Italy is a place I love to return to – and continue to explore new places. Each region is distinct like it’s own country. This summer, in July, I indulged in spending two weeks throughout Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot. Imagine whitewashed villages with maze-like streets, rocky blue seas, and the haunted vibes of Baroque architecture. This was a perfect area to unplug and get lost in the beauty of your surroundings.
Itinerary
Day 1- Arrival in Bari airport, train to Monopoli- start exploring Monopoli in the evening
Day 2- Monopoli- Monopoli & Beach day
Day 3- Monopoli- Full Day Tour to Matera & Alberobello
Day 4- Monopoli- Monopoli & Beach day
Days 5-7 Lecce- City explorations, shopping, simple cuisine
Days 8-10- Gallipoli- Beach days
Days 11-14- Martina Franca- Winery visit, city explorations
Notes & Plans
It was so hard to choose where to stay throughout beautiful Puglia. I mulled over it quite a bit, thought about my travel goals, and decided on choosing four stops, a blend of beach, history, and beauty. But ultimately, I think you’ll automatically nail it if you choose Monopoli. This coastal beauty had a maze-like city center, walkable beaches, and really great wine bars & food. I dedicated two days as beach days. The public beaches fill up early, so I went to the nearby beach club where I could rent a chair and umbrella. During my other full day in Monopoli, I left on a full day tour (booked on Get Your Guide) to visit Matera and Alberobello. I am glad I got to see those places, though it’s also hard to say I’d want to dock a day in Monopoli over it. Matera is a really cool city and well worth visiting, but unfortunately I chose the self-guided tour option and then proceeded to completely lose phone service as soon as we entered the city center. I wasn’t able to use Google Maps to find any of the highlights I flagged. I wandered around and visited a “sassi,” a place where you could see what it was like to live there long ago. But overall, it was a little stressful. Alberobello, on the other hand, is all about seeing the cute “trulli” buildings in person. It was mobbed with people taking photos while I was there in the afternoon. It was honestly difficult to fill a couple of hours there, navigating the tourist-flooded streets of souvenir shops. After walking around for a bit (and I didn’t last long), I just gave up and went to a restaurant to get out of the crowd and wait for my tour to drive me back to Monopoli.
After four nights in Monopoli, I hopped on the train to Lecce, under an hour and a half. I checked into my lovely Airbnb just on the outskirts of the center and began exploring this beautiful, old, haunted looking place. I have to admit I mostly just wandered around the city- took pictures of things on the street, window shopped, stepped into the old churches, and dined on their simplest cuisine. The one museum I visited in Lecce was quite unique- Faggiano Museum– it told the story of a family intending to open a Trattoria, when a simple plumbing job led to uncovering a treasure trove of historical artifacts, even dating back to connections with the Knights Templar. You can walk around the house/structure and view art and artifacts within the space along with a translated guide which explains the background. It was an interesting stop with a helpful staff.
After three days in Lecce, I hopped on the slow train to Gallipoli (I hear the bus might be better, but who knows!) I stayed at a beautiful boutique hotel called the Palazzo Presta, next to the Spiaggia Purita, a perfect free public beach. I went to the beach during weekday mornings and it was not very crowded. I spent two days laying out on the sand reading my book, then swimming in the gentle waves. Gallipoli certainly has an amazing beach, and it’s very much a beach town. The restaurants are pretty good (some were great), but it was all pricier than it’s previous Puglia neighbors. Still not terrible, but worth noting.
After three nights in Gallipoli, I moved on to my last stop, Martina Franca. Recommended by my parents, I came here in hopes for a relaxing and beautiful stop in Puglia. It was lovely and a place where I could enjoy the simple things. I loved wandering the maze-like streets of white buildings, churches, and hanging art. On my second day, I took the bus to Locorotondo (15 minutes) and went to a great wine tasting at Cantina Mir. They offered lovely wine and snack pairings, and were also willing to customize the tasting and choose wines based on my preferences.
In most of these locations, it got extremely hot during the afternoon and the cities completely cleared out. This is definitely to be expected during the summer. I ended up taking on this siesta schedule and loving it. It works well to walk around and do your sightseeing before the sun gets too strong. After lunch, hunker inside and relax or nap, then get ready to hit the streets again when the sun goes down. It was amazing to see streets in places like Lecce and Martina Franca completely empty at 3pm, but bustling full of tourists of all ages at midnight!
