Areas of Puglia
Places to go in Puglia
Puglia provides the heel to Italy's boot and the easternmost tip of the peninsular, almost on the same longitude as Budapest. Covering some 19,300km2, it is Italy's 7th largest region (out of 20) and its splendid coastline, dotted with some of Italy's finest sandy beaches and azure seas, runs for around 800km, less only than Sicily and Sardinia.
In the north lies the Gargano peninsula, which, apart from the foothills of the Apennines in the extreme northwest, is the only mountainous area of the region.
From there, a large plain extends all the way down to the Valle d'Itria area, whose delightful old towns, including Locorotondo, Alberobello and Martina Franca sit amongst and on top of a series of gently rolling Arcadian hills carpeted with olive groves and vineyards. Hill-top Ostuni signals the end of the Valle d'Itria, and the beginning of the Salento plain, which continues all the way down to Santa Maria di Leuca, Puglia's southernmost extremity.
Thanks to its relative flatness, Puglia has always been an agricultural region, producing, amongst others, olive oil (more than any other Italian region), wine, tomatoes, artichokes, aubergines and wheat. In terms of livestock, sheep-farming reigns supreme, a trait that Puglia shares with its near neighbour, Greece.
...Puglia has always been an agricultural region, producing, amongst others, olive oil (more than any other Italian region), wine, tomatoes, artichokes, aubergines and wheat.
Fishing, too, is an important part of the economy, as one might expect from a region with such an extensive coastline. To the east is the Adriatic Sea and the Straits of Otranto, across which, just over 70km away, lies Albania and northern Greece. Around the tip of the heel to the west is the Gulf of Taranto with yet more lovely sandy beaches and rocky dive points.
When in Puglia you are rarely far from the sea and it is no coincidence that the region's inhabitants are great seafarers. Yachting and pleasure-boating are popular pastimes as are most watersports. Indeed, it is the sea, its beaches and its translucent waters that make Puglia such a popular holiday destination not only for Italians but also for a growing number of overseas visitors.
Puglia has a population of about 4 million, but less than a quarter of those live in the region's largest towns (Bari - pop. 320,000, Taranto - pop. 195,000, Foggia - pop. 153,000, Lecce - pop. 94,000 and Brindisi -pop. 89,000), a statistic that confirms the locals' love of country living and life in small communities.
The Valle d'Itria
Trulli, gently rolling countryside, olive oil, white wine, capocollo ham, easy access to the beaches of the Adriatic and the Ionian seas, and half a dozen really super, picturesque towns, including Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ostuni, Ceglie Messapica and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello: welcome to the Valle d'Itria, one of Puglia's most popular and attractive areas.
Set on a high fertile plain in the centre of Puglia, the Valle d'Itria stretches from Putignano in the north to Ostuni in the south, its wooded slopes, vineyards and endless olive groves punctuated by the coned roofs of trulli, those unique cylindrical constructions that are peculiar to the area.
The valley in Valle d'Itria's name is not a typical valley but rather a Karstic depression that runs between Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca. This geological phenomenon has also created the fascinatingly beautiful caves of Castellana Grotta, which run for about 3km under the northeastern edge of the Valle d'Itria.
The caves of Castellana Grotta offer an excellent, educational and fun day trip with children and there are many more diverting activities for children in the area, including the zoo safari and amusement park at Fasano and the magical old town centre of Alberobello, a trulli wonderland that charms and delights old and young alike.
Thanks to Puglia's long slender shape, even if you are in the centre of the Valle d'Itria you are never far from the sea... or should we say seas. An easy drive in either direction - your choice, east or west - will take you to the Adriatic or the Ionian sea, where you can enjoy the long sandy beaches and turquoise waters that contribute to Puglia's great popularity as a holiday destination.
Thanks to Puglia's long slender shape, even if you are in the centre of the Valle d'Itria you are never far from the sea... or should we say seas!
