11 Beautiful Places to Visit in Puglia, Italy
As part of my 4-month trip travelling around Europe in 2022, I spent 10 days in Puglia which soon became my new favourite destination. With beautiful historic towns and cities, clear turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and the most incredible food and wine, I can see why it is such a popular summer destination for Italians.
Puglia has some of the most unique towns and cities I have visited. From the Trulli houses in Alberobello, and the beautiful beaches in Monopoli, to visiting one of the oldest living cities in the world, Puglia is the perfect destination for every type of traveller. You really get the perfect mix of a beach destination and an interesting city break.
In this guide, I am sharing the most beautiful places to visit in Puglia and some travel information, recommendations and tips to help you make the most of your time there.
Table of Contents
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Lecce
I started off my trip in Lecce which is a city you should definitely add to your itinerary. Lecce is known as ‘the Florence of the South’ due to its stunning churches, museums and beautiful baroque architecture.
Top things to do and see in Lecce-
- Basilica di Santa Croce– this is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen, it has the most beautiful architecture and baroque design.
- Piazza del Duomo– this is such a stunning square, I went in the day and then went in the evening which was really beautiful as the Cathedral was all lit up. Here you can see: The Cathedral, Seminary Palac and Episcopal Palace.
- Piazza Sant’Oronzo– this is a beautiful square where you can see the Roman Amphitheatre, the column of Sant’Orzo and the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazi
- Villa Comunale di Lecce– this is a beautiful garden area
Monopoli
Monopoli is one of my favourite places I visited in Puglia. It is a small seaside town, with a charming old town and some beautiful beaches with clear turquoise waters, but it didn’t seem as busy as some of the other places I visited. It is also located quite close to lots of other destinations so it makes a great base when travelling around this area.
Top things to do and see in Monopoli:
- Explore the Old Town– here you can find white-washed buildings, charming little streets, beautiful churches and piazzas with great bars and restaurants. As I was based in Monopoli, I spent one morning strolling around this area, and then 3 evenings here. The evenings were definitely my favourite part, having an aperitif at sunset and there are also so many lovely restaurants. The old town had such a lovely atmosphere at this time.
- Go to the beach– this area has the most crystal clear sea. There are two small free beaches I went to- Porto Rosso and Porto Bianca that were really close to each other. They were great places to go swimming as the water was really calm and quite shallow. However, they do get quite busy, especially at the weekends. I would also recommend having a coffee or a pizza at Porto Rosso Pizzeria Bar. This has the most incredible view of the sea. Also Porto Ghiacciolo.
- Visit the Old Harbour– this is such a pretty harbour, I visited during the day but it is so beautiful at sunset.
- Visit the Castello Carlo V and then walk along the promenade.
- Spend the day at a beach club– Lido Cala Paradiso, Le Palme, Lido Bambu
Polignano a Mare
Lama Monachile beach in Polignano a Mare is probably one of the most iconic beaches in the region. It is what I had saved on my Pinterest board before visiting Puglia so I had to make sure I visited. I visited for the day from Monopoli, however, by the time I got to the beach it was so busy, that I couldn’t really even find a spot to put my towel down. However, the town of Polignano a Mare is beautiful to walk around, and the view of the beach from the viewpoint is stunning and the views of the cliffs make it definitely worth the visit. I would suggest staying in Polignano a Mare, even for a night so that you can get to the beach early before the crowds, and then the town looks so pretty in the evenings.
Things to do in Polignano a Mare:
- Spend the day at Lama Monachile beach
- Take in the views at the panoramic viewpoints– Belvedere su Lama Monachile, Pendma Chiatt (Pietra Piatta)
- Grotta Palazzese– the iconic cave restaurant
Alberobello
Alberobello is probably one of the most unique places I have visited. It looks like it is from a fairytale. It is famous for its trulli buildings, which are buildings with a cone shaped roof. Some of them have symbols or shapes painted on them as well. The main thing to do here is explore the Rione Monti which is an area full of trulli buildings. It doesn’t take long to walk around this area, so I would suggest only visiting here for the morning and then visiting another town in the area such as Locorotondo.
A tip for visiting Alberobello, it does have public transport links, I got the bus from Monopoli. However, they are not very reliable. If you are getting public transport, make sure not to get the last bus back as mine never turned up. I had to get a taxi back, which was really difficult as there was only one in the area, and very expensive so I shared with someone who was also stranded.
