Visit Polignano a Mare

For me, Polignano a Mare is the most iconic place in all of Puglia. That’s why it sits right at the top of this list. Long before I ever set foot here, I already knew it through my secret obsession with Volare. (Domenico Modugno was born here, and that alone gave the town a kind of magic in my mind.) Then came the videos of the Red Bull Cliff Diving, and the tickets were booked. I couldn’t wait anymore!

Perched on the coast, just about 30 minutes from Bari, Polignano is small, easy, and full of life. It’s known for its white houses clinging to the cliffs, its clear 50 shades of turquoise sea. Its most famous spot is Lama Monachile. The beach itself is tiny, but the setting is what makes it special. The cliffs rise around it, and just behind, the Ponte Borbonico frames the view. It’s dramatic, a little wild, and very photogenic

Because the town is so compact, it’s easy to slow down here. You can spend a few relaxed days wandering the streets, swimming, and lingering over long meals. If you’re short on time, a day trip still gives you a good feel for the place. When hunger hits, head to Specchia Sant’Oronzo. Keep it simple and order the octopus. It’s local, perfectly done, and exactly the kind of meal that fits a day in Polignano.

Visit Monopoli

I think there’s a quiet magic to Monopoli. The small coastal town tucked along the eastern edge of Puglia and not too far away from polignano is the kind of place that’s perfect for a day trip. Many people rush past it on their first visit to Puglia, and I think they might be doing a mistake.

Start with no plan. Just wander the narrow streets near Palazzo Palmieri, where the modern city slowly slips into the white beauty of the centro storico. The newer parts of town feel bright, with soft pinks, oranges, and blues. The old town is different. White walls, sage green shutters, and balconies full of flowers: the kind of architecture Puglia is known for, for good reason.

Then walk the lungomare, the paved path that follows the sea and runs right along the old town. It’s best early in the morning or later in the day, when the sun doesn’t hot as hard and not everyone has come out of their bed yet. From here, your eye is drawn to Castello di Carlo V, a 16th-century fortress reaching out into the water. Keep walking along the coast and, about twenty minutes from the centre, you’ll arrive at Spiaggia di Cala Porto Rosso, close to Porto Bianco. It’s a favourite beach right in town and you can easily spend a few hours lounging there.

Finish the day near Porto Antico, one of Monopoli’s most charming spots. Unlike many industrial harbours in Puglia, this one still feels authentic. The fishing boats resting against the old town are the also the perfect photo op for your day in Monopoli.

Explore the Old Town of Bari

Bari is often seen as the front door to Puglia. With the region’s largest airport and direct flights from cities like London, many travellers pass through without stopping and that’s a shame. Bari asks for a little patience, and then it will slowly win you over like it did for me.

The heart of the city is Bari Vecchia, the old town stretched along the sea, right by the harbour. This is where Bari truly comes alive. Stone streets curve and twist between weathered buildings. Small kitchens open straight onto the street. Churches and quiet museums hide behind simple doors. We spent most of our time here, and honestly, it felt like the right choice.

Everything is close, which makes wandering easy. San Sabino Cathedral stands soft and pale in the light, calm even on busy days. Nearby, Castello Svevo sits strong at the edge of the old town, its thick stone walls facing the sea. Along Via Venezia, you can walk on parts of the old city walls and look out over the water near Fortino di Sant’Antonio.

Just around the corner, on Arco Basso, women still make orecchiette by hand, right in the street. For contrast, the modern side of Bari appears along Via Sparano da Bari, where the Palazzo Mincuzzi rises with elegance. Bari is a little messy, very warm, and deeply Puglian. That’s exactly what makes it special.

Wander the Streets of Ostuni

Perched on a hill not far from Brindisi, the town rises above the olive groves like a white mirage, earning its nickname La Città Bianca. From afar it feels almost unreal, and once inside, it’s even better. White-washed houses, narrow lanes, sudden staircases, tiny cafés tucked into corners: this is a place made for slow walking and getting pleasantly lost. That said, if your time is short, a walking tour of the historic center is a smart move.

Make sure you pass by the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, with its striking Gothic façade, and the nearby Arco Scoppa, one of the prettiest corners of town. You’ll also spot the Colonna di Sant’Oronzo, standing watch since the 1700s. Along the way, pop into ceramic shops selling colorful pumo di fiore (a local symbol of prosperity and fertility) and linger at gelaterias and cafés whenever the mood strikes.

If you’re staying overnight, some Airbnbs come with rooftop terraces overlooking the old town (It’s really pure magic at sunset!) or you can splurge at La Sommita Relais & Chateaux.

