Two weeks under the Puglia sun

After a pretty disastrous weather-wise trip to Gran Canaria, we’re hoping this time the sun will shine in Puglia. It’s not a sure thing, though—the weather’s been awful all over Europe in early May.

For those who’d like to (re)read the story without the digressions, it’s here.

Saturday, May 16: This time we’re flying out of Charleroi (Brussels South): the ticket prices, flight times, and proximity all worked for us. The airport (Ryanair) was recently renovated... but it’s still not very well organized. There are hardly any seats in the boarding areas, and... the restrooms cost money!!! The flight goes smoothly, though, and we land in Bari a little late.

We quickly pick up our rental car, a very local-looking Pandina (even more so than the Fiat 500 in this region), and hit the Italian roads... and their unique driving quirks (like the fact that the countless road signs along the streets and in towns are purely decorative 😏, and that Italian cars don’t have turn signals 😮... except for rental cars).

About an hour later, we arrive at our first accommodation, right in the middle of the countryside near Monopoli. The owner isn’t there, but they’ve left us a ton of info via messages and even turned on the space heater, which is a nice touch. We explore the property:



And the next morning before breakfast, its immediate surroundings:





Sunday, May 17: After our "seaside" experience in Gran Canaria last weekend (packed with people and locals), we decide to start inland. After a hearty breakfast,



we head toward Alberobello, a super touristy village famous for its trulli—those stone houses with conical roofs. We easily find a free parking spot on a street near the Aia Piccola district, where some trulli are still lived in year-round.





We almost immediately come across the Trullo Sovrano (the only two-story one), which you can visit (but we skip it—it’s opening time, and there’s already a line).



From there, we head down toward the Basilica of Cosma e Damiano... but we don’t go in because there’s a mass.



Now we’re on the main Piazza del Popolo, which connects the two districts of Alberobello: Rione Aia Piccola and Rione Monti, the more touristy one.

Touristy, yes, but some alleys (often not very flowery or decorated) still remain quite deserted.







On the other hand, some streets are already pretty "crowded." With the sun playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds and tourists sometimes taking up a bit too much of the scene, it’s not easy to take photos that I like 😉



So I end up mostly photographing the rooftops 🤪





... Not always managing to avoid the top of someone’s head 😏.





We reach the top of the hill, at the San Antonio church (closed), whose garden on the other side of the street offers a partial view of the city.



We head back the same way, well, not exactly, since we take different alleys than the ones we took on the way up.

thought to turn on the auxiliary heating, which is really nice.

I gather you didn’t suffer through the heatwave! [;]

Hi Agnès, The heating only got used the first two evenings 😉 (result of the weather the previous week and the fact that the accommodations are really designed to keep out the sun). Temperatures then steadily climbed until the end of the stay.

Oh, Puglia! I keep hearing about it but I don’t know it yet... I’ve had a few negative comments about overtourism. Seems like it gets really crowded! But I’ll still go one day because it looks so beautiful.

The airport (Ryanair) was recently renovated... but it’s not very well organized—there are very few seats in the departure lounges and... the toilets are pay-to-use!!!

I was there a week after you and I peed for free 😛 Weird... Anyway, it’s true there are very few seats in the departure lounges.

Hello Catherine

I was there a week after you and I peed for free 😛

To be honest, I didn’t try it in the departure lounge, but at baggage claim there was a change machine by the entrance!

I’ve heard some negative feedback about overtourism. Apparently, it’s really crowded!

Agnès, for example? 😏 For sure, in July-August it must be hellish. At the time, it was mostly groups arriving by bus—more than I expected—but not everywhere like you’ll see later. The south was much quieter.

I’ve heard some negative feedback about overtourism. Seems like it gets really crowded!

Like in Agnès, for example? 😏

Yeah, in Agnès, once there are more than two people, it’s overtourism 😏

What left a bitter taste was more the extreme heat and the Italian way of managing beaches and nature than the world itself.

At 45°C during the day, the brave soul is better off taking it easy when visiting. 😏

😉

This is one of those "must-see" spots in Alberobello... but when was the last time it wasn’t packed? 😮

I’ve never been there. It’s YOUR photo that I "reworked"

🤗🤗🤗 Yeah, that’s definitely a solution!

Piazza del Popolo is now a bit busier, and the belvedere of the Santa Lucia church offers a view of the 400 (or so they say) trulli in Rione Monti:





It’s also a chance to see how much cars have put on weight in recent years 😏





From Alberobello, we head to Locorotondo, about ten kilometers away. We manage to park about a kilometer from the historic center (important for later 😎). Locorotondo is a really pretty village with narrow, often flower-lined streets, but also a lot of tourists (which surprised us a bit since it’s not yet peak season). But since it’s around noon, they’re mostly gathered around the bars and restaurants 🙂.











