Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy's "boot "
Main towns + Distance from Bari
Bari: capital city and main airport.
Medieval old town with castle, cathedral, basilica, “orecchiette pasta” road, seafront walk, 3 opera theatres, good shopping district.
Train to the airport €5 per person. Approx private transfer €45 per car one way.
Conversano (about 35 km from Bari)
Medieval old town with castle, cathedral, a Benedictine monastery and 2 lovely Baroque churches. Cafes, restaurants and pizzerias all around the castle and the central squares. Train to Bari €2.10 per person. Approx private transfer €70 per car one way.
Polignano (about 35 km from Bari)
Coastal town built on cliff edges with seaview balconies and terraces in the old town. Very nice cafes and restaurants in the little squares or overlooking the sea. Small sandy beach in town, mostly rocks.
Train to Bari €2.50 per person. Approx private transfer €70 per car one way.
Monopoli (about 45 km from Bari)
Coastal town with several small city beaches and longer stretches of equipped beaches in the area called Capitolo. Nice Medieval old town with some Arabian style buildings, city harbour and fortified walls along the seafront. Plenty of cafes and restaurants.
Train to Bari €3.20 per person. Approx private transfer €80 per car one way.
Alberobello (about 55 km from Bari)
Capital of the trulli houses and UNESCO site. Unique city centre made of trulli where people still live or turned them into shops, restaurants and guesthouses. Lots of souvenir shops.
Train to Bari €4.90 per person. Approx private transfer €100 per car one way.
Locorotondo (about 65 km from Bari)
One of the white cities of Puglia, built on a hill with whitewashed houses lined in a circular shape (its name means round place). Trulli are not in the city centre but surround the city. Famous for its white wine.
Train to Bari €5.60 per person. Approx private transfer €110 per car one way.
Martina Franca (about 75 km from Bari)
Another white city of Puglia, with more Baroque style in its old town, lovely for a walk in the alleys, narrow streets and little squares. Opera festival in July (Festival della Valle d’Itria). Famous for a type of cold meat called Capocollo di Martina.
Train to Bari €5.60 per person. Approx private transfer €120 per car one way.
Ostuni (about 85 km from Bari and 80 km from Lecce)
The White City par excellence, built on top of a hill surrounded by monumental olive groves and 15 min from the coast. Nice shops, cafes and restaurants, lovely sandy beaches in Ostuni Marina and Dune Costiere nature reserve.
Train to Bari €5.60 per person and Train to Lecce €5.60 per person. Approx private transfer €130 per car one way.
Lecce (about 155 km from Bari)
Baroque town called the Florence of the South for its richly decorated buildings, churches and squares. Good shopping district and artisans shops (leather, potter and papier- mache), lots of cafes and restaurants. Train to Bari €10.50 per person. Approx private transfer €190 per car one way.
Gallipoli (about 190 km from Bari and 40 km from Lecce)
Lively Baroque town on the Ionian coast, lots of restaurants and cafes, city beach, popular with young people for the nightclubs along the coast. Train to Lecce €4.20 per person. Approx private transfer from Bari €190 per car one way, from Lecce €80.
Otranto (about 200 km from Bari and 45 km from Lecce)
The Easternmost city of Italy, lovely old town with castle, cathedral and seaview square, lots of fish restaurants and cafes, sandy city beach.
No train to Lecce. Approx private transfer from Bari €190 per car one way, from Lecce
€80.
Train access
Bari Airport has a train service into Bari Central Station every 15 min for about €5 per person. Bari is connected to other towns via Trenitalia, national railway system, and via local railway systems.
Trenitalia covers mainly the coast: Bari – Polignano – Monopoli – Ostuni – Brindisi – Lecce
Local trains cover the inland towns: Bari – Conversano – Castellana Caves – Alberobello – Locorotondo – Martina Franca
Gallipoli is connected to Lecce via a direct train. Otranto is hard to reach via public transport.
What is a Masseria?
Puglia is dotted by Masserie, which are country houses dating back mostly to the 15th and 16th century. The masserie were established as farms, owned by wealthy people, and including fields, stables, warehouses, staff’s dwellings and the manorhouse for the owner’s family.
Many of these masserie have been carefully restored and turned into bed & breakfasts and boutique hotels. They all serve local and seasonal food and are surrounded by orchards and centuries old olive trees.
Best Beaches
Sandy: Monopoli, Marina di Ostuni, Carovigno, Torre dell’Orso, Alimini, Otranto, Ugento, Gallipoli, Porto Cesareo, Punta Prosciutto, Lizzano, Pulsano, Castellaneta, Vieste, Peschici.
Rocky: Polignano, San Foca, Santa Cesarea, Castro, Leuca, Porto Selvaggio
Best Excursions
Art & History: Bari (walking, rickshaw, bike, street food), Monopoli, Alberobello (walking, segway)
Nature: Polignano, Castellana Caves, Dune Costiere Park, Torre Guaceto Park, Porto Selvaggio Park
Cellar tour and wine tasting: Locorotondo, Gioia, Noci, Brindisi, Manduria, Salice Salentino, Leverano
Oil mill tour and extravirgin olive oil tasting: Martina, Ostuni Cookery class in masseria: Conversano, Fasano, Lecce Boat tours: Porto Cesareo, Castro, Monopoli, Vieste
Bike tours: Monopoli, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto, Leuca
Average temperatures
March, April and October: 15°C May and September: 20°C June: 25°C
July and August: 27-30°C
Bari: capital city and main airport.
