Puglia, Italy
 

Hello,

This is my first post to Fodor's and I am hoping my fellow travellers can help me put the final touches on our two week trip to Puglia. My husband and I, both in our late forties, have travelled to Europe in prior years, spending time in many of the regions of Italy, but this will be our first time in Puglia.

We will be spending six/seven nights in the south of Puglia and six/seven nights in mid-Puglia (we cannot decide between which region to spend the extra night) and we have reserved hotels near Ostuni and near Otranto. However, we are thinking of splitting our time in both areas into two, spending a few days nearer to Gallipoli (south) and a few days nearer to Monopoli/Polignano a Mare (mid).

Is it worth changing hotels twice for both two week periods?

Thanks you very much.

Lise

Welcome to fodors.

Yes, the area south of Lecce is very much coastal and full of some amazing towns, the area north of Lecce is made up of the Murge (a raised plateau) and coastal zones. Historically the dangers to the people came from raiders from the sea who did not access the Murge but did slaughter many on the coastal region, hence you have the fortified ports like Bari and the Spartan colony of Taranto. Also lots of small churches often hidden from attack or holding osseries of the bodies of such attacks. It also lead to the development of massaria.

So, yes go mid (and up on the Murge) and go south

Or do you mean find four hotels during the two week period?

When are you going?
Do the hotels have a pool?
Are you aware of the Pausa, this is especially strong in Puglia, roughly 12-3 in high summer and needs planning around for North Americans and North Europeans.

Hi,

Thank you for your advice.

We are going between late July and early August and the two hotels we have already booked have pools and are a few km from both Ostuni and Otranto. I am wondering if we should have two hotels instead of one in the southern Puglia, one close to Otranto and the other close to Gallipoli, and two hotels instead of one in mid Puglia, one close to Ostuni and another close to Monopoli?

Also, where should we spend the extra day (we have a total of thirteen nights), in the south, 6 or 7 days, or in the mid, 6 or 7 days?

Lisa

My thoughts, you are present at the height of the Italian holiday period and when Puglia is very hot, so this is the time when Puglia makes its money. I'm assuming you are renting a car and traveling to sights by car. (train may be better at times) and some Pullman (long distance coaches might be too). Parking becomes an issue (until you have seen Puglian high season parking..., lets just say they think parking on a roundabout is fair game).

If you want to rush about a lot in all of this then you may be right to have at least one more base, if you are just going to stick near the hotel and or a beach or two then two will do. Where to go? Lecce might be interesting or say Manduria or Gioia di colle (where the mozzeralla comes from is smaller but nice enough) or you could book into a massaria in the countryside. Some of these towns have tatty outskirts and perfect centres so use street view to check out where you will be staying exactly

Hi everyone, Summer Seas, I hope you don't mind if I tag along on this thread. Info on Puglia is scant on Fodors forums, so it's great to see your post - we are also traveling to Puglia, but in September. We are meeting our daughter and her family (including husband and 2 children under 9). We just booked a week in a villa with pool, near the sea in Marina San Gregorio, at the western bottom of the "stiletto". So excited to see your two choices. Our daughter also chose Ostuni for her first week. After our week, we have 2 more weeks (alone) to explore before turning our car in at the Rome airport.
We need a suggestion on heading down to the south - somewhere to spend two nights between FCO and M San Gregorio.

Also, not sure where to go afterwards yet. We originally thought Sicily, but I don't look forward to all that driving (the car is already booked for the whole time, and prices have really gone up since we prepaid with AutoEurope)...any suggestions posters? We loved Umbria and Tuscany, what about northbound on the eastern coast? Thoughts? (maybe I should start a separate thread...)

Thanks everyone!

We have reserved a car for the entire trip.

As well, we have reserved two really nice masserias, each about 7 km from both Otranto and Ostuni.

If I decide to add a third masseria, should it be to split the week in the south of Puglia or the week in mid-Puglia (be closer to Gallipoli or Monopoli? Also, should we add the extra day in the south or mid?

Thanks

Honestly I might look north say Gravina or even Foggia.

With Manduria, Gioia di colle and Lecce there are five you might like, if you are wine buffs you might add Salice Salentino (for the wine).

I've never really found a place I actively dislike in the area. Taranto especially to the east and near the steel works in best avoided, but the west end around the island and the shopping area is fine. Some of the smaller places up near Bari have a Mafia reputation but as a tourist you are unlikely to be bothered by them. It really depends on what you like to do the local wineries have three fantastic localish red grapes to die for plus at least two very local weird ones, then they have Chardonnay which they have mastered. The local cheese, the tops of root vegetables and the special (little ears) pasta and the nibbles are great. Of course everyone goes in for a grandmother cooking course which may be good or may be a bit disneyfied.

We did a trip report a few years ago on a week in Puglia: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...uglia-1149921/

We did not include Matera since it is outside Puglia, but we also spent a couple nights there and found Matera to be one of the most interesting places in Italy. I highly recommend including some time there.

So glad I joined Fodor's :)

We just added three days to our itinerary and reserved a cave hotel for three nights in Matera. It looks just amazing. We will visit between our week in the south of Puglia and the week in mid-Puglia.

So, any thoughts about adding a third masseria nearer to Gallipoli or adding a third masseria nearer to Monopoli/Polignanoa Mare?

And Joan, please tag along. I hope you get the information you need. If I were you you, I would head north to the Le Marche region, a less travelled region which is beautiful and very interesting. We visited Ascoli Piceno and Urbino, which were wonderful. You can also travel further north and visit Bologna, which we found to be our favorite city in Italy, and the surrounding area.

Lise

When you stay along the coast there are beaches and you can swim in the Adriatic. We loved our stay in Polignano a Mare at Covo dei Saraceni.
Regarding Matera, have you stayed in a cave hotel anywhere before?

Yoh don't need more than 1 day for a serious visit of Matera. But as you hae a car, you max visit matera for the visist of other Lacanian cities, archeological parks (Metaponto) or beaches.
You can easily visit Gallipoli and the Ionian beaches around Torre Dan Giovanni from Otranto (some 30 miles by car).

Thanks Summer Seas, I"ll check those place out! Getting excited!

We were in Puglia in early October for more than a week. It ranged from very warm to hot. We loved it there and want to return.

Welcome! Puglia is a wonderful place. Since you are new, have you looked at Trip Reports on Puglia? I did one. https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ort-tr-953589/ maybe it will help.
While outside Puglia Matera is well worth the trip. Fascinating place. Have a great trip!

Vacation planned!

We have lengthened our trip by six nights and this is now our trip:

- Land in Bari, pick up car, drive to southwest Puglia, coastal masseria stay for six nights (20 km south of Gallipoli)
- Drive to Matera for three nights, cave hotel in the Sassi
- Drive to Ostuni, masseria stay for seven nights (7km south of Ostuni)
- Drive to Bari, drop off car, train to Rome for three nights, hotel in Navona Square
- Fly home

Let me know what you think.

Thanks

Lise