Puglia Holidays

Also known by its Roman name Apulia, the unspoilt Puglia region stretches from the spur of the Gargano peninsula to the heel of Italy’s boot. The region boasts unspoiled gently undulating plateaux with forests, medieval pilgrimage towns, massive fortresses and fortress-like churches. With its gorgeous beaches, forests, historical sites and wonderful wine, Puglia holidays are second to none.

Puglia in Italy’s southeast boasts beautiful beaches, golden sands, pine forests, undulating countryside with groves of olive and almond, and fantastic food. Although the region appears exclusively Italian, it has a rich cosmopolitan past with Greeks, Germans, Spaniards, Moors and Normans having bequeathed a delightful combination of architectural heirlooms including baroque churches and Romanesque cathedrals.

The area boasts links to ancient times when construction techniques used for the famous whitewashed trulli houses were imported from Greece or the Middle East. Our stunning range of hotels in this region ensures complete luxury on your Puglia holidays. Visitors will enjoy staying in a masseria, grand restored country farmhouses and mansions; and Lecce, the Florence of the South with its Roman amphitheatre, is a must-see.

Call 0800 294 9322 to start planning your luxury Puglia holiday with our Italy specialists

Alberobello

Famed for its whitewashed cone-shaped houses and a protected World Heritage Site, a trip to Alberobello with its trulli dwellings and museums is one of the top things to do in Puglia. Walking around Rioni Monti, the district on the slope facing the modern town centre is fun, but busy, and tourists should be prepared for constant welcomes from locals wishing to entice visitors to buy from the oldest trullo, a trullo with a well, a trullo with a panoramic terrace etc! Purchases include everything possible shaped like a trullo, and there are many tiny bars for sampling local wines. The Aia Piccola district is very different: less visited by tourists, it is a residential area with quiet lanes lined with inhabited trulli houses.

Lecce

Puglia’s crowning glory, Lecce, known as Florence of the South, or Florence of Baroque, offers the chance to glimpse ancient history in a dynamic modern context. The old town, Lecce Vecchia, boasts a plethora of architectural monuments and palazzi characterised by splendid and magnificent baroque architecture carved in pietra leccese, a local easily worked malleable yellow tinged limestone. For art enthusiasts looking for things to do in Puglia, there’s the Basilica of the Holy Cross, Piazza del Duomo and the restored Lecce Cathedral. The Roman amphitheatre in the heart of the Lecce dates from the 2nd century, and houses a museum and also serves as a concert venue.

Ostuni

Situated on the coast of Murgia, The White City, Ostuni, boasts small white Mediterranean houses and is home to some architecturally significant palazzi and churches. This stunning city boasts a wealth of the things to do in Puglia and with its abundance of restaurants you’ll never be short of the perfect rest-stop after a day ambling around the beautiful streets. For charming traditional Pugliese visit Osteria del Tempo Perso on Via Tanzarella Vitale Francesco: bizarrely set partially in a cave!