Puglia road trip: which stops?

Hi, We’re planning to visit southern Puglia over 9 nights and I’d love your thoughts on our itinerary. We’ll fly into Bari and out of Brindisi, picking up a rental car at the airport. We enjoy sightseeing but aren’t big on museums, and we’d like to swim.

First idea: 1 night in Matera – 4 nights in Monopoli to explore Alberobello, Conversano, Locorotondo, and Ostuni – 4 nights in Gallipoli or another southern town. Second idea: 1 night in Matera – 2 nights in Monopoli – 1 night in Taranto – 4 nights in Gallipoli – 1 night in Ostuni.

Thanks for your tips!

Matera isn’t in Puglia—it’s in Basilicata. You should spend at least one night and a full day there to soak in this unique city. Don’t miss crossing to the other side of the ravine for the viewpoint over Matera, both by day and night. Also, read *Christ Stopped at Eboli* by Carlo Levi—written while he was under house arrest in this region for opposing fascism. The area was extremely poor at that time.

You should definitely add the magnificent Lecce with its Baroque buildings to your itinerary.