Italy wouldn’t be Italy without laundry drying on windows and balconies 😎

On the outside, Via Nardelli offers a beautiful panorama of the surrounding countryside.

With a restaurant (closed?) in a unique setting:



Around the church, there’s quite a crowd too: this Sunday, the locals aren’t at the beach—they’re at communions !



I had (vaguely ) spotted two short hikes around Locorotondo on Visorando. The first one gives us a parking spot and a starting point 2.7 km away by car from where we’re parked but only 900 m on foot. Without looking further, we follow the GPS on foot and end up... right where we came from, near the square by the public garden at the entrance of the historic center! Parking there isn’t even possible anymore since it’s reserved for residents only. The hike’s starting point is nearby, at the bottom of Via Nardelli, and the path goes right past where we’re parked!!! We’ve now done this route four times in one direction or the other! Ugh! Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at this hike! We realize it makes us take quite a few busy paved roads and brings us back to the supposed parking spot (which would make us do the same route a fifth time!). All things considered, we’ll go for the second option instead : "Loop starting from Figazzona through the trulli and the Puglia aqueduct." Change of scenery: first, the sky cleared up, and second, we barely cross anyone.



In the distance, Locorotondo:

The Puglia aqueduct:



Trulli are everywhere: some very old,



Some "for sale,"



Some brand new,



And even the church roof is shaped like a trullo .

It’s more about the extreme heat and the Italian way of managing beaches and nature

As for the beaches, in May, it was (very) quiet. When it comes to cleanliness (or dirtiness, take your pick), I was rather pleasantly surprised: aside from the regularly cleared areas along the 4-lane road (SS16), which look like dumping grounds, the rest was pretty clean (except for some very local spots, but no worse than in France).

Hi Muriel,

You’ve introduced me to a region I knew absolutely nothing about, apart from the name! Thanks. While waiting for the rest, the question now is: Puglia or no Puglia…? 🤪 ...

Best regards.

Hello! For me, Puglia was a road trip in disguise from home in August 2020—let’s just say that in the middle of Covid, we weren’t bothered by tourists!

I’m happily diving in for a Muriel-style deep dive 😉

I’ve never been there. It’s YOUR photo that I "reworked"

I love it! The "magic eraser" effect 🧙‍♂️

Hi Alain

the question is now: Puglia or no-Puglia.....? 🤪

😏 Puglia of course!

Hi Bruno

Ah, traveling in 2020—what a joy! 🙂 ... well, for those who could actually go!

😏

Puglia, a region of Italy I don’t know yet. So I’m excited to head there! 🙂

just so you know, the countless road signs along the highways and in towns are purely decorative—how sneaky

Unfortunately, that’s par for the course in Italy. Two weeks ago, we found the bypass around Genoa particularly rough.

Hi Carmen, Here’s the next part:

Monday, May 18: After the inland, the coast! Today’s plan: Polignano a Mare and then Monopoli. The sky is completely blue, there are fewer people around—it’s instantly better! Polignano a Mare is mostly famous for its beach, Lama Monachile, which, I must admit, is super photogenic whether seen from the bridge: I was going to continue, but...

Oops! An error occurred: You tried to download an attached file, but this feature has been disabled.

A new bug? Or does anyone have a solution? ... I’ll try again later ...

Here we go again! 🙂 The beach at Lama Monachile and its turquoise waters seen from the bridge:

or from the edge of the cliff:







But Polignano isn’t just about that—it also has a lovely (small) historic center. Enter through a 17th-century gate:

And then, you just wander from one façade to the next, from one alley to the next...









And always laundry hanging out to dry 😉

And not just laundry—the bikes are also super popular!



The beach is actually prettier from above than from below:





You can’t leave Polignano without paying a visit to Domenico Modugno. Who’s that? Oh, come on! ....



Volare (oh oh)



From Polignano, we take a little detour north to the abbey of San Vito (which isn’t open to visitors but is set in a pretty photogenic spot).





Next, we head south toward Monopoli. Monopoli’s historic center is more spread out than Polignano’s and a bit more austere, with lots of monuments and churches. It’s tricky to photograph them because the streets are so narrow. Since we arrive around noon, everything’s either closed or about to close (between 12 PM and 3 or 4 PM, depending on the monument).

Monopoli, continued...







We leave the historic center’s walls



and head south along the coastal path, which leads here and there to tiny beaches.



A little dip?





We return the same way. But before leaving Monopoli, we *have* to try Bella Blu, the best gelato in Puglia—or so they say. A quick detour first to Charles V’s castle (closed for renovations this time) and the port.