See the Trulli Houses of Alberobello

Walking into Alberobello feels a bit unreal. White, round houses rise gently from the ground, each topped with a soft grey cone, stacked so closely together that the town seems to ripple. These are the trulli, and yes, they really do look like something from a storybook. (It should be too surprising that the apulian trulli have inspired the Smurf houses in the famous Belgian comic!) Alberobello is easily as iconic as Polignano a Mare, which is why many first-time visitors assume all of Puglia looks like this. It doesn’t. But this town alone makes the myth understandable.

The trulli were built by farmers in the 19th century, cleverly stacked without mortar so they could be pulled down overnight and rebuilt later, avoiding property taxes. Today, that quiet rebellion is protected by UNESCO, and Alberobello itself is a World Heritage Site. You’ll see trulli scattered across the Itria Valley, but nowhere else are they packed this tightly, or this theatrically.

You don’t need days here. 3 or 4 hours is plenty. Park in one of the paid lots on the edge of town (they’re cheap), then wander slowly through the lanes, peeking into small pottery shops and souvenir stores. Make a point to see Trullo Sovrano, the only trullo with two floors, and the cone-shaped Sant’Antonio Church nearby.

If you can, arrive early or better yet, sleep in a trullo just outside town, surrounded by olive trees. Alberobello is lovely, slightly surreal, and best enjoyed without rushing.

Go to the Beach

Going to the beach in Puglia is less about chasing a single perfect spot, and more about slipping into a very Italian summer rhythm. Here, the word spiaggia is used generously. If you can plant a chair and open a parasol, it counts. But most people don’t come empty-handed. They go to a lido, a beach club with rows of matching lettini and ombrelloni, lined up with military precision. It’s a very Italian thing, and once you try it, it makes sense. For around €20, you usually get two loungers and an umbrella, plus bathrooms, a small bar, and the quiet joy of not carrying anything heavy across hot sand.

Puglia has some of the best beaches in Italy, easily holding its own against Sardinia and Sicily. On the Ionian side, beaches can feel almost Caribbean on a calm day : white sand, shallow crystal-clear water, and just a few low-key bars where coffee slowly turns into an afternoon spritz. There’s space to breathe here, especially if you walk a little further down the shore.

Outside this coast, long sandy beaches are rarer, but not impossible. Around the Valle d’Itria, places like Torre Pozzelle, Calette di Torre Cintola, Porto Marzano, and Lama Monachile offer smaller coves, rocky edges, and deep blue water. Lidos take over much of the shoreline in summer, but there’s almost always a spiaggia libera nearby : a simple patch of beach, sun, and sea.

Sometimes, that’s all you really need.

Go on a Day trip to Matera

If you have even a single free day while exploring Puglia, use it to cross the invisible line into Matera. Technically, you’ll be in Basilicata, but the border is almost symbolic here. You’re barely ten minutes outside Puglia, and about an easy hour’s drive from Alberobello. And yet, the feeling is completely different. Older. Deeper. Almost unreal.

Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and it shows. The city unfolds in two layers: a newer, more modern town above, and the ancient sassi below : entire neighbourhoods carved straight into pale limestone cliffs. This is where you’ll want to spend your time. Cars are mostly banned from the old centre, which only adds to the quiet, slightly otherworldly mood. You walk everywhere, slipping between staircases, caves, and sudden viewpoints.

People don’t just visit caves here : they sleep in them, eat in them, wander through them. Cave hotels are the real experience, but they’re limited and book out fast. I stayed at Ai Maestri Rooms&Cafè, while places like Aquatio Cave Hotel & Spa take it even further, with pools hidden inside the rock itself. If you’re not staying overnight, arrange parking well ahead anyway. Trust me on this.

A guided visit is worth it, if only to understand how people lived here for centuries. Between churches carved into stone, quiet grottoes, and golden light hitting the ravine at sunset, Matera feels almost sacred. Slightly outside Puglia, but that’s not a reason to miss it!

Stay at a Masseria or Trulli

If there’s one experience that really anchors you in Puglia, it’s choosing where you sleep. The region offers everything, from simple Airbnbs with rooftop terraces to grand countryside estates, but staying in a masseria or a trullo feels like stepping into the rhythm of the land itself. Masserias were once large farmhouses, built of stone and painted white, often surrounded by olive groves that seem to stretch forever. Many are hundreds of years old, carefully restored into boutique hotels, and some still hide their old olive oil mill (the frantoio) with massive stone presses that remind you how deeply olive oil runs through this region.

Waking up in a masseria usually means quiet dirt roads, cicadas, a salty breeze from the coast, and breakfast under fruit trees and bougainvillea. Some lean rustic, others are polished and lively, like Masseria Le Torri, with thoughtful interiors, a pool, and a bar that doesn’t feel sleepy at all. At the far end of the spectrum sits Borgo Egnazia, a five-star estate so cinematic that even Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel chose it for their wedding back in 2012.

