Things To Do in Puglia

It’s fair to say that Italy is known for its world-class food. If you want to bring a little bit of it back with you, Ostuni’s food market is the place to head. Every Saturday, it fills up with locals selling artisan meats and cheese, which you can sample before you buy. Make sure to get there early, though – all the stalls shut up shop around 1pm.

The beach isn’t the only place to relax in Torre Canne. The small town is packed with hot springs, set under the canopy of an evergreen forest. Naturally, a spa complex has been built around them. You can book in for treatments – the mineral-rich waters are said to have healing powers.

This one’s a bit of a secret. If you head down the coast from Brindisi, you’ll come across Torre Rinalda – about half-an-hour’s drive along. There’s a rugged track nearby, which takes you over the dunes and towards the sea. Pull on your snorkelling gear and jump in to the see-through waters. Just 50 metres off-shore, you’ll reach a shipwreck, sunk by the British navy in 1941. It’s not too deep, so you can swim down to take a closer look.

Set time aside for a visit to one of Puglia’s UNESCO-rated sites – 25 minutes’ drive from Savelletri di Fasano. Alberobello draws in the crowds due to its huge collection of trulli. These traditional Puglian homes – made from white stone with a conical roof – have been around for hundreds of years. Among the 400-odd trulli, there’s even a huge trullo-church.

Italians really celebrate midsummer in style. Ostuni goes all out to mark the longest day of the year, with fire eaters, dancers, jugglers and a firework display when the clock strikes 12. Post-midnight, the festivities continue with a huge pop concert. And the locals knock up a special meal for the occasion involving snails.

As caves go, these are pretty big. In fact, they’re Italy’s longest natural network. The Castellana Caves are a 30-minute drive from Savelletri di Fasano. Guided tours will take you past the cave’s jellyfish and stocking-shaped stalactites and stalagmites. Take the longer of the two tours, and you’ll get to visit the White Cave, which is covered in glistening alabaster.

Pescoluse beach has gained a reputation as the Maldives of Salento. This could be down to the powder-like sands, or the off-shore dunes, which resemble tiny islets come sunset. What’s more, the whole stretch is backed by wild white lilies and ferns.

The bay in Polignano a Mare is flanked on either side by soaring cliffs. They’re used by Red Bull for its Cliff Diving World Series, but locals are just as likely to be seen diving off them. For something less adrenaline-fuelled, take a swim in the glassy waters – you’ll be able to see to the bottom of the seabed.

If it’s secluded sands you’re after, head to the Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve – half-an-hour down the coast from Ostuni. The reserve includes a six-kilometre-long stretch of prime Italian coastline. As you make your way south, trees and gorges give way to sandy dunes and snorkel-friendly waters. Wander away from the main section of Torre Guaceto Beach and you’ll reach footprint-free parts.

A half-an-hour drive from Marina di Ugento lands you in Gallipoli. This place lives up to its name – the Greeks dubbed it Kallipolis, which translates as ‘the fair city’. The mainland epitomises modern Italy, but wander over a bridge into the walled old town, and you’ll be met by Baroque chapels set in tiny cobbled streets. The views out to sea are really something, too.

Torre Pozzella is 10 minutes’ drive from Marina di Ostuni. It’s made up of a clutch of bijou coves, sandwiched in by rugged rocks. There are some caves, too, which you can only reach by swimming out from the shore.

You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d wandered over to Greece when you pay a visit to Ostuni. It’s been dubbed the White City, thanks to its dove-coloured streets which spread across the hillside. Avert your eyes away from the city, and you’ll get phenomenal views of the region’s forest-and-beach landscape.

There are a clutch of restaurants and trattorias lined up along the harbour in Brindisi. Here, the journey between sea and table isn’t long – the city’s fishing boats land their catch on the cobbled promenade. Unsurprisingly, seafood is the star feature on the menus, but other highlights include the region’s ear-shaped orechiette pasta and crunchy pugliese bread.

Campo di Mare’s five man-made bays are ideal for families, thanks to the shallow, calm waters. There are lots of beach bars and cafés on hand for between-bathing snacks, as well as loungers and umbrellas for hire.

The guidebooks bill this place as the Florence of the South – and they’re not wrong. Lecce’s narrow streets are packed with Baroque churches and a 12th-century cathedral to rival the famous Duomo. It doesn’t stop there. One of the city’s main square also happens to be built on top of a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre. And it’s only half-an-hour’s drive from port city, Brindisi.

Polpo translates as octopus, so there are no prizes for guessing what this festival is all about. If you like seafood, Mola di Bari is definitely the place to head. Swing by on the last Sunday of July, when the town hosts its annual octopus festival. You can sample all sorts of dishes, ranging from simple barbecued tentacles to octopus-in-a-bun.