Travel Diary - Road trip to Puglia

With the warm season approaching and those summer dreams always more vivid, here's the diary of last year’s dreamy road trip to Puglia, with some tips to discover the breathtaking gems of Italy’s “heel”: Salento.

Polignano a Mare from above

Puglia is home to some of the world's most important heritages and culinary tradition; with its high quality food and bargain prices, this is a region where the freshness of simple ingredients is the secret for creating the finest dining experiences.

I have to say is that this particular region is becoming an extremely popular destination among Italian and international tourists and visiting during summer months can easily mean overcrowded beaches, necessary booking everywhere and never ending queues on the road, so, unless you are desperately looking for that “Summer Movida”, my first suggestion is to plan your visit in Spring time, as the days get longer and the air warmer, or in September, when the weather is still pleasant but the crowd miles away.

We decided to visit around the end of April and, considering we were dreaming of a relaxing trip at the discovery of this land, we couldn’t have chosen a better moment.

Day 1: Altamura, Matera, Locorotondo

First stop on the road could only be Altamura, located on a hill just 45 km from Bari, this village is not only visited for its famous “Pane DOP di Altamura” that perfumes the all streets from the morning, but also for its stunning Cathedral in Romanesque style with a monumental pipe organ realised by Italian craftsmen.

After this “cultural breakfast” we jumped on the car again and head towards Matera, Unesco’s World Heritage site and European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Words can’t explain the astonishment we felt when we arrived: know as the “underground city” Matera’s history dates back to the paleolithic age and this remnant is still visible today; the ancient town, also known as “Sassi” (caves), developed on one slope of the rocky ravine created by a river that is now a small stream (know as "la Gravina") and consists of an endless series of stepping alleys between old walls and breathtaking views over the paleolithic caves which populate the surrounding hills.

After spending the whole day walking and exploring every corner of this gem, we proceeded towards our first night destination: Locorotondo.

White Alleys, Locorotondo

Perched on top of a hill overlooking the Valle D’Itria, famous for its Trulli and centenary olive trees, Locorotondo’s dreamy atmosphere and genuine Italianness, will make anyone want to escape reality for a while between white alleys romanesque churches. Obviously choosing non-touristy season also means that many restaurants and shops can be closed during certain days but we were lucky enough to find an outdoor seat at the lovely Pizzeria Quantobasta (possibly the only open restaurant at that time). Redundant to say that the freshness of local ingredients, accompanied by their famous white wine (Locorotondo DOP), were enough to make us go to sleep happy - and yes, maybe a bit tipsy.

Matera

Day 2: Alberobello, Lecce, Gallipoli

After a quick espresso and walk around Locorotondo we jumped on the car again and, just few kilometers away, we arrived in the iconic village of Alberobello, recognised as Unesco World Heritage for its traditional dry stone huts with conical roofs known as “Trulli”. These constructions were once used as field shelters and are nowadays home to starred restaurants, tourist shops and bars. The busiest and most picturesque part of Alberobello is surely Rione Monti, a sloping alley surrounded by trulli and crowded with curious visitors and local vendors.

(i)conic Roofs, Alberobello

After taking our time to walk around the village and take few necessary pictures, we got back to our shiny Citroen and drove all the way to Lecce.

Famous for its baroque architecture and roman amphitheatre, Lecce is also known as “Florence of the South”; among the countless things this city has to offer, we were particularly impressed by the magnificent Duomo Square, hidden behind the vibrant main street, this courtyard represents one of the most stunning features of “Barocco Leccese” and welcomes along its four sides the Duomo, the bell tower, the old bishop’s palace and the Seminary .

Of course after a morning of culture and visits we couldn’t leave without trying Lecce’s famous “Puccia”; example of humble culinary tradition, Puccia is made combining fresh homemade bread is stuffed with local and seasonal ingredients, as simple as it sounds this sandwich is enjoyed both as a bite on the go and in more elaborate versions in the many restaurants around the city center.