As for the famous gelato, while the classic flavors (chocolate, lemon, mango) seemed really good to me, I was much less convinced by the lemon tart ice cream or the passion fruit cookie crumble one.

A little dip?

So, the story doesn’t say? Is it warm enough for a little dip, or still too cold for the season? 😉

As far as I'm concerned, the water was way too cold! 😏 But some brave souls still took the plunge...

I’m planning to follow this trip too, hoping that VF won’t forget about me. I just realized I haven’t received any messages for 2 months, even though I’m subscribed to lots of countries and all the travel journals 😠

Hi Noëlle

Unfortunately, these bugs are a recurring issue: random notifications, links that don’t take you to the right message... Enjoy your reading anyway 😉

Wednesday, May 19: When I was planning this trip, I wondered if we’d spend a few days in northern Puglia, around Gargano Park… but no, it’ll be a relaxed vacation—we’ll take our time and rest. Well, we’ve been here for two days and we’ve walked nearly 20 km each time… it’s high time for a chill day! 😎 Besides, the sky’s a bit changeable this morning—why not visit the archaeological site of Egnazia? Apparently, it’s not bad, especially the seaside part. To be honest, the site itself is far from extraordinary: you can’t wander inside the ruins (of which, by the way, not much remains), and what’s more, access to the baths and especially the ancient port (the seaside part) is closed. The whole thing’s a bit disappointing.





On the other hand, the museum is well done, with an amazing basement that makes you feel like you’re immersed underwater, just like an underwater archaeologist.





And for the rest of the afternoon, it’ll be poolside relaxation 🙂 (no, not in the pool—the water’s too cold too 😕).



Thursday, May 20:

This morning, we’re heading to Ostuni, the "white city." Well, it’s a lot less "white" than the Cycladic villages, that’s for sure, but from a distance, it really is… The large Piazza della Libertà connects the historic center with the modern town:

The cathedral and the museum, Ostuni’s highlights, are closed for renovations (again!)

A lot of the streets aren’t pedestrian-only, which makes the visit less enjoyable, but it’s still a pleasure to wander randomly through all these little alleys.









Not all the streets are this empty, far from it ;)

Ostuni, continued...













After Ostuni, we headed to Cisternino—a historic center that’s smaller but just as cute as the other towns, and so much quieter! Pure bliss 😎

We continue our wanderings through the quiet streets of Cisternino:









Tonight, to wrap up our stay in the Monopoli area, we’re enjoying a plate of pasta that’s typically Puglian—pouillote, pouillien, or pouilleux? Anyway, it’s delicious and ridiculously cheap: orecchiette al ragù 🙂



(Parmesan to add as you like 😉)

Thursday 21/05 Today, we're leaving the Monopoli area for Lecce, further south. We only have 140 km to cover, but Matteo (our future host) told us we could arrive around noon. The roads seem more run-down in the south (though that doesn’t slow down the local drivers at all 😏). We discover our new accommodation, near Melendugno, and since it’s still early, we head off to explore the nearest coast north of San Foca. Matteo mentioned that not many people visit these beaches—I don’t know about summer, but right now, there’s literally no one here!

Besides, even in tourist spots, there are noticeably fewer people in the deep south than where we came from.







After a brisk walk (the wind!!!) we hit the road again for the Grotta della Poesia, south of Roca Vecchia. We park in a deserted Roca Vecchia (this eerie feeling—like we’ll have in all the coastal villages during the day—there’s no one around, as if we’ve arrived after a nuclear winter!). From San Foca to Santa Maria di Leuca at the very southern tip, an orange-marked trail (Il Cammino del Salento) runs along the entire coast. Before reaching the Grotta della Poesia, we take the path that circles the archaeological site… but when we get to the end, the trail is blocked by a padlocked gate… nothing left to do but turn back! No regrets, though—this (short) trail still offers beautiful views along the way.







The crystal-clear blue waters of the Grotta della Poesia still attracted a few tourists.

Friday 22/05 We decided to explore part of the coast today, all the way to Otranto. Since the sky’s a bit overcast this morning (but should clear up), we head straight to Otranto and come back along the seaside. In Otranto, it’s not tourists who’ve taken over the streets today—it’s high schoolers, groups everywhere! Classic entrance to the historic center:

And this time, the cathedral is open! We notice its beautiful coffered ceiling and a huge floor mosaic depicting the tree of life.



The crypt in the basement is also open to visitors.

Our steps then lead us to the Aragonese castle





Which overlooks both the old town

and the ramparts

Time to head back to the car and drive a few kilometers to an abandoned bauxite quarry that you can walk around. Unfortunately, the site has been privatized—it’s surrounded everywhere by barriers and signs saying “Forbidden! Private property.” 🏴‍☠️ Well, some people ignore the rules, but we respected them and settled for the only viewpoint that’s legally accessible.



