...Destination focus
Golden Days in Puglia
Southern Italy
Sun-bleached masserias rise from silver-green olive groves, whitewashed towns tumble toward turquoise coves, and every table carries the scent of warm bread and olive oil - Puglia is the beating heart of Italy's deep south, unpolished and unmistakably authentic.
A Fairytale in Stone
Alberobello & the Itria Valley
The Itria Valley is Puglia’s storybook heart, and nowhere captures it better than Alberobello, where no fewer than 1,400 small whitewashed stone houses with conical roofs, known as trulli, have earned the town a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Wander the cobbled lanes of Rione Monti, then step inside the Trullo Sovrano, the town’s grandest example, for a glimpse of how life here once looked.
Beyond Alberobello, the wider valley rewards slower exploration. In Cisternino, lively butcher shops let you have fresh meat grilled on the spot, while Locorotondo charms with its circular layout and flower-filled balconies, and Martina Franca adds a touch of grandeur with its elegant Baroque palaces.
The White City
Ostuni's tangled alleys and hilltop views over the Adriatic
Perched dramatically above the coastal plain, Ostuni has earned its nickname as the “White City” for its gleaming whitewashed houses, which glow gold at sunset. Its old town is a maze of stepped alleys, hidden courtyards and a vibrant bar and restaurant scene, while just beyond the walls, golden beaches offer an easy escape from the midday heat.
Baroque and Beyond
Lecce & Salento
Puglia’s Baroque showpiece rewards a slow wander. At its heart, Piazza Sant’Oronzo holds a Roman amphitheatre and the Sant’Oronzo column, while the honey-stone Piazza del Duomo nearby is lined with the city’s finest landmarks. Lecce also makes an excellent base for venturing further south into Salento.
Cliffs, Coves and Castles
Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Gallipoli and the beaches of Salento
Along the Adriatic, Polignano a Mare is where limestone cliffs plunge straight into crystalline water, and every viewpoint feels cinematic; nearby Monopoli offers a quieter, equally photogenic old town and harbour. Further south, Gallipoli mixes history with holiday energy — its old town sits on a tiny island reached by a centuries-old bridge, with the Angioino Castle, narrow lanes and easy access to beaches like Baia Verde and Punta della Suina. Along Salento’s coastline, don’t miss Baia dei Turchi near Otranto, Cala dell’Acquaviva, Porto Miggiano, and the pale sands of Torre dell’Orso.
Pasta by Hand
Watching Orecchiette Made in Bari Vecchia
In Bari’s old town, nonne can still be found rolling out fresh orecchiette on the street in Strada dell’Arco Basso, using nothing more than durum wheat flour and water — one of the most authentic sights in the region, and a fitting prelude to lunch a few doors down.
Wine Among the Olives
Tasting Negroamaro in the Itria Valley
At countryside wine estates such as Torleanzi, set among centuries-old olive trees, you can slow into Salento’s rhythm with a glass of full-bodied Negroamaro or a crisp local white, watching the light change over the vines.
Out at Sea
Vieste, the Gargano coast & Polignano
Beyond these, the region invites unhurried days: boat trips along the Salento coast to hidden sea caves, beach-hopping between Adriatic coves near Vieste and the dramatic Gargano coast, and, for the theatrically inclined, dinner inside a cliffside cave at Grotta Palazzese in Polignano a Mare (book well ahead).
Eat like a Local
Puglia’s food is cucina povera perfected – humble, seasonal ingredients elevated by generations of practice. The region produces around 40 percent of Italy’s olive oil, which is why almost every dish here finishes with a raw drizzle rather than a sauce.
Start with orecchiette con cime di rapa, the region’s signature pasta, hand-shaped and tossed with bitter broccoli rabe, garlic, chilli, anchovy and olive oil. Burrata, the cream-filled cheese that originated in Puglia’s Andria area, is at its best eaten fresh, within a day of being made. Focaccia Barese, a circular flatbread topped with tomatoes, olives and oregano, is Bari’s classic street food, while bombette Pugliesi – pork rolls filled with cheese and spices, cooked on a spit – are an Itria Valley specialty. Bari also claims spaghetti all’assassina, pasta deliberately pan-charred until crisp and folded through a fiery tomato sauce. To finish, try pasticciotto Leccese, a warm custard-filled pastry from Salento.
Pair it all with a glass of Primitivo or Negroamaro, and don’t rush the table – in Puglia, the meal is the destination.
Trip idea
Italy by Rail: A Tale of Three Cities
Sit back and enjoy the ride with cultural stops in Venice, Florence and Rome, private transfers between cities and stations and some of Italy’s finest hotels to relax in.
Booking with Bailey Robinson means access to the finest travel experiences. When planning your holiday we do all the hard work – in-depth research and meticulous organisation. You can be confident in the individual care for your holiday from your dedicated and experienced Personal Travel Designer and Concierge.
The collection
Coast to Coast In Southern Italy
Trip idea
Italy’s Enamouring Lakes