For the evening we decided to stay in Gallipoli, the coastal town famous or it’s trendy summer parties and beach events. Believe it or not the closest we got to a beach party was probably three local men singing in Apulia dialect while sipping grappa in the main square, but that was possibly more fun than any event I’ve been to, that’s how you get the real spirit of a place! While craving for our aperitivo we were suggested by our hotel manager to check out “Blanc” and I must admit that, with it’s dim lights and extravagant furniture, it’s a pretty cool place for a Spritz and nibbles “Italian style”, specially if you manage to grab a seat in the courtyard as the sun is going down.

The dreamy alleys of the Old Town, between fresh smell of bread and laundry hanging from above, are covered with poems and quotes, a project that a local man who lived here for over thirty years decided to carry out with the aim of bringing literature and poetry to the youth again...

Day 3: Leuca, Torre dell’Orso, Ostuni

We woke up with the sound of seagulls and that typical smell of fish boats coming back from the sea. Any additional description would be redundant.

Equipped with our drone and cameras, we drove all the way to the tip of the Peninsula, occasionally stopping to capture breathtaking views, and arrived to Santa Maria di Leuca.

Described even by Virgilio in the Aeneid, this coastal town is famous its ancient Basilica De Finibus Terrae, the Phoenician inscriptions and the picturesque white houses from which it probably received the name Leuca (Leukos in Greek means “white”).

After a lunch stop by the sea at the beautiful Samarinda beach club we head towards the East Coast, stopping at the world famous “Grotta della Poesia”, a 30 meters wide sinkhole of crystal water and, few kilometers North, at Torre dell’Orso’s bay.

Grotta della Poesia

Lapped by turquoise crystal-clear waters and fine white sand this bay framed by cliffs is literally stormed during summer season, when parties, sport activities and the magical landscape attract young and families from all over the world .

For the evening we planned to stop in Ostuni, the “White City” on the hill where I left my heart, and we were lucky enough to arrive just in time to see the sun setting behind the horizon as the green valley turned pink, before disappearing in the shadow. Some friends suggested us to dine at “Osteria del tempo perso”, iconic restaurant located in an ancient cave where Apulian specialities and a genuinely romantic atmosphere are the key ingredients for a fine dining experience.

Ostuni from above

Day 4: Ostuni, Polignano a Mare

As with every Puglian town and village, the very best can be discovered simply by taking a walk through the old town - the centro storico - and Ostuni possibly has the most picturesque of them all.

After visiting the impressive Gothic cathedral and indulging in some typical Pasticciotti (pudding stuffed cakes originally from Lecce), we jumped on the car again and drove to Polignano a Mare, the coastal town on the Adriatic sea famous for its dramatic cliffs and poetic street art.

It’s hard not to fall in love at first sight; wandering between white-washed streets and beautiful old churches (like Chiesa Matrice) you’ll eventually find yourself in one of the panoramic terraces overlooking the breathtaking Cala Porto (a small pebble beach that appears like a cut into the high cliffs) and coastline.

The dreamy alleys of the Old Town, between fresh smell of bread and laundry hanging from above, are covered with poems and quotes, a project that a local man who lived here for over thirty years decided to carry out with the aim of bringing literature and poetry to the youth again.

For those willing to celebrate a special occasion, Polignano is home to Grotta Palazzese, one of of the most beautiful restaurants in the World ; we opted instead for the less pretentious (and apparently more appreciated by locals) Antiche Mura, set in what used to be horse stables this fine restaurants combines the freshest fish with a modern twist on the traditional recipes; the renovated interior, featuring white vaulted stone ceiling and dim lights could be more romantic even if it tried!

Day 5: Bari

Walking up knowing is the last day of a trip has always been emotionally challenging for me - I still have that childish melancholia of things getting to an end - but walking up to makes it just impossible to be unhappy.

We had the most special farewell at breakfast, when we found a table - or better to say THE table- at Serafini; along with delicious pastries and many pretty tables facing the square, this cute cafe’ as a one table terrace directly on the cliff and, if you are lucky (or patient) enough you can enjoy the most beautiful view this town has to offer!

As we still had quite some time before our flight so we decided to spend some hours exploring Bari and head to the airport from there.

The city’s Old Town has some very interesting sites like the Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola, the Cattedrale di San Sabino, and the Norman Castle but what captured my attention the most has to be the unique atmosphere when walking around the streets…

In a mix of religious icons, old women making pasta and hanging laundry which is dense enough not to see the sky, