Today I’m sharing highlights from our week in Puglia, a picturesque region of Italy on the Adriatic Sea. Puglia, on the high heel of Italy’s boot, boasts historic provinces, stunning coastline, incredible food and wine, some of the world’s oldest olive trees and the very best olive oil. If Puglia is on your travel radar, I hope you’ll find some useful tips and inspiration. Join me for a week in Puglia!
Travel Diary: A Week in Puglia
We recently spent a week in Italy’s Puglia region. The trip, hosted by Jim’s company to celebrate their centennial year, included a group of about 40 from all over the country. It’s a real treat to go along on these company trips that are meticulously planned and provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I’ve already shared my Puglia packing edit and today it’s all about our six-day and seven-night itinerary. It was a whirlwind.
Getting there (and getting around) …
We flew from San Francisco to Munich on United Airlines. And from Munich to Bari on Luftansa. There are two main airports in the Puglia region, Bari International and Brindisi Papola Casale. Both airports are equal distance (about an hour drive) from Fasano where our hotel, Borgo Egnazia, is located. We were ferried around in sprinter vans, but if we were to travel on our own I think a rental car would be the ideal means of transportation.
Borgo Egnazia ~ Nowhere Else
Borgo Egnazia in Fasano was our home away from home for the week. Relatively new, opened in 2012, Borgo Egnazia is a beautiful resort constructed of limestone and inspired by the shapes, colors and materials of a traditional Puglian village (Borgo). It truly is a village unto itself and lives up to its tagline, nowhere else. I could have stayed inside the Borgo’s walls for the entire week and never been bored.
From the moment you pull up to the hotel courtyard you feel transported into another world … a calmer more serene world. The property is lit – day and night – by hundreds of candles. Real candles. We amused ourselves speculating how many people it must take to keep the candles burning.
Beautiful stone vessels and baskets line the corridors. Filled with nuts, spices and lemons … the hotel’s sweet, subtle signature scent wafts throughout. And, it can be taken home in the form of essential oil and candles sold in the boutique.
There are countless cozy, white cushioned seating areas throughout the hotel’s public spaces. It’s completely enchanting.
We stayed in La Corte, the castle-like main building that includes traditional hotel rooms & suites. The Borgo has a couple of other accommodation options including townhouses and villas with private pools that are ideal for families.
The hotel has four saltwater pools, a private beach and beach club, a spa, salon, boutique, golf, tennis and seven restaurants and bars, including a pizzeria and gelateria.
Puglia Region
Puglia is known for its stunning coastline, the longest in mainland Italy, cliffs, beaches, amazing seafood and other favorites like burrata and occeliechita. Yes, please.
An increasingly popular destination, the region is dotted with wonderful masseria (old farms that are fascinating destinations), historic Trulli (hobbit-like dry stone huts with conical roofs), and ancient olive groves dating back 2000+ years. The region is Italy’s largest producer of olive oil.
Day One – Arrive Bari International Airport, Check-in Borgo Egnazia
We arrived at the Bari International Airport mid-afternoon. We were met by our group travel coordinators and ushered into a car for the hour-long drive to Fasano. After checking into Borgo Egnazia, we had a cup of tea in the lobby, took a quick walk around the property and ordered an afternoon snack in our room.
We had a wonderful welcome dinner at the hotel’s ristorante La Calce, a beautiful alfresco setting.
Day Two – Locorotondo, Alberobello & Ostuni
Our first full day in Puglia started out with a drive through the Itria Valley in vintage Italian cars. The guys in our group were super excited to check out the cars, and then sadly disappointed to learn they would not be doing the driving. The spouses breathed a sigh of relief. Each car came with a capable driver and we chose our cars and settled in to take in the stunning scenery as we sped toward Alberobello.
We stopped in the pretty little town of Locorotondo and took a short walk up to the Lungomare … a lovely overlook where we enjoyed an aperitif. We needed sustanance for our walking tour of the charming town.
I wore a pair of flat sandals, and quickly learned that the stone streets can be slippery, especially going uphill, and sneakers would have been the better choice. Or any shoe with good grip.
Colorful and speckled pottery is a hallmark of the region.
Our vintage car tour continued on to Alberobello, the heart of Trulli country and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Trulli are white, dry stone (mortarless) huts with conical roofs built in the 1400-1500’s and constructed to be easily dismantled should the tax collector come calling. Made of stacked limestone, they look like hobbit houses and line the streets of Alberobello. The town has a magical, fairytale-like quality. You’ll also see Trulli dotting the countryside throughout the region.
After a walking tour of the old town we stopped for photos with Francesco, one of three wonderful travel guides who shepherded us through the week. Francesco is incredibly knowledgeable about the region’s history and we were fortunate to have his expertise.
These colorful bags, pillows, throws and tea towels caught my eye. So pretty and compatible colors to the regions wonderful ceramics.
After touring a Trulli to see how a 15th century family might have lived in one of these unique structures, we enjoyed a glass of Prosecco and sat down to a family-style lunch in a beautiful garden. It started to dawn on us that no one was in danger of going hungry on this trip and we might want to start pacing ourselves.
In the evening we went to Ostuni, known as La Citta Bianca, or the white city. As advertised, Ostuni is a white washed city on a hill, with a Gothic cathedral, medieval streets and stunning views overlooking the Adriatic. We piled into 3-wheeled taxis, everyone called them Tuk Tuks, and headed up narrow, winding streets into town. Our driver, nicknamed Hollywood, was particularly fun and sang to us as we zipped up the hills holding on for dear life. We stopped at an overlook for photos before being dropped off in the town’s main square and left to wander on our own until dinner.
We wandered up, up and up the charming streets and explored endless alleys, each one leading to more spectacular views.
At the tippy top of town is the cathedral and we stopped in the plaza area for an aperitif. As we made our way to dinner, mass let out and we stopped to watch the procession.
Endless alleys and charming nooks.
Near the cathedral we wandered down another alley to find this beautiful view. And looked down on a picturesque hillside restaurant, Borgo Antico Bistro, a perfect spot to take in the sunset.
We met up with the others on the rooftop terrace of La Sommita Relais, a 15-room boutique hotel, to toast the sunset.
Dinner was at Ristorante Cielo on the hotel’s poolside patio.
Day Three – In and Around Fasano
A good portion of our group took a 90-minute bike tour from the hotel to Masseria Salamina for an olive oil tasting and farmhouse lunch. Biking in the region is very popular and bikes are available for rent everywhere. Jim and I sat this one out and tried to revive ourselves from bad cases of jet lag. We had lunch at the hotel’s ristorante Il Porticato, overlooking the pool. After several days of serious eating it was nice to opt for a fresh salad. I couldn’t pass up the hotel’s signature bread, delivered in white paper bags with every meal.
We spent the rest of the afternoon lolling around the pool.
And visited the Vair Spa.
We closed out a lazy day with dinner at the hotel’s ristorante Cannucciato La Frasca, an open air dining space. And, as with most evenings, it began and ended at our main rendezvous point, Bar del Portico.
Day Four – Fasano and Monopoli
Part of our group – including Jim – teed off at the hotel’s San Domenico Golf Course
And the rest of us set off for Masseria Montenapoleone.
We divided into three teams for a friendly competition. Station one … mozzarella.
Station two – orecchiette.
Station three – identifying herbs used to flavor Rosoli.
Not to brag, but my team won.
The golfers joined us for another multi-course lunch in the masseria’s charming garden room.
In the evening we set off for Masseria Papaperta, a popular wedding and event venue, for a little wine tasting and stuzzichini, local street foods.
And, if we hadn’t had enough to eat, we were off ristorante Saleblu in Monolpoli. Saleblu is a famed restaurant in the La Peschiera Hotel … and sits on the waters edge. It’s completely magical.
Day Five – Monopoli & Polignano a Mare
We boarded three Catamaran’s for a morning of sailing and swimming followed by another amazing lunch at ristorante Dolce Vita, an old monastery, in Monopoli’s town center. During the sailing adventure we got a glimpse of the Grotta Palazzese, where we were headed that night.
We returned to Polignano in the evening and walked around the historic town center and took in the incredible panoramic views.
A statue of singer, actor and politician, Domenico Modugno is a focal point on the waterfront. Everyone’s familiar with his 1958 hit, Volare.
Incredible view from the Ponte Borbonico.
And looking back toward the bridge and famous beach … Lama Monachile.
The piece de resistance of our trip had to be dinner at Grotta Palazzese … a true bucket-list item said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. I can’t disagree. The Grotta is tucked into caves carved into the cliffs.
It was an enchanting and magical experience … everything a summer evening in Italy should be.
Day Six – Lecce
On our last day in Puglia we set off for Lecce, a Baroque city just over an hour’s drive from the hotel. We entered through the Porta Napoli, one of the city’s three entry gates, stopped for a cappuccino, and took a walking tour through the town center before setting off to explore on our own.
Pretty cool to see this Roman amphitheater in the center of town.
Piazza del Duomo
Castello Carlo V
I was captivated by Puglia’s beautiful, colorful doors … and this pretty entrance got my attention.
We reconvened for a tour of the Palazzo Tamborino Cezzi, a privately owned palace, led by the resident nobleman, Mr. Fernando Cezzi.
All the details in the palace were beautiful, especially the millwork and file floors.
Two fabulous red velvet sofa flanked the sides of the dining room.
I was struck by the beautifully faded paint on the palace walls.
The tour ended in the palace courtyard where we were welcomed by a troupe performing traditional dances as we sat down to an alfresco lunch.
After lunch we made our way back to the hotel to relax around the pool before our farewell dinner.
A group of us snuck off for wood fired pizzas served poolside from La Frasca … the hotel’s pizzeria. Throughout the week we’d enjoyed amazing Puglian food, mostly incredibly fresh and delicious seafood and pasta, but how could we leave Italy without pizza?!
Our Puglian adventure came to an end with a farewell dinner at Uliveto, one of the hotel’s many outdoor spaces. A buffet of Pulgian specialities enjoyed under the stars, and twinkle lights. The tables were set with the hotel’s signature La Piazza pattern speckled ceramics.
Day Seven – Our Vacation is Over
We departed late morning for the airport. We were the last group of guests to leave as preparations for the G7 summit, later in the week, kicked into high gear.
Farewell beautiful Puglia.
So there you have it, A Week in Puglia. It was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. And I hope to return one day there’s so much more to see.
As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below. I’m curious, have you been to Puglia? Do you plan to go? Let me know.
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Cheers from Snowberry!
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