, ticking both boxes when it comes to unworldly architecture and deep cultural heritage. This town of ‘trulli’ dwellings is absolutely beautiful, their white distinctive stone and coned roofs really highlight the regions take on architecture. Even more for the architecture enthusiast, Lecce displays piazzas and ornate churches you can’t take your eyes off. If you’re more into natural beauty, there’s always the ancient cave dwellings of Matera to explore, a UNESCO world heritage site, recently filmed in James Bond’s ‘No Time to Die’.
Puglia is a place to see all of the above, while enjoying fresh bread and home-produced olive oil under the Mediterranean sun.
Puglia is far less touristy than Tuscany, Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre, yet shares many of the key same qualities. There’s still the beautifully warm sun, medieval villages, hilltop towns and sandy beaches, but remains largely untouched by tourism – being the reason we love it so much.
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