Puglia's Beautiful Coast and Cities

Duration 9 days
Price guide
From
  PP
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The heel of Italy’s boot is a charming mix of pretty coastal towns, whitewashed hilltop villages and endless olive groves, as well as some of the country’s best food – something you’ll come to discover during your time exploring Puglia’s beautiful coast and cities.

Trip highlights

  • Discover the charming and unique trulli houses of Alberobello
  • Learn the secrets of making burrata cheese with a local expert
  • Explore an olive oil estate, tasting some of the region's finest varieties
  • Spend two days in the stunning ancient town of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Go hiking through the stunning gorges that surround Matera
  • Visit the charming fishing towns of Gallipoli and Galatina

Bespoke trips with Jacada

We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:

  • Luxury accommodation throughout
  • Privately guided tours
  • Private transfers
  • Meticulously selected experiences
  • Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
  • Days 1–4 Fasano
  • Days 4–6 Lecce
  • Days 6–8 Bernalda
  • Days 8–9 Matera
Puglia’s Beautiful Coast and Cities
Price guide
  PP
  • Days 1–4 Fasano
  • Days 4–6 Lecce
  • Days 6–8 Bernalda
  • Days 8–9 Matera

Itinerary in detail

Every Jacada trip is tailored to your personal preferences and interests. Below you’ll find a sample itinerary to inspire your own custom-designed journey.

Days 1–4

Relax in Fasano

This part of the country is a wonderful base from which to explore Italy‘s ‘boot’ with charming countryside and coastline all within easy reach. Rows of knarled olive trees lead down to the sea, Inland there are the pretty towns of Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternina and Martina Franca. Further north are the seaside towns of Monopoli and Polignano del Mara and to the south, the magical white city of Ostuni.

Make it mine

Pasta precision

Trulli beautiful

Say cheese

Bari Vecchia

Enjoy a quick tour of the enchanting old city of Bari Vecchia. Here you will see local ladies who still make pasta by hand outside their homes. Their speed and precision is incredible.

Discover Alberobello's trulli houses

Visit Puglia’s famous trulli houses in Alberobello where there are over 1,000 of these unique dwellings. Trulli houses are dry stone huts with conical roofs that were originally used as field shelters and storehouses as well as permanent dwellings for agricultural workers.

Making burrata

Discover the secrets of cheese making and the ancient traditions of Puglia. You will meet a local cheese artisan at their farm, where they will demonstrate the art of making fresh burrata and let you try twisting a knot of mozzarella or two.

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On two wheels

White city

Olive estate

Locorotondo and Martina Franca by bike

This cycling tour takes you deep into the Itria Valley, through lovely countryside and to two of Puglia’s most charming towns. Locorotondo was built on a circular plan with narrow concentric streets lined with white terraced houses.

Ostuni tour

Visit the magical white city of Ostuni, an imposing citadel overlooking the olive plains all the way to the Adriatic. The tiny winding streets of the oldest quarter are known by the Arabic term, the ‘casbah’ and look more Greek or eastern than the typical piazzas of northern Italy.

Tour of ancient olive oil estate

Puglia is covered in olive groves and you’ll visit a beautiful estate filled with trees dating back to Roman times. You will see the ancient mill where olive oil has been produced for thousands of years and meet the family. Enjoy tasting the organic olive oils that are made on the estate, learning what gives them their unique and special flavour.

Days 4–6

Charming Lecce

Lecce is arguably Puglia’s most handsome city, with imposing baroque architecture and a grand, stately feel. Although it is one of the region’s biggest cities, it still has plenty of charm and lots of hidden corners to discover. You’ll get to enjoy an enlightening tour of the city and learn why it is known as the ‘Florence of the south’.

Make it mine

Raise a glass

Biblical frescoes

Ceramic art

Tour of Li Veli winery

Visit one of Puglia’s most renowned wineries, Li Veli and enjoy a fascinating tour and tasting of their beautiful wines.

Gallipoli and Galatina

Head south to Gallipoli and visit the famous fish market. You will also stop at Galatina to explore the Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria where you’ll see frescoes depicting Biblical stories. You will also learn all about the legend of the tarantella dance, renowned throughout the Salento province.

Ceramic artisans of Grottaglie

The town of Grottaglie is famous for its ceramics. You’ll visit the workshops of the artisans and watch as they show you how the beautiful ceramic pieces are made, painted and decorated.

Days 6–8

Wine and dine in Bernalda

Whether you choose to hop on a bike and explore the pretty streets, relax at the private beach club, take a cooking class or simply sit back and enjoy delicious Italian food and aperativo in a garden, you’ll be utterly charmed by hilltop town of Bernalda.

Days 8–9

Discover Matera

Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage site, perched high on a beautiful hillside and characterised by cave dwellings. The town is divided into two sections, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso; sassi means stone in Italian and refers to these clusters of stone dwellings. At first sight, the town looks like a jumble of faded stone huts but behind the facades are simple caves, inhabited since Paleolithic times. You’ll also come across lots of churches, known as rupestrian churches, carved into the rock face and used by Basilian monks fleeing persecution during the reign of the Byzantine Empire.

Hiking in the gorges of Matera

Enjoy a trek through the wild and stunning gorges surrounding Matera. Your guide will bring the landscape to life as you explore ravines and old cave dwellings. Then, as your trip draws to a close, you’ll spend your final evening wandering through the winding lanes of this magical city taking it all in.

“Italy‌”

Professional, detailed, thoughtful, worth the price.

Published 06th June 2017 on Trustpilot
Robert

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