PUGLIA Advice Needed!
 

Hello Everybody,

We're two couples travelling to Puglia in October. 3 out of the 4 of us speak fluent Italian.

Can you recommend your favorite lodging in Puglia--whether it's apartments or B&Bs?

We're not interested in large hotels or chains.

We will have a car and like the idea of being located right near the sea.

We plan to hike, explore different towns, hopefully sail to nearby islands... and also enjoy dancing (nightlife).

If you have an Apartment Site that you think highly of, please let me know. Trying to avoid any scams.

Grazie mille! Thanks!

Have you looked at booking.com?

We stayed at Masseria Cervarolo outside of Ostuni and couldn't recommend it more highly. It isn't on the water, but was absolutely a brilliant place from which to explore Puglia. Centrally located and an amazing restaurant, the choice of rooms or traditionally restored trullo huts, a huge common room, amazing service, spa services, and fantastic wine selections...we just loved everything about our stay there.

Trouble is you will not find a Masseria on the coast, they are fortified farm houses set away from the coast to protect the inhabitants from slavers. There are however some hotels built into the cliffs at various points and some have links with Masserie and some have yachts.

I've not stayed but https://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury...-torre-coccaro might be of interest, it is in a reasonably nice place with easy access to most of the southern Puglia sights. But there are lots of Masserie, all different.

We stayed at Masseria Salamina, Pezze di Greco. It was wonderful and centrally located but you would need a car.

Here is our trip report from the fall of 2016 on Puglia: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...uglia-1149921/

We had two successful apartment bookings at very reasonable prices through airbnb, which is our favorite booking point for Europe. We had always dreamed of staying in a trullo home, those unique dome-roof stone houses that dot the landscape in northern Puglia. We found the perfect one on a small family farm, and just received notice of the family's addition of more accommodations: https://www.isetteconi.com

We also found an apartment in Lecce in the old town, and it was perfect for us.

Although it is not part of our Puglia report, since it is in Basilicata, we then stayed in a gorgeous apartment in Matera, one of the most magical places in all of Italy.

I want to thank all of you for sharing! Our group wants to stay as close to the water as possible... there's just something about waking up in the morning and hearing the sea!

Unfortunately our last experience with Booking.com in Italy was not good. Bad communication with the Owners.

We definitely want to visit MATERA, GALLIPOLI and LECCE. We also want to hike atleast one of the Nature Parks. Since we'll be there early-to-mid-October, we figure atleast LECCE won't be too "dead" because it's a University town.

Thanks again... I enjoy hearing about all of your experiences and we're beyond excited to visit this part of Italy!!!

We were there October 4-10, and the weather was summer-like. Lecce was more than alive. One of our favorite evening places we have ever visited in Italy. And, driving was very easy.

whitehall: Many thanks! I'll read your report. Some of the things we're thinking of doing so far: walking tour of MATERA. I feel a guide could help us navigate and appreciate Matera much better. We would also love to do some boating and explore caves/grottoes. I came across something about a boat that goes to a set of islands... will have to look for that again. I even read there's a Safari Park in the area.

Matera isn't near water, but FWIW, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Locanda di San Martino, which still gets great reviews:
Locanda di San Martino

Thank you, kja!

In Polignano a Mare, look at sea view Hotel Covo Dei Saraceni

Hers a web site we’ve used:

https://www.perledipuglia.it/en/

There’s an article about the top 10 beaches in Puglia there, too

https://www.perledipuglia.it/en/News...piu-Belle.html

HappyTrvlr & tcinct: Grazie!