Apulia (Puglia) is the sun-drenched heel of Italy's boot, stretching along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts with over 800 km of coastline, centuries-old whitewashed towns, and a food culture that rivals anywhere in the country. Home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the iconic trulli of Alberobello and the enigmatic Castel del Monte — Apulia blends Norman castles, Baroque Lecce stonework, and ancient masserie (fortified farmhouses) into an unforgettable landscape.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Matera (Basilicata)
Highlights: Wander Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, UNESCO cave districts inhabited for some 9,000 years · Tour a casa grotta showing how Matera families lived in the caves until the 1950s · Photograph the Gravina ravine panorama from the Murgia belvederes across the canyon · Taste Pane di Matera IGP and cucina povera orecchiette in a Sassi trattoria
Isole Tremiti
Highlights: Cross by fast hydrofoil to the Adriatic's Tremiti archipelago off the Gargano coast · Explore San Nicola's fortified Abbey of Santa Maria a Mare and medieval walls · Circle San Domino by boat to sea caves like the Grotta del Bue Marino and hidden coves · Swim and snorkel in the clear protected waters of the Tremiti marine reserve
Alberobello + Locorotondo Loop
Highlights: Walk Alberobello's Rione Monti and Aia Piccola, UNESCO districts of conical trulli houses · Step inside the Trullo Sovrano, the only trullo built on two storeys · Wander Locorotondo's circular whitewashed old town with Valle d'Itria views · Extend the circuit to baroque Martina Franca by car for the full valley loop
Lecce by Train
Highlights: Admire the Basilica di Santa Croce, the masterpiece of exuberant Barocco Leccese carving · Stand in Piazza del Duomo and Piazza Sant'Oronzo above a sunken Roman amphitheatre · Taste a warm pasticciotto and an iced caffè leccese sweetened with almond milk · Browse cartapesta papier-mâché workshops, a long-standing Lecce craft tradition
Trani Cathedral and Seafront
Highlights: See the seafront Cattedrale di San Nicola Pellegrino, a pure Romanesque landmark on the water · Tour the Swabian Castello Svevo built by Frederick II beside the harbour · Explore the medieval Giudecca quarter and the historic Scolanova synagogue · Eat raw Adriatic seafood at the picturesque fishing harbour
Polignano a Mare and Grotte di Castellana
Highlights: Gaze over the Adriatic from Polignano a Mare's clifftop old town and Lama Monachile cove · Descend into the Grotte di Castellana on a guided route to the dazzling white Grotta Bianca · Cross the Roman bridge above Polignano's famous beach inlet · Sample sea-urchin or local gelato in Polignano's whitewashed lanes
Vieste and Gargano Coast
Highlights: Drive the scenic Gargano coast to Vieste's whitewashed clifftop old town · See the Pizzomunno monolith towering over Vieste's main beach · Take a boat tour of the Gargano sea caves and grottoes along the coast · Detour into the Foresta Umbra, an ancient UNESCO beech forest in Gargano National Park
Gallipoli and Salento Coast
Highlights: Walk Gallipoli's island Città Vecchia ringed by 16th-century sea walls · Visit the Angevin-Aragonese castle and the baroque Cattedrale di Sant'Agata · Descend into a frantoio ipogeo, an underground olive-oil press cut into the rock · Relax on Salento beaches like Baia Verde and the white sands toward Pescoluse
Taranto and MArTA Museum
Highlights: See the dazzling Ori di Taranto Hellenistic gold at the MArTA archaeology museum · Cross the swing bridge into the island Città Vecchia old town · View the Doric columns of the Temple of Poseidon and the Aragonese Castle · Taste Taranto's famous mussels (cozze) farmed in the Mar Piccolo lagoon
Ostuni and Valle d'Itria
Highlights: Climb Ostuni's lime-washed old-town maze to the late-Gothic Cattedrale di Ostuni · Look out from the town walls over a sea of ancient olive groves to the Adriatic · Browse artisan shops and trattorias along the white alleys and arches · Drive the scenic Valle d'Itria route linking Ostuni with Locorotondo and Alberobello
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