(with the "real" colors) (with the super-saturated colors from my friend’s smartphone)

We then head north at a leisurely pace to the “faraglioni di Sant’Andrea,” meaning the cliffs. These cliffs give the coast a bit of an Algarve vibe, though not as dramatic. Still, it’s really pretty.

From there, we opted for a little walk in the pine grove of Sant’Andrea, just to change the scenery. We passed by a submerged rock nicknamed "the Sphinx."



As for the pine grove, it was entirely forgettable...

A few kilometers by car to reach Torre dell’Orso and its "due sorelle." Following Maps.me from Torre dell’Orso, we didn’t take the easiest route since we walked (and climbed) quite a bit in the sand... all for a result that was, in the end, rather disappointing: the faraglioni landscape seemed more spectacular to us.



Saturday, May 23: One day by the sea, one day in the historic center... today, it’s THE southern city, Lecce. We parked next to the cemetery, thinking we’d visit it on the way back (apparently, it’s worth it with its Baroque tombs). Lecce, nicknamed "the Florence of the South." Those who know Florence tend to say, "Pfft, no comparison!" But we don’t know Florence (not yet!) and we loved Lecce. We bought a combined ticket online (11 €) that lets you visit the main monuments. Entry through the Naples Gate.



First, we headed to Piazza del Duomo with the cathedral and the Museum of Sacred Art (MUSA), wandering through some beautiful streets with stunning façades and balconies:









Along the way, a first little church (but since it was open, we went in—smart move!)



And we arrived at Piazza del Duomo.



You can go up to the top of the bell tower, but only by a paid elevator (limited to 15 people, I think, which is probably a way to regulate access in this narrow building).

Let’s start with a visit to the cathedral...



Then the crypt:





and its bones:

A quick stroll through the cloister (pretty ordinary):



And finally, the Museum of Sacred Arts, where you can see a copy of... D’Alembert’s Encyclopedia in French 😮 (but published in Italy).



Then we headed to the churches of Santa Chiara and San Matteo—not by taking the shortest route, but by following the streets that inspired us.

Santa Chiara Church:

And San Matteo Church:

Its uniqueness: a convex façade for the lower half and concave above.

We then head (still taking the scenic route) toward Piazza Sant’Oronzo and the remains of its Roman amphitheater.









We’re not far from the Basilica of Santa Croce. It’s open, and there aren’t any communions going on—but a wedding! Well, it’s wrapping up, and people are starting to leave.

While waiting for the church to empty, we decide to try the local specialty: the pasticciotto, a pastry with a crispy shortcrust shell filled with custard (personally, it reminded me of my mother-in-law’s Basque cake).

The bakery is at the corner of the Villa Comunale (public garden), a quiet spot perfect for a few minutes of rest.



We head back toward the basilica, crossing the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Celestini, which adjoins it.

Hi Muriel, I’m jumping in a bit late—this is a region I don’t know at all, but it sure looks tempting… maybe off-season? 😊

Hi Isabelle

Welcome to Puglia, which is definitely much more pleasant off-season than in the middle of summer.

It’s great to see someone hanging out here 🙂 (I was feeling a bit lonely 😏). I don’t know if everyone’s just swamped or away on vacation right now, but there’s really not much happening on VF these days 😕

It’s one of my best memories of Puglia, Lecce. 🙂

But you know Florence, right?

Yeah. Florence feels like too much of a museum city to me.

Lecce is livelier.

And personally, I prefer its architectural style.

It's always interesting to get different opinions ;). And there are probably fewer people in Lecce than in Florence!

Yes, there were way fewer people in Lecce!

While waiting for the church to empty, we’re going to try the local specialty: the pasticciotto, a cake with a crispy shortcrust pastry filled with custard (personally, it reminded me of my mother-in-law’s Basque cake).

Where I come from, we call that a "choke-the-baker"

It’s not a very appealing name, is it? 😏

So nice to see someone hanging out here 🙂 (I was feeling a bit lonely 😏). I don’t know if everyone’s just swamped or away on vacation right now, but there’s really not much happening on VF these days 😕

I’m not missing a single bit of this trip to the heel of the boot!

Hi Isabelle

Welcome to Puglia, which is definitely much more pleasant off-season than in the middle of summer.

It’s great to see someone hanging around here 🙂 (I was feeling a little lonely 😏). I don’t know if everyone’s just swamped or away on vacation right now, but there’s really not much happening on VF these days 😕

Yeah, it’s true I haven’t been around much lately 😅... I need to come back more regularly to support you all 👍