The beaches here are often compared to the Caribbean or the Maldives, although that is overstating things. We stayed at B&B Murex, which is conveniently located right on Arco Basso. 4) Hang Out in the Main Squares People watching in Piazza Merca

They have both rooms and apartments and can offer breakfast. In May our comfortable one bedroom apartment was excellent value, and we enjoyed being able to cook and eat on our terrace.The lovely Masseria Muntibianchi Agriresort is just 4km outside Otranto. And on the coast to the north is the Posia Luxury Retreat & Spa which has a reservable rooftop infinity pool. And for facilities, consider the rural 4-star Masseria Mongio dell’Elefante which also has a pathway leading directly to the impeccable Baia di Turchi beach. The 5-star Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa has everything you could want – central location, 18th-century building, frescoed ceiling, classy bar, and landscaped pool and gardens. The top three towns or cities to visit in the Salento region are Lecce (inland near the top), Otranto (on the Adriatic Coast), and Gallipoli (on the Ionian Coast). Luxury 5-star Grotta Palazzese is a standout, and they have a beach outpost north of town too – Grotta Palazzese Beach Hotel has a private beach and is the best beachfront hotel in Puglia.

There are lots of smart hotels and guesthouses in Polignano a Mare but prices are at a premium for the area, especially if you want to take advantage of wonderful sea views. There’s even a natural park at the end of the bay, with trails through the dunes and camping facilities. Some sections of the bay (notably Samsara) come alive with beach parties in the summer. There are an estimated 50 to 60 million olive trees in Apulia, and the region accounts for 40% of Italy's olive oil production. There are four specific Protected designations of Origin (PDO) covering the whole region. [23] Olive varieties include: Baresane, Biancolilla, Brandofino (Castiglione), Buscionetto ( Biancolilla), Carolea, Cellina di Nardò, Cerasuola (Ogliara), Cerignola ( Bella di Cerignola), Cima di Bitonto, Cima di Mola, Coratina, [24] also grown in Corning, California, a 2018 Gold Medal New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC) winner, [25] Frantoio, Garganica, La Minuta, Leccino, Moresca, Nocellara Etnea, Nocellara Messinese, Ogliarola, Ogliarola Barese, Ogliara Messinese, Ottobratica, Peranzana, Rotondella, Santagatese, Saracena, Tonda Iblea, and Verdello (subspecies of San Benedetto). [26] [27] Xylella fastidiosa disease [ edit ] If you don’t want to buy a map (or visit the small museum), stop about 800 metres before at Trattoria Foresta Umbra.

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Next time we’d be tempted to hire a private boat in Vieste to explore the Gargano coast alone. The downside of this is that we wouldn’t have known where the grottoes were (or trusted our navigational skills to get in and out). 3) Monte Sant’Angelo Monte Sant’Angelo is one of Gargano’s highlights You’ll find the pasta stalls on a tiny street called Arco Basso, named for the archway that leads from Piazza Federico II Di Svevia (where you’ll find Bari’s Castle). Narrow Arco Basso where you will find the pasta makers The Puglia AirBus runs from Bari airport to Monte Sant’Angelo, Mattinata, Vieste and Peschici from June to September. It takes about three hours to Vieste and there are only a few departures each day. The lovely historic centre features golden baroque buildings like in Lecce and is a pleasure to wander.

For comparison with driving times, the distance between Foggia and Bari is about 120 kilometers. The Autostrada (Italy's fast toll road) route between these two cities could be managed at a top speed of 130 km/hour. Allowing for stopping to pay tolls, this journey should take around an hour in a car, as it does on the Eurostar. The regular train takes 40 minutes longer because it stops at many smaller stations. The highlight is the old town on an island that’s connected to the mainland by a causeway. Wander the narrow streets past hidden churches or stroll along the city walls for sea views. The coastal spa town of Santa Cesarea Terme is just north of Castro (10 minutes in the car) and is notable for its thermal springs and elegant clifftop architecture with colourful Moorish influences. It’s quite different to the rest of Puglia. We also found April a pleasant month in Salento. It wasn’t quite beach weather, but it was sunny and warm and ideal for exploring the towns. Apulia is one of the richest archaeological regions in Italy. It was first colonised by Mycenaean Greeks. [7] The region became one of the centres of Magna Graecia, with the foundation along its coasts of many Greek city-states ( póleis).

Visiting Puglia: our advice

Pescoluse is one of the best sandy beach resorts in Italy, not just Puglia. It’s known as ‘the Maldives of Italy’ for its gently shelving turquoise waters which are Blue Flag rated.