The beautiful and stylish heel of Italy's boot
A 400km strip of land that makes up the heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia is one of Italy‘s most charming regions. Known for its never-ending coastline, whitewashed hill towns and sublime food it feels very different to the rest of the country and is it the perfect place for those looking to get off the beaten track.
With the Adriatic Sea to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south, Puglia is a beach lover’s dream with everything from long stretches of golden sand to pebbly enclaves and hidden coves.
Pretty coastal towns such as Polignano a Mare, Trani and Monopoli are perched atop the rocks looking out over the turquoise waters. The towns themselves are clusters of low laying white houses punctuated by the occasional church spire.
It’s not all beaches, however, and heading inland to the Valle d’Itria the landscape becomes a tapestry of olive groves, vineyards and the conical trulli houses typical of this region. Set on a high fertile plain stretching from Putignano in the north to Ostuni in the south, the valley is a giant outdoor playground perfect for walking and cycling.
Puglia is also home to two national parks; Gargano is a collection of beaches and lagoons with a green mountainous heart, while Alta Murgia is a unique mix of nature, archaeology and history.
Its coastal position meant Puglia was invaded and colonised more times than it would care to remember, and each dynasty from the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines to the Normans and Spanish left their mark. Towns such as Lecche are filled with baroque churches and palaces while scatterings of impressive castles are the finest surviving examples of Swabian architecture.
And if that wasn’t enough to tempt you to Italy‘s south east coast, the food in Puglia is some of the best in the country. Expect fresh burrata, incredible seafood and wonderfully rich and heart-warming peasant dishes.
Highlights
Marvel at the Trulli houses with their iconic conical roofs in Albarabello
Discover the grand baroque architecture in the beautiful city of Lecche
Explore the impossibly pretty towns of Ostuni, Polignano a Mare, Molopoli and Martina Franca
Cycle through the seemingly endless olive groves
Melania Siriu
Senior Travel Designer
Luxury accommodation in Puglia
Why book with Jacada?
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Discover moreMeet your Europe team
When to visit
Summer sees the highest number of crowds, with July and August the hottest months. May is a nice time to visit because it’s warm but not the busy season.
Coast and countrywise
September
Oive harvests
September-January
Plan your trip to Puglia
Whatever you want from your adventure in Puglia, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
Murray and Rita were very helpful with suggestions for our two trips we took this year. Much thought was put into the services/excusions. We have used Jacada for many trips and will continue to have them help plan future ones.
Well designed trip around what we wanted to do with our kids. Will definitely use Jacada Travel again! James and Rita did an amazing job.
Outstanding attention to detail. Flawless planning at every step. Guides were excellent and energetic. Excellent tours and hotel choices. 24 hour concierge service was real and effective.
We received fantastic service from the moment we made contact with Jacada. Meg and Rita did a wonderful job helping us plan our holiday and everything ran smoothly. The experiences were excellent and made even better by the personable, knowledgeable guides.
Our trip was perfectly organized. The hotels were fabulous, the guides for our tours were beyond our expectations, and every single aspect of the trip was carefully planned. The only hiccup that could have affected us (a strike by the Italian Rail Line) was handled and we were rescheduled within hours. If we had not used Jacada Travel, we would…
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