I also wanted to address transportation. Throughout most of Italy, traveling by train is a no-brainer… but unfortunately things get a little less reliable and more complicated in Puglia. If you’re staying within the Bari, Monopoli, Lecce train line, I think getting around by train was perfectly smooth and easy. However, the train to Gallipoli was slow-moving and pretty unpleasant. It was also really hard to arrange public transportation to and from Martina Franca. These are places that might be easier to access if you have a car.
Before detailing my food and drinks, you might notice a lot of my dining choices for this trip are more on the simple side. As much as it can be enticing to try out high end or trendy spots, I’ve been learning and accepting over time that the food from higher end restaurants often tends to be richer, which doesn’t always agree with me- especially in the heat. For this trip, I mostly focused on simple dining with high quality ingredients for the majority of my meals.
Foods & Drinks
-Monopoli- Radimare– My one fine treat of the trip- and this spot was truly incredible. I’m still thinking about the green sauce from the fish tartare. The pasta dish and dessert was amazing, as well. If you’re in Monopoli and appreciate trying restaurants, Radimare’s amazing service and menu is truly something special.
-Monopoli- Al Vicoletto– Another totally standout restaurant. I only regret that I didn’t get to come back here more than once. It gets busy, but it doesn’t close during the afternoon, so I was able to nab a table in the later afternoon, after having a beach day. I loved the fresh octopus salad and the perfect, crispy spaghetti cooked in its own sauce!
-Lecce- Alle Due Corti– With no reservation, I was lucky to grab a spot at the communal table here at one of Anthony Bourdain’s favorites. I went for the pasta with eggplant, tomato, and cheese. The other dishes looked great, too. I recommend reserving ahead if you don’t want to risk it.
-Lecce- Osteria Da Anguilino– Keeping with my trend of simplicity, I enjoyed trying Lecce’s traditional chickpea soup with pasta, including some crispy noodles.
-Lecce- La Vecchia Osteria Da Totu– Just outside the city walls, I enjoyed a great lunch of local homemade pasta with fresh tomato sauce followed by a secondo of sauteed cuttlefish. With no reservation, I braved the heat and sat outside, but I’d recommend this for nice, simple food- a theme of my trip.
-Lecce- 00 Doppiozero– I actually stopped by this place twice during my visit. It was down the street from my Airbnb tucked beside one of the many churches in a charming little traffic-free (well, limited) spot. It’s a popular, laid back spot to hang out outside with a spritz and snacks or aperitivo.
-Gallipoli- Le Garibaldine– An amazing place to try the local purple shrimp pasta. One of my favorites in Puglia. I tried to walk in when they first opened for dinner, but they could not accommodate me without a reservation, so luckily I was able to book and return to eat there the next night!
-Martina Franca- Braceria del Ponte– I tried a few different kinds of bombette here. Bombette are a local specialty of seasoned pork rolled up with cheese and aromatics. All were awesome, but my favorite were the spicy ones. I highly recommend checking out a braceria for meats during your time in Puglia!
-Martina Franca- Latticini Gentile– This was an amazing sandwich spot in the main square. If you come to Martina Franca, I might go as far as to say that coming here is a must-do. There is table service so you can people-watch in the piazza, snack on olives, and order a drink. So many amazing sandwiches to choose from on their menu! I tried one with capocollo, a local specialty.
-Martina Franca- Origini– I loved my orrechiette pomodoro here, as well as the beef tartare. Just a great example of classic dishes done perfectly with the freshest of ingredients. I highly recommend making a reservation at this delicious restaurant if you visit Martina Franca.
-Martina Franca- Luba Bistrot– I came here for lunch- it was a 15 minute walk out of the center, but I was still surprised to find the place empty when I first arrived. (A couple more tables filled while I was there, but still. Everyone in town was missing out.) I loved their unique menu and had difficulty deciding what to order. With the help of my waiter, I went with the beef carpaccio and an interesting fettuccine dish with eggplant and other ingredients. The food was beautifully presented and totally incredible. Go to this amazing restaurant!
Next time?
I’d definitely return to Puglia! It was beautiful and peaceful. The people were kind and the food was great. As much as I loved all my locations on this trip, I’d specifically return to Monopoli and Lecce- I loved them both and they had easier train access. I also need to spend more time in Bari- due to transportation issues, I ended up only making a quick stop there during my journey. I’d also be interested in checking out some other places in Puglia like Otranto and Ostuni- I heard good things about both along the way!