Food lovers too will not be left wanting! Each town in the Valle d'Itria seems to have its own speciality, whether it is the capocollo ham of Martina Franca, the meat bombette of Cisternino (barbecued directly by the butcher for you), or the DOC white wine of Locorotondo. Of course the olive oil is supreme and the cheeses, including the milky delights of burratina, are memorable.
It seems obvious, then, that the Valle d'Itria offers a full and various range of holiday activities for all the family. So why not make it your next destination? Of course, you'll need some fabulous accommodation, and that's what we're here for.
The Salento
Take a map of Puglia (or Italy if you wish) and a pair of scissors. Begin your incision at Taranto and cut north-eastwards in a straight line through Ostuni and into the Adriatic Sea. What you're left with, on your right, is the Salento peninsula.
The southernmost part of Italy's heel, Salento begins (more or less - because differing opinions exist) where the hills of the Valle d'Itria end. From there, Puglia becomes a long flat tongue of land lapped by two seas: the Adriatic to the east, the Ionian to the west.
Salento is home to some of Italy's loveliest towns and cities: the sea-front fortified gems of Gallipoli and Otranto, the creamy baroque sophistication of Lecce and the luxurious seaside Liberty pleasures of Leuca.
But Salento is also full to brimming with small sleepy towns and villages that are off the tourist trail but greatly worth visiting for their unspoilt historic centres and their unassuming genuineness. Examples include Specchia and the so-called Greek towns of Calimera, Carpignano Salentino, Castrignano dei Greci, Corigliano d’Otranto, Cutrofiano, Martano, Martignano, Melpignano, Soleto, Sternatia and Zollino.
These towns - around 20km south of Lecce - preserve Salento's strong historic ties with Greece, dating back thousands of years. The local dialect, Grika, and many of the area's gastronomic, cultural and religious traditions have evident Hellenic roots which are celebrated with frequent festivals, including the hugely popular and energetic Notte della Taranta.
Salento's hinterland plays a fundamental role in Italy's agricultural economy, producing enormous quantities of excellent olive oil and full-bodied, robust wines, such as Primitivo di Manduria and Salice Salentino.
It is the long and varied coastline, however, that is the major attraction for the area's tourist industry.
Home to some of Italy's loveliest beaches and most dramatic rocky coastlines, Salento is a haven for sea lovers. From the southernmost tip near Leuca, running up the west coast to Gallipoli and beyond, is a vast almost non-stop strip of paradisiacal gold-white sand and transparent azure waters. To the east, the Adriatic coastline is more varied, offering sandy beaches, Karstic grottoes, chalk cliffs and saltwater lagoons.
So, if you're looking for a holiday destination with a great climate, dreamy beaches, beautiful historic towns and village, delicious food and wine and fun for all the family, give Salento a try.
The Gargano
Jutting out into the sea at the northern tip of Puglia, though very much a region unto itself, is the Gargano peninsula. Over 1,200km2 hectares of the Gargano is given over to a national park that features a vast array of flora and fauna, mountains rising to over 1,000m, forests, towering cliffs that plunge into the sea, and sublime sandy beaches, hidden coves and seafront lakes that create a fascinating coastline.
In the interior, the Gargano’s age-old towns and villages, such as Monte Sant’Angelo and San Giovanni Rotondo, are shrouded in an ancient, spiritual atmosphere. Indeed, it is no coincidence that western Europe’s oldest shrine dedicated to Archangel Michael and the monastery of the recently sanctified Padre Pio are located in these towns. The latter attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year.
Different types of worshippers, those devoted to sun, sea and sand, head for the coast and the popular holiday towns of Rodi Garganico, Peschici, Vieste and Mattinata Porto. The north coast is home to Lago di Lesina and Lago di Varano, two salt water lakes that are separated from the sea by a narrow strand and mile upon mile of sandy beach.
In many respects the Gargano has little in common with the rest of Puglia, but this difference merely highlights the variety that the region as a whole has to offer. If you really want to get to know Puglia well, you need to spend some time in the Gargano too.
