'Perhaps the most intriguing and unexplored area of Italy, Puglia combines fascinating historical remains with unique architectural features and unspoilt sandy beaches.'
Making up the 'heel of Italy', Puglia slumbers under warm southern skies. A hidden region almost unknown to tourists, it sits on a flat, fertile plain and is punctuated by scores of silvery olive trees, rows of verdant vineyards, whitewashed trulli houses topped with cone-shaped roofs, and intimate sandy coves. As a strategic coastal province, over the centuries Puglia has been invaded, conquered and colonised by practically every major power of the day from the Greeks and Saracens to the Normans and Spanish. Each successive empire has left its own indelible traces on Puglia. Perhaps the most distinctive of these are the kasbah-like quarters found in many Puglian towns and cities and the opulent Norman cathedrals and heavily fortified castles that dominate the landscape. And then of course there's the Baroque splendour of towns, such as Lecce, which are evidence of the Spanish legacy. The Puglian response to all this outside attention was to construct masserie, thick-walled limestone farmhouses, to which the fishing folk and farmers could flee in times of trouble and now form the backbone of Puglian country estates. In short Puglia is a patchwork of influences and provides a fascinating glimpse into the past. The fact that it's relatively off the beaten track and well off the typical tourist trail makes it all the more alluring for those wishing to discover the real face of Italy.
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Great Puglia holidays
Recommended resorts for Puglia
Puglia holiday resorts
Resorts in Puglia include Castellana Grotte, Cisternino, Fasano, Locorotondo, Marina Di Ostuni, Ostuni, Savelletri De Fasano, Selva Di Fasano and Torre Canne.
More Italy holiday destinations
Looking for holidays in Italy? Our Italy holiday destinations include Calabria, Italian Cities, Lake Garda, Ligurian Riviera, Neapolitan Riviera, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscan Riviera, Tuscany, Umbria and Venetian Riviera.
Beaches
Nestled between Puglia's towns and fishing villages are a number of small coves, hideaway lagoons and bathing platforms which lead into the enticing translucent waters of the Adriatic. The coast is dotted with pine-fringed coves and dramatic cliffs, it's home to some of the finest and cleanest sands to be found anywhere along the Adriatic Coast.
Eating out
Italians love their food and Puglia is no exception – you'll find plenty of elegant ristorante and homely trattorie to choose from. For a real taste of Puglia, though, reserve a table in a traditional masseria farm house and prepare to be treated to a Puglian feast. Tuck into speciality dishes such as pesce spada, pan-fried or grilled swordfish, drizzled with lemon and sprigs of oregano. Also typical of Puglia are orecchiette - handmade pasta ribbons delicately shaped to resemble little ears. It is a little known fact that Puglia produces the largest amount of olive oil in Italy. It is unsurprising, therefore, that some of Italy's finest oils hail from this region. Extra virgin olive oil - unblended olive oil taken from the first pressing - is often reserved for use in salad dressings while piquant chilli oil - flavoured with fiery red chillies – can be drizzled over antipasti dishes such as roasted peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, chargrilled courgettes and sliced aubergines. When travelling through Puglia, you cannot fail to notice the long rows of grape-heavy vines that stretch off into the distance. Puglia actually produces more wine than any other part of Italy and as such is the perfect place to try inexpensive varieties, which are made in abundance in the hot, dry climate. Salute!
Nightlife
As is characteristic across much of Italy, evenings in Puglia tend to revolve around the delights of a hearty evening meal. The Pugliese like nothing more than a good, home-cooked fare in the company of friends and family whilst enjoying a bottle of wine…or two! Cafe culture is equally popular, with locals chatting for hours over a cup of machiatto or a glass of digestivo liqueur beneath the star-studded skies of the Mediterranean. However, the region has its fair share of clubs and bars too, and during the summer months Puglia is particularly popular with young sun-seeking Italians, eager to party into the night, often along the beaches.
Shopping
While there's certainly no shortage of boutiques and stores to choose from in the main towns and cities, you don't really come to Puglia to shop in the way you would on a visit to Rome or Milan. Instead, it's far more interesting to get down with the Pugliese and enjoy the colours and smells to be found in a food market. Head down to Cisternino, in Puglia's Itria Valley, and take in its colourful Monday morning market - a fabulous source for the locally-produced ingredients which make Puglia's antipasti dishes truly sumptuous. Wander through the stalls hung with slender salamis and heavily laden with pungent blocks of pecorino cheese, fresh capers, purple aubergines, plump tomatoes and scarlet peppers.
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