Places to Explore In Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Alberobello

With more than 1,000 trulli along its steep, narrow streets, Alberobello has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the more...

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• 2 Things To Do

Aliano

This remote village off the SS598 in the center of Basilicata's empty interior was the site of Carlo Levi's internment during 1936 and 1937. After...

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Bari

The biggest city in the region, Bari is a major port and a transit point for travelers catching ferries across the Adriatic to Greece, Croatia...

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• 4 Things To Do

Camigliatello

Lined with chalets, Camigliatello is one of the Sila Massif's major resort towns. Most of the Sila isn't mountainous at all; rather, it's an extensive...

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Castel del Monte

The isolated Norman Castel del Monte dominates the surrounding countryside from the top of a 1,778-foot-high hill. The nearest town is Andria, 17 km (10½...

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Castrovillari

Stress the first i when you pronounce the name of this provincial Calabrian city, nestled in the deep valley beneath 7,375-foot Mt. Pollino. The town...

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Ceglie Messapica

With its 14th-century Piazza Vecchia, tattered Baroque balconies, and lordly medieval castles, the little whitewashed town of Ceglie Messapica is the epitome of everyone’s notion...

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Cosenza

A construction boom in the 1950s and '60s encased Cosenza's medieval city—which winds up the hillsides between the Busento and Crati rivers—in a sprawling, traffic-clogged...

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• 4 Things To Do

Crotone

One of the most important Magna Graecia colonies in Italy, Crotone was a major cultural center in the 5th century BC, when it was the...

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• 3 Things To Do

Diamante

A lively and attractive little resort on Calabria's north Tyrrhenian Coast, Diamante styles itself as "the town of murals and peperoncini." The old town center...

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Foggia

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Gallipoli

The fishing port of Gallipoli, on the eastern tip of the Golfo di Taranto, is divided between a new town, on the mainland, and the...

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• 4 Things To Do

Grotte di Castellana

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Lecce

Lecce is the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno. The city is called "the Florence of the south," but that term doesn't do justice to Lecce's...

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• 3 Hotels
• 5 Things To Do

Locri

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Maratea

The high, twisty road into the Maratea region affords breathtaking glimpses of the turquoise sea and a gigantic statue of Cristo Redentore (reminiscent of the...

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Martina Franca

Martina Franca is a beguiling town with a dazzling mixture of medieval and Baroque architecture in the light-color local stone. Developed as a military stronghold...

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Matera

This town of unique Sassi (cave dwellings) is one of southern Italy's most intriguing places. The so-called New Town is full of elegant Baroque churches...

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• 3 Hotels
• 7 Things To Do

Mattinata

The town of Mattinata is a good center for hikes in the Foresta Umbra and for visiting the Santuario di San Michele. It also has...

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Ostuni

This sun-bleached medieval town lies on three hills not far from the coast. From a distance, Ostuni is a jumble of blazing white houses and...

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• 3 Things To Do

Otranto

In one of the first great Gothic novels, Horace Walpole's 1764 The Castle of Otranto, the English writer immortalized this city and its mysterious medieval...

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Peschici

Peschici is a pleasant resort on Gargano's north shore, a cascade of whitewashed houses and streets with a beautiful view over a sweeping cove. Some...

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Pizzo

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Polignano a Mare

This well-preserved, whitewashed old town, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, makes an atmospheric base for exploring the surrounding area. Film crews and adrenaline...

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Reggio Calabria

This raw city is one of Italy's busiest ports, where you can find not only container ships and cranes but also a wonderful lungomare (promenade)...

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• 2 Things To Do

Rende

Rende is a pleasing stop on the way to or from Cosenza. Leave your car in the parking lot at the base of a long...

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San Giovanni Rotondo

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Stilo

Grandly positioned on the side of the rugged Monte Consolino, the village of Stilo is listed as one of Italy's most beautiful borghi (historic villages)...

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Taranto

Taranto (stress the first syllable) was an important port even in Greek times, and it's still Italy's largest naval base. It lies toward the back...

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• 4 Things To Do

Trani

Trani has a harbor filled with fishing boats and a quaint old town with cobblestone streets, gleaming medieval churches, and palazzi built from local limestone...

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• 2 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Tropea

Ringed by cliffs and wonderful sandy beaches, the Tropea Promontory is still just beginning to be discovered by foreign tourists. The main town of Tropea...

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• 3 Things To Do

Vieste

This large whitewashed town jutting off the tip of the spur of Italy's boot is an attractive place to wander around. Although curvy mountain roads...

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• 2 Things To Do