As with many settlements in the region, it was originally founded by the ancient Greeks. It’s small and charming, and there’s little to do but relax, eat, and enjoy la dolce vita and the surrounding vistas. Corigliano d’Otranto is one of the 11 towns of the Grecia Salentina. This small area in the heart of the Salento peninsula retains its Greek heritage from the Byzantine period including the Griko dialect. The 5-star Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa has everything you could want – central location, 18th-century building, frescoed ceiling, classy bar, and landscaped pool and gardens. We parked just outside the town and had a magnificent view of fields of poppies and olive trees and the sea far down below.

Puglia - Economy". Portrait of the Regions. Eurostat. March 2004. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009 . Retrieved 8 July 2017. Further south on the Ionian Coast is Marina di Pescoluse, known as the Maldives of Salento because of its crystal clear water.

Explore the Heel of Italy's Boot

Trulli country starts in Alberobello, where there are more than 1500 of the quirky conical houses. You can stay in a trulli hotel, or rent a trullo house for a week to get the feel for this interesting part of Puglia. Locorotundo and Martina Franca are also interesting cities to visit.

This Puglia Train Travel Times Map shows times for some typical rail journeys around Puglia. The lines in red represent the faster and more expensive Eurostar Italia trains.North of Otranto are the beautiful Torre dell’Orso beach and the Grotta della Poesia (Cave of Poetry) natural swimming hole. The inviting Grotta della Poesia Gallipoli Lovely sunset views to go with your aperitivo In the 19th century, it was a popular spa resort with the upper classes from Lecce who built ornate, colourful villas here. Two of the most iconic are the Moorish-style Palazzo Sticchi and Villa Raffaela with its Disney castle vibe. Pasticciotto– Flaky pastry (usually made with lard) stuffed with custard. Find it in bars and bakeries for breakfast or as a sweet treat. The region has a good network of roads, but the railway network is less comprehensive, particularly in the south. There are no high-speed lines, but a high-speed line between Naples and Bari is under construction, which should be completed in 2027. [28] The region is crossed northwest to southeast by the A14 highway ( Bologna– Taranto), which connects the region's capital, Bari, to Taranto, the second most populous city in the region. The A14 also connects Foggia and points further north along the Adriatic coast to Pescara, Ancona, Rimini and eventually Bologna. The only other highway in the region is the A16 (Naples–Canosa), which crosses the Italian peninsula east–west and links the region with Naples. Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference

From Lecce, it’s an extra hour’s drive to Santa Maria di Leuca, the southernmost tip of Salento (and Puglia). You could visit Gargano by public transport, but you’ll be limited where you can go, and you’ll need to be patient as it’s not very frequent, fast or reliable.The trip is a good way to scout out the beaches you’d like to return to. Baia delle Zagare, one of the best Gargano beaches If you are flying into another city in Italy (for example Rome), you could take the train to the nearest major station, Foggia, and travel on from there by rental car or bus. How to Get Around Gargano I’ll admit that most of our time in Monte Sant’Angelo was taken up with a long, leisurely lunch at Li Jalantuumene, a smallrestaurant run by exuberant chef Gege Mangano. Stunning medieval Ostuni is known as The White City for its whitewashed splendour that’s popular with international tourists. It was easy to drive, comfortable, and had space to lie on the cushions at the front. There’s a 10km limit on where you can go, so you can’t reach the sandy beaches north of Torre Vado.

Santa Maria di Leuca is one of the most popular Salento destinations to take a boat trip. Located at the tip of the peninsula, it’s where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet, so you can explore both coastlines. The peninsula would make a great addition to Puglia trips of 10 days or more or for return visitors, like us, who want to see a different side of this special part of Italy. Trani, along the coast, features an old settlement right around the harbor with a seafront cathedral dedicated to San Nicola Pellegrino. Several 18th-century palaces, like the Caccetta, the Quercia and the Bianchi give you a good idea of Puglia's Romanesque period. The Swabian castle of Trani was built by Federico II between 1223 and 1249 and was up to recently used as a prison. Monopoli is a handsome fortified harbour town on the north coast, known for its fleet of photogenic blue fishing boats, street markets, and white-gold buildings.

For space and vibes, 5-star La Peschiera offers cool neutrals and Balearic beach lux a short drive from Monopoli. It was the least food-focused of the culinary tours we’ve taken in Italy, and the only one where we’ve gone hungry (until the very end). We rented an Airbnb, but there are lots of gorgeous hotels in historic buildings. At Dimora Storica Torre Del Parco 1419 you can even stay in a castle.