Forget Rome, Milan, Venice - Puglia and the south of Italy is a must-see part of the world. This previously overlooked region is getting its dues thanks to picturesque coastal towns, boutique offerings and an unrivaled local culinary scene.
We did our best to visit as much of the region as we could, and below are some of the highlights for what we recommend. My partner Tom is a celiac, so I’ve thrown in some gluten free (GF) recommendations too.
Lecce
We may be biased because we lived here but we LOVE Lecce. It’s not coastal, but the architecture, food, wine and people are amazing. Plus, we found it to be heaps cheaper than the rest of Puglia - don’t pay more than €5 for a spritz, €7 for a negroni or €14 for a pasta.
Eat 🍝
Volo 4.5/5 excellent for GF, excellent staff, good negroni
Filotto 4.5/5 really lovely staff, try the traditional frise
Crianza 4/5 good for GF
Moro 4/5 good food and good for GF but drinks weren’t great
Green does a really good make your own salad if you’re wanting something fresh and low carb
LoRe Pizzeria for GF takeaway pizza, all pizze can be made senza glutine, super soft base
Porceria for BEST panini you’ll taste in your life - AND they do GF, the Goya is out of this world
La Romana for best gelato (has GF cones), Fior Di gelato close second.
Drink 🍷
For the best negroni, head to local joint Miro.Al Ventuno is close second.
Southeast cafe for best Cafe Leccese (traditional iced coffee) and amazing croissants (lots of different flavours - cream, Nutella, pistachio, jam etc.).
Pretty much all restaurants / bars do a great glass of wine for €5 - negromaro and primitivo are excellent local wines.
If you fancy a more expensive cocktail evening, Quanto Basta has a great vibe and expansive cocktail menu.
Do 💃
Wander through Centro Storico for a few hours, it’s stunning and lots of pretty buildings.
Make sure to take in the architectural majesty of the Basilica di Sante Croce - it’s genuinely not just another Italian church.
Monopoli
We loved Monopoli. It had the culture, food and drink scene of Lecce, but also on the beach. So many lovely sandy beach swimming spots, but worth noting it can be super busy in the summer. Because it’s by the coast, it is a bit more expensive than Lecce for food and drink, but less so than Otranto. It doesn’t feel super touristy, but equally doesn’t have a real local feel. You could definitely stay for 3-4 days, with lots to see and heaps of beach clubs if that’s your vibe.
Eat 🍝
Il Guazzetto - excellent seafood restaurant, affordable and super fresh! Recommend the tuna tartare.
We were recommended Trattoria San Domenico for seafood but it was booked out! We would recommend making a reservation.
Drink 🍷
We got a takeaway spritz from a random bar window in the old town, but wouldn’t recommend it for the drink quality.
Do 💃
Do the ‘tourist itinerary’ walk, there’s signs around the old town, it’s lovely.
We swam at Grotta Della Cala Tre Buchi; the water was cleaner than the beaches closer to town. Parking is hectic busy (think Noosa in summer). It’s only a 25 min walk from town, so I recommend walking if you can snag a park further out!
Torre dell’Orso
We visited for a day by bus, but would definitely stay longer if I wanted to lounge by the beach for a few days. Would only need to stay for a night or two. It is a much smaller town than Lecce, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Gallipoli. Felt really local and the beach was the best we’ve visited!
Eat 🍝
Le Due Sorelle had the most epic octopus burger.
Modo was recommended to us, but closed when we went.
Drink 🍷
No recommendations sorry!
Do 💃
Have to visit Torre Sant’Andrea! If you like walking you can walk from Torre dell’Orso, it takes about 40 mins along the coast. Otherwise there’s a free bus in summer on weekends or 1 euro during the week. Really nice cliffs and ocean views, and you can see Albania in the distance on a clear day.
Grotta della Poesia has been on my list for ages and was cool to visit, but for €3 entry the rest of the coast is just as beautiful / more beautiful in my opinion!
Really beautiful sand beach, crystal clear water and plenty of space to lay down without paying for a chair.
Polignano a Mare
I visited in 2019 and Tom visited in 2024. Tom day tripped and really enjoyed it. You can access via train from Lecce in just over an hour. The iconic beach is a pebble beach only, but it is a lovely old town with good food and drink options. Being a beacon for tourists, places are generally open during siesta too! I stayed for 4 nights in 2019 and found it a bit average. In hindsight, I would have preferred to stay longer in Monopoli.
Eat 🍝
No recommendations sorry, but word on the street is that the seafood panini at Olio su Pane are the real deal!
Drink 🍷
Bars near viewing point are good, but not the one at the viewing point ($).
Belvedere Terrazza Santo Stefano offers a small balcony of ocean view, with a selection of local white wines at reasonable prices.
Do 💃
Walk old town and find viewing point of the beach.
Swim and explore the caves.
Gelato is a must while you’re here.
Gallipoli
We visited Gallipoli for a day by train, could probably stay a night or two! Less touristy than Otranto, but very much a vacation town for Italians.
Eat 🍝
Costa del Sud - mussel and clam pasta is so good, but there’s no air con so would go for dinner not lunch.
Drink 🍷
Cafe del Mar is a nice beach hut overlooking the water and not too exy.
Do 💃
Nice sandy beach to swim at.
Wander through the old town.
There’s a super cute Christmas shop every day of the year.
Otranto
We visited Otranto for a day by train and that was more than enough time. Quite touristy and a bit more expensive because of the tourists. But, it is super cute beach town and worth a visit.
Eat 🍝
Vicollo matto fishbar, seared tuna on burrata was insanely good.
Moenia is also pretty good! Nice staff and good view, plus good GF.
Drink 🍷
La Polperia for sunset drink.
L’Ortale Ristoro Salentissimo is a wine bar with the most beautiful back garden to sit in, highly recommend.
Do 💃
Beaches are sandy but water is cold!
Wander around old town.
Matera
Interesting place! You need a car to visit and it’s not technically in Puglia. Reminds me of Cappadocia in Turkey. We didn’t do a walking tour but wish we did. Wear really grippy shoes as the rocks are slippery! People rave about staying in the cave hotels, but we didn’t because we’re trying to save pennies.
Eat 🍝
We didn’t eat, sorry!
Drink 🍷
Zipa cafe was cool.
Do 💃
Walk around the Sassi, lots of steps and probably takes a good 1-2 hours.
Bari
Biggest city of the region, port town. Reminds us of Hobart, but a bit grimier and doesn’t offer much that the other cities don’t.
Eat 🍝
We had a great gelato at Gentile, if you can stand the queue.
Drink 🍷
No recommendations sorry!
Do 💃
Strada Delle Orecchiette or ‘pasta street’ with the Nonna’s making pasta.
Porto Vecchio fish market - local fisherman sell their produce illegally.
Alberobello
Felt like a bit of a tourist trap tbh, cute houses with the cone tops (called Trulli), but if you are short on time you could skip. You need a car to get there from Lecce. It was so hot so we only lasted about 30 mins (no shade).
Taranto
We didn’t love Taranto - dirty, run down and expensive. But perhaps we got it at a bad time!
Other recommendations:
Burrata and mozzarella making in Ceglie Messapica - this was so good and great value for money! Family run business, they show you how they get cheese from farm to fork. Never eaten so much cheese in my life! https://www.airbnb.com/slink/kAqbTnEL
