Why we love Puglia
The heel of the Italian boot was long a well-kept secret. Today Puglia is one of Italy's most sought-after regions, and for good reason: cone-shaped houses (the trulli), white towns perched on the rock, exuberant baroque, thousand-year-old olive groves, and turquoise sea on two coasts at once. You come for the sun, the slowness and the food. Here's our guide to what to do in Puglia, depending on your mood, your pace and the season.
The must-sees of Puglia
Alberobello and the trulli
The town of trulli, those white cone-roofed houses listed by UNESCO. Unique in the world, very touristy, but essential. Come early in the morning for the empty lanes.
The Lokki tip: sleep in a trullo out in the surrounding countryside instead, quieter and more authentic than Alberobello itself.
Ostuni, the white town
A maze of whitewashed lanes perched on a hill, facing the sea and an endless sea of olive trees.
Lecce, the “Florence of the South”
The baroque capital of Puglia, carved in a soft golden stone. Churches, palaces, squares: the centre is explored on foot, at leisure.
Polignano a Mare and Monopoli
Polignano, clinging to the cliff above its famous Lama Monachile cove. Monopoli, its port and beaches, right next door.
The Valle d'Itria
The green heart of Puglia: Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca, three white towns among the trulli and olive groves. The best area by bike.
What to do in Puglia depending on your mood
| Mood | Where | Best for | The Lokki tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towns and heritage | Alberobello, Ostuni, Lecce | Culture lovers | Visit early morning or late in the day |
| Beaches and sea | Salento (Gallipoli, Otranto), Polignano | Families, summer | The best coves are worth it by bike or early morning |
| Cycling and olive groves | Valle d'Itria, Adriatic coast | Cyclists | Gentle terrain, perfect on an e-bike among the trulli |
| Food | Bari, Valle d'Itria, Salento | Foodies | Look for Andria burrata and handmade orecchiette |
| White towns | Ostuni, Cisternino, Locorotondo | Photographers | Late-afternoon light is magical on the white |
| Caves and nature | Castellana Caves, Gargano | Adventurers | Book the cave tour in advance |
Puglia by bike
Puglia is a little-known cycling paradise: the Valle d'Itria and its small roads among trulli and olive groves, the flat, luminous Adriatic coast, the paths of the Salento. The terrain is gentle, ideal for an electric bike. We cover it all in our guide: Puglia by bike.
To rent on the spot: Bari, Lecce, Alberobello, Ostuni, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare or Locorotondo.
What to do in Puglia with the family
- Sleep in a trullo, an adventure in itself.
- The Castellana Caves, a spectacular underground world.
- The shallow beaches of the Salento (Porto Cesareo, Torre dell'Orso).
- A bike ride among the olive groves of the Valle d'Itria.
The Lokki tip: rent bikes and link two white towns of the Valle d'Itria, the distances are short and the scenery unreal.
Where to swim in Puglia
Puglia has two seas. On the Adriatic side, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli and the Bari coast. On the Salento side, the finest beaches: Gallipoli, Otranto, Torre dell'Orso, Porto Cesareo and the tip of Santa Maria di Leuca, where the two seas meet.
Eating and drinking in Puglia
One of the great tables of the south: orecchiette (to be found on Via Arco Basso in Bari, handmade by the local mammas), burrata from Andria, focaccia barese, taralli and some of Italy's best olive oil. In the glass, Primitivo di Manduria and Negroamaro.
The finest day trips around Puglia
| Destination | Distance | Don't miss |
|---|---|---|
| Matera (Basilicata) | 1 h | The Sassi, a UNESCO cave city |
| Castel del Monte | 1 h | Frederick II's octagonal castle |
| The Gargano | 2 h | The spur of the boot, its forests and beaches |
| Trani | 45 min | The Romanesque cathedral by the sea |
A one-week itinerary in Puglia
| Day | Stop | Don't miss |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bari | The old town, San Nicola, the orecchiette |
| 2 | Polignano a Mare and Monopoli | Cliffs, coves, ports |
| 3 | Alberobello and Locorotondo | Trulli and the Valle d'Itria by bike |
| 4 | Ostuni and Cisternino | White towns |
| 5 | Lecce | Baroque on foot |
| 6-7 | Salento | Otranto, Gallipoli, beaches |
When is the best time to visit?
Puglia is best enjoyed from May to June and from September to October: warm sea, gentle heat and quiet towns. July and August are brilliant but very hot and very busy on the coast. Spring, with its olive groves and flowering fields, is our favourite season for cycling.
FAQ: what to do in Puglia
What to do in Puglia in one week?
Bari, Polignano a Mare and Monopoli, Alberobello and the Valle d'Itria, Ostuni, Lecce and the Salento (see our itinerary above).
What to do in Puglia with the family?
Sleep in a trullo, the Castellana Caves, the shallow Salento beaches and a bike ride in the Valle d'Itria.
Where to swim in Puglia?
On the Adriatic side at Polignano and Monopoli, on the Salento side at Gallipoli, Otranto, Torre dell'Orso and Porto Cesareo.
How many days to visit Puglia?
A week for the essentials, ten days to add the Gargano or Matera.
Is Puglia good for cycling?
Yes, it's actually one of the most pleasant regions in Italy by bike: gentle terrain, olive groves and small roads, especially in the Valle d'Itria.
A word from Federica
Puglia is the region where I really learned to slow down. Here you don't tick boxes: you sit on a white square, eat a still-warm burrata, and set off again by bike among the olive trees. My advice: keep at least one day with no plan, take a bike in the Valle d'Itria, and let a trullo appear from behind a dry-stone wall. That's Puglia. ☀️
Ready to go?
Puglia is discovered at cycling pace, between white towns and olive groves. Compare the shops and book: Bari, Lecce, Alberobello, Ostuni, Monopoli or Polignano a Mare.