Ostuni
Ostuni is one of the places I really wished I spent more time in on my trip to Puglia. Known as ‘the White City’ it is a beautiful city on the top of a hill, with white-washed buildings, charming streets and stunning countryside views. I visited Ostuni for one evening, and I had dinner and drinks there. I got the train from Monopoli, however, the train station is located quite far from the historic centre. It is about a 30-minute walk and it is steep, but there were a few taxis and taxi numbers at the station so I could get a taxi to the centre.
Top things to do:
- Wander around the historic centre– there are lots of beautiful streets, shops and coffee shops
- Visit the Cathedral
- Go to Piazza della Libertà– this is where you will find Palace Municipale
- Walk the city walls
- Enjoy an aperitif at sunset– a great place for this is at Borgo Antico Bistrot.
- Have dinner in a cave restaurant at Osteria del Tempo Perso.
Matera
I have added Matera to my list because it was probably the highlight of my trip however it is technically in the Basilicata. It is only about an hour’s drive from Bari though so it is definitely one to add to your Puglia trip. This is one of the most interesting and unique cities I have ever been to. The stone buildings, beautiful churches and cave houses make it one of the most picturesque destinations. It used to be the ‘Shame of Italy’ as in the 1940s the buildings had no running water, or electricity and the government ended up relocating the citizens into modern developments. Now, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it was featured in the James Bond movie ‘No Time to Die’.
Top things to do:
- Explore the Sassi di Matera- you can do this as a walking tour, or just stroll around yourself.
- Take in the views at the viewpoints– Palazzo Lanfranchi Beldevere, Beldevere Luigi Guerricchio detto dei ‘Tre Archi’, Beldevere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli.
- Visit Casa Grotta nei Sassi di Matera– this is a replicated cave home where you can see what they were like up until the 1950’s.
- Have cocktails in a Cave at Zipa Cafe
- Go across the Ravine to see the caves
- Visit the Underground Cistern
- Stay in a Cave Hotel
- Visit the Churches- Church of San Pietro Barisano, Church of Santa Maria di Idris, Church of San Pietro Caveoso, Matera Cathedral
- Have dinner in a cave restaurant
I would definitely recommend staying for a night or two in Matera rather than doing this as a day trip, as the evenings were my favourite part. The view from the viewpoints at sunset was stunning, and there are so many amazing bars and restaurants to try.
Trani
I visited Trani for one night, and it was a bit of a random addition to the trip because I managed to get tickets to see Paolo Nutini there. I am so glad I ended up coming here on my trip, it is such a pretty town, there is a lovely harbour area with colourful little boats, and the sunset by the Cathedral was probably one of the most beautiful I have seen.
Things to do:
- Visit the castle of Emperor Frederick I
- Stroll along the Port and have drinks here
- Visit the castle of Emperor Frederick I- I would recommend strolling around this area at sunset
- Relax at Lido Bella Venezia
Torre dell Orso
I visited Torre dell Orso for the day from Lecce. It is such a beautiful beach, the water is crystal blue and shallow so great for swimming. There’s also surrounding cliffs which makes it really picturesque. If you are not driving, you can easily get the bus to and from Lecce to this beach.
Bari
Bari has one of the two airports in Puglia so it is likely that you will arrive here. It is not as picturesque as the other cities in Puglia, however, I definitely think it is worth having a night here. It has a really authentic feel to it, walking around in the evening you will see locals having drinks outside with their friends and family.
Top things to do:
- Wander around the Old Town (Bari Vecchia)– this area has some really pretty narrow streets
- See fresh pasta being made in the streets– this was one of my favourite things to see in Bari, there is one area in the Old Town known as Orecchiette street where you will find stalls with women making and selling fresh pasta.
- Make sure to get an ice cream from Antica Gelateria Gentile
- Visit the Basilica di San Nicola
- Spend the day at Pane de Pomodoro beach– this is a huge beach and the sea is so calm and blue.
- Visit Bari’s Cathedral
- Book a cooking class!
Other Places to Visit in Puglia
I only had 11 days in Puglia and as I was using public transport to get around I wasn’t able to visit everywhere I would have liked to. These are some other destinations which look amazing that I will definitely be visiting on my next trip to Puglia.
- Otranto– Otranto is a beautiful town with stunning beaches, historic architecture and a charming Old Town.
- Gallipoli– this is a beautiful seaside town with beautiful beaches, crystal clear water and a charming old town.
