WHERE TO STAY IN PUGLIA

If you are interested in where to stay in Puglia, you can also be interested in where to in the Amalfi Coast or in where to stay in the Cinque Terre.

Best towns to stay in Puglia

Vieste (Foggia)

Beaches, Gargano National Park

Vieste is a small coastal town located on the Gargano promontory in Puglia. Visitors from all over the world come to Vieste each year to experience its beautiful coastline, natural wonders, and rich history. The town's sea caves, beaches, and Pizzomunno are some of its top attractions. Vieste also offers a charming Old Town with narrow alleys and white houses overlooking the sea. Visitors can enjoy traditional music, food, and water sports such as windsurfing and fishing.

Vieste is an excellent starting point for exploring the natural beauty of Gargano, including the Umbra Forest, Peschici, and the Tremiti Islands. The town's rural Italian landscape with its olive groves, hills, and dry-stone walls offers a tranquil retreat. Vieste is a popular destination for all seasons, and its authentic Mediterranean culture makes it a unique and unforgettable place to visit.

Hotels in Vieste

Gallipoli (Lecce)

Beaches, history

Gallipoli, a beautiful town on the west coast of Puglia's Salento peninsula, lives up to its name. Its historic center, situated on a tiny island connected to the mainland by a 17th-century bridge, is almost completely surrounded by defensive walls built in the 14th century. The east side is dominated by a robust fortress dating back to the 13th century, rebuilt largely in the 1500s when the town fell under Angevin control. The island heart of Gallipoli is home to numerous impressive Baroque churches and aristocratic palazzi, a testament to the town's former wealth as a trading port.

The broader sea-front promenade offers wonderful views, and in the summer months, cafes, bars, and restaurants proliferate onto the pavements, creating an extremely pleasant atmosphere. The coastline north and south of Gallipoli is formed by a series of long sandy beaches and transparent waters that have long been attracting sea lovers.

Hotels in Gallipoli

Otranto (Lecce)

Beaches, sea views

Otranto is known for being Italy's easternmost town. It has a mix of history, architecture, views, sea-front restaurants, and a white sandy beach that makes it one of Puglia's most interesting, charming, and picturesque towns. It is located on the Adriatic sea and has a strategic position that has profoundly influenced its history. In Roman times, it became an important commercial port and a departure point for Roman military expeditions to the east.

Today, Otranto is one of Puglia's most charming towns and is well worth a visit. The imposing castle, thick perimeter walls, and robust towers dominate much of the town, giving way to a small port, a series of sea-front promenades with excellent fish restaurants, and the town's very own beautiful white sandy beach and turquoise waters. The delightful Romanesque cathedral, dating back to 1088 and boasting extensive 12th-century floor mosaics, is another highlight that should not be missed.

Hotels in Otranto

Porto Cesareo (Lecce)

Beaches, history

Porto Cesareo is a renowned seaside resort located on the Ionian coast of Italy. This beautiful town boasts a long and pristine stretch of beach that spans over 17 kilometers and faces an archipelago of low-lying islands. The calm and crystal-clear waters of the bay make it a haven for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving enthusiasts. The area is also home to a nature preserve that is a marine protected area, providing a home to rare species of flora and fauna, including coral formations, turtles, and seahorses.

With its ancient history, visitors can explore the town's Magna Grecia and Roman origins, as well as the influence of feudalism in the Middle Ages. Today, Porto Cesareo is a vibrant beach town with a marina filled with sailboats and motor craft. The town's active fishing fleet and agricultural heritage add to its charm, while numerous restaurants, cafes, and discos cater to tourists.

Hotels in Porto Cesareo

Peschici (Foggia)

Beaches, Gargano National Park

Peschici is a charming fishing village that is part of the Gargano National Park, and a popular destination for tourists on holiday in the area. The village still reflects its Moorish influence, with ancient white houses featuring domed roofs and caves carved into the rock. The medieval center of Peschici is enclosed within the walls, some of which are now integrated into the houses. The Castle, Church of Sant'Elia Profeta, Church of the Purgatory, and Abbey of Calena are notable places to visit in Peschici.

Peschici's authentic village is encompassed by numerous beaches, with the Bay of Manaccora being one of the most stunning. Boat excursions from the port to visit the sea caves of the coast and ferry trips to the Tremiti Islands are organized here. Along the coast from Peschici to Vieste, visitors can also admire the famous trabucchi, or ancient fishing machines, made with poles driven into the rocks and ropes that hold a large net lowered into the water.

Hotels in Peschici

Alberobello (Bari)

UNESCO World Heritage site

At first glance, Alberobello appears to be just another small Italian town with narrow streets, white houses, and a relaxed pace of life. However, upon closer inspection, you will discover a fascinating architectural wonder - the trulli houses. These small dwarf-like structures, with conical roofs, are dotted everywhere around the town. Despite their fairytale appearance, trulli are not just for show - people still live in them today.

Alberobello, located not far from Bari, is renowned for its unique trulli houses, and in 1996 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Trulli houses are considered one of the best examples of vernacular architecture in Europe, and Alberobello is the land of dwarf houses. The name of the town comes from the medieval Latin name of the region, "siva arboris belli" (The wood of the tree of war), which adds to its historical significance.

Hotels in Alberobello

Bari

Airport, without a car, a weekend

Bari is a port city located in the Apulia region of southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and is considered the second most important economic center of mainland Southern Italy after Naples.

Bari is divided into four urban sections. The old town, located on the north of the city, is closely built on the peninsula between two modern harbors. This area is home to the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino, and the Hohenstaufen Castle built for Frederick II. It is also a major nightlife district. To the south of the city is the Murat quarter, which is the modern heart of Bari. It is laid out on a rectangular grid-plan with a promenade on the sea and the major shopping district, the via Sparano and via Argiro. Bari is a university city and is home to the Karol Wojtyła Airport, with connections to several European cities.

Hotels in Bari

Ostuni (Brindisi)

La Città Bianca

Ostuni sits atop a hill surrounded by an olive-carpeted plateau. The city has a long and varied history, having been founded by an indigenous tribe around 600 BCE and having passed through the hands of various empires and kingdoms. Today, the city is known for its white-washed buildings, which earned it the nickname La Città Bianca, and its medieval layout with narrow streets and passages. The highest part of the city is home to the imposing Archbishop's palace and the 15th-century Concattedrale with its curvaceous, symmetrical façade and rose window.

Ostuni also boasts wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and the Adriatic Sea. The coastline near Ostuni is home to some of Puglia's loveliest beaches, and the town holds several festivals and events throughout the year, including the Cavalcata di Sant’Oronzo, a celebration of the town's patron saint, and the Sagra dei Vecchi Tempi, a food festival held on August 15th.

Hotels in Ostuni

Lecce

The Florence of the South

Lecce is the capital of the province of Lecce, which has the second-highest population in the Puglia region. It is situated on the Salentine Peninsula, a sub-peninsula at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and has a history dating back over 2,000 years.

The city is known for its rich Baroque architectural monuments and is often called "The Florence of the South". The "Lecce stone", a type of limestone that is soft and workable, is one of the city's main exports and is often used for sculptures. Lecce is also an important agricultural center, producing olive oil and wine, and is home to an industrial sector specializing in ceramic production. The Basilica di Santa Croce is a must-see for its swirling facade, while the Museo Faggiano takes visitors on a journey through the city's rich historical layers. Giuseppe Zimbalo's Cathedral is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture.

Hotels in Lecce