If you prefer something smaller and more playful, consider sleeping in a trullo : the round stone houses with cone roofs, especially around Alberobello. Some places offer cozy two-bedroom trulli with a pool and shared barbecue, often starting around 100 euros a night, a solid option for families.

Try the Local Wine

In this part of Italy, full-bodied red wine is part of daily life, not a special occasion. Puglia is one of the country’s main wine-producing regions, even if it still lives a little in the shadow of Tuscany. Quietly and confidently, it’s catching up.

Most menus feature Primitivo di Manduria and Negroamaro, the two stars of the region. Deep, warm, generous wines that seem made for long meals. They’re easy to find at trattorias, wine bars, even supermarkets and surprisingly affordable. What surprised me most, though, were the whites and rosés. Puglia makes delicate, lesser-known white wines I rarely see in Canada, and the Salento peninsula produces beautiful rosé. If you love Provence rosé but want something a little sunnier, a little wilder, this is a good place to try something new.

There are around 200 wineries in Puglia, and no you shouldn’t try to see them all. I visited Cantina I Pàstini, following a recommendation from Italian wine expert Ian d’Agata, and that felt just right. One good vineyard, an outstanding wine tasting, no rush. That’s the Puglian way!

Tour the Castel del Monte

You don’t stumble upon the Castel del Monte by accident. It’s located in the soft hills and fields of Altamura, a little bit north of what I would consider the main tourist country. It rises alone, perfectly placed, almost theatrical, standing firm above the forest like it knows it’s being watched. And it is. This is a castle meant to be seen.

I’ll be honest: its strict geometry didn’t speak to me right away. Too perfect, too calculated. Castel del Monte is octagonal, precise, almost cold. It feels more intellectual than emotional. And yet, that’s part of its strange pull. No moat, no real defenses, no proof it was ever used as a hunting lodge. Its true purpose remains a mystery, which somehow makes the emptiness louder. Inside, every room is bare. The marbles were looted long ago, and what remains is space, light, and echo. Sometimes exhibitions fill the void, but mostly, the castle asks you to imagine.

You park below (5 EUR), walk up slowly, and circle the building, admiring its sharp lines against wide Apulian views. Tickets to go inside cost 7 EUR and must be booked online with a time slot. Guides linger outside, ready to explain what history never fully did.

What many miss is that this area is also a serious wine land. Around Castel del Monte, vines thrive, producing bold reds that Italian wine lovers quietly revere.

Try the delicious coffee Puglia is known for

If you think Italian coffee is all about standing at the bar and downing a hot espresso in two seconds, Puglia gently proves you wrong. In Lecce, coffee slows down, melts into ice, and turns into something made for heat and long mornings. This baroque city doesn’t just like coffee, it lives by it. When the sun is already high and the stone is warm under your feet, locals order caffè in ghiaccio without thinking twice: a short, sharp espresso poured over ice, lightly sweetened.

Then there’s the version that feels almost ceremonial: caffè in ghiaccio con latte di mandorla, often called caffè leccese. The bitter espresso meets cold ice and soft, sweet almond milk. Sit down at a café, order one, and add a pasticciotto on the side. Warm pastry, creamy filling, cold coffee. As its name indicates, caffè leccese was born in Salento, and you shouldn’t miss the chance to try here where it’s made best.

Elsewhere in Puglia, coffee gets playful. In Polignano a Mare, the famous caffè speciale mixes espresso with cream, sugar, lemon zest, and a splash of homemade amaretto. It was created at Il Super Mago del Gelo (Google Maps) by Mario Campanella, and it tastes exactly like the town feels : bright and slightly excessive in the best way.

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Where to Stay in Puglia

Hotels in Puglia are, without effort, the most beautiful places I have ever stayed in my life. White stone, old olive trees, soft light on thick walls. It’s everywhere. And there are simply too many of these places for one lifetime, let alone for a single trip.

No matter your budget, Puglia seems to understand how to welcome you. A simple masseria can feel just as moving as a five-star retreat. I’ve stayed in a few, visited many more, and bookmarked even more than that. Each time, I tell myself I’ll come back. Here is a small selection of my favorite hotels in Puglia, across different price ranges

TYPE	ACCOMMODATION	PRICE
Luxury	Masseria Auraterrae	From € 387 / night
Luxury	Masseria Calderisi	From € 682 / night
Mid-range	Cortebbianca	From € 192 / night
Budget	Dimore Trulli Holiday	From € 115 / night