Medieval old town with castle, cathedral, basilica, “orecchiette pasta” road, seafront walk, 3 opera theatres, good shopping district.
Train to the airport €5 per person. Approx private transfer €45 per car one way.
Conversano (about 35 km from Bari)
Medieval old town with castle, cathedral, a Benedictine monastery and 2 lovely Baroque churches. Cafes, restaurants and pizzerias all around the castle and the central squares. Train to Bari €2.10 per person. Approx private transfer €70 per car one way.
Polignano (about 35 km from Bari)
Coastal town built on cliff edges with seaview balconies and terraces in the old town. Very nice cafes and restaurants in the little squares or overlooking the sea. Small sandy beach in town, mostly rocks.
Train to Bari €2.50 per person. Approx private transfer €70 per car one way.
Monopoli (about 45 km from Bari)
Coastal town with several small city beaches and longer stretches of equipped beaches in the area called Capitolo. Nice Medieval old town with some Arabian style buildings, city harbour and fortified walls along the seafront. Plenty of cafes and restaurants.
Train to Bari €3.20 per person. Approx private transfer €80 per car one way.
Alberobello (about 55 km from Bari)
Capital of the trulli houses and UNESCO site. Unique city centre made of trulli where people still live or turned them into shops, restaurants and guesthouses. Lots of souvenir shops.
Train to Bari €4.90 per person. Approx private transfer €100 per car one way.
Locorotondo (about 65 km from Bari)
One of the white cities of Puglia, built on a hill with whitewashed houses lined in a circular shape (its name means round place). Trulli are not in the city centre but surround the city. Famous for its white wine.
Train to Bari €5.60 per person. Approx private transfer €110 per car one way.
Martina Franca (about 75 km from Bari)
Another white city of Puglia, with more Baroque style in its old town, lovely for a walk in the alleys, narrow streets and little squares. Opera festival in July (Festival della Valle d’Itria). Famous for a type of cold meat called Capocollo di Martina.
Train to Bari €5.60 per person. Approx private transfer €120 per car one way.
Ostuni (about 85 km from Bari and 80 km from Lecce)
The White City par excellence, built on top of a hill surrounded by monumental olive groves and 15 min from the coast. Nice shops, cafes and restaurants, lovely sandy beaches in Ostuni Marina and Dune Costiere nature reserve.
Train to Bari €5.60 per person and Train to Lecce €5.60 per person. Approx private transfer €130 per car one way.
Lecce (about 155 km from Bari)
Baroque town called the Florence of the South for its richly decorated buildings, churches and squares. Good shopping district and artisans shops (leather, potter and papier- mache), lots of cafes and restaurants. Train to Bari €10.50 per person. Approx private transfer €190 per car one way.
Gallipoli (about 190 km from Bari and 40 km from Lecce)
Lively Baroque town on the Ionian coast, lots of restaurants and cafes, city beach, popular with young people for the nightclubs along the coast. Train to Lecce €4.20 per person. Approx private transfer from Bari €190 per car one way, from Lecce €80.
Otranto (about 200 km from Bari and 45 km from Lecce)
The Easternmost city of Italy, lovely old town with castle, cathedral and seaview square, lots of fish restaurants and cafes, sandy city beach.
No train to Lecce. Approx private transfer from Bari €190 per car one way, from Lecce
€80.
Train access
Bari Airport has a train service into Bari Central Station every 15 min for about €5 per person. Bari is connected to other towns via Trenitalia, national railway system, and via local railway systems.
Trenitalia covers mainly the coast: Bari – Polignano – Monopoli – Ostuni – Brindisi – Lecce
Local trains cover the inland towns: Bari – Conversano – Castellana Caves – Alberobello – Locorotondo – Martina Franca
Gallipoli is connected to Lecce via a direct train. Otranto is hard to reach via public transport.
What is a Masseria?
Puglia is dotted by Masserie, which are country houses dating back mostly to the 15th and 16th century. The masserie were established as farms, owned by wealthy people, and including fields, stables, warehouses, staff’s dwellings and the manorhouse for the owner’s family.
Many of these masserie have been carefully restored and turned into bed & breakfasts and boutique hotels. They all serve local and seasonal food and are surrounded by orchards and centuries old olive trees.
Best Beaches
Sandy: Monopoli, Marina di Ostuni, Carovigno, Torre dell’Orso, Alimini, Otranto, Ugento, Gallipoli, Porto Cesareo, Punta Prosciutto, Lizzano, Pulsano, Castellaneta, Vieste, Peschici.
Rocky: Polignano, San Foca, Santa Cesarea, Castro, Leuca, Porto Selvaggio
Best Excursions
Art & History: Bari (walking, rickshaw, bike, street food), Monopoli, Alberobello (walking, segway)
Nature: Polignano, Castellana Caves, Dune Costiere Park, Torre Guaceto Park, Porto Selvaggio Park
Cellar tour and wine tasting: Locorotondo, Gioia, Noci, Brindisi, Manduria, Salice Salentino, Leverano
Oil mill tour and extravirgin olive oil tasting: Martina, Ostuni Cookery class in masseria: Conversano, Fasano, Lecce Boat tours: Porto Cesareo, Castro, Monopoli, Vieste
Bike tours: Monopoli, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto, Leuca
Average temperatures
March, April and October: 15°C May and September: 20°C June: 25°C
July and August: 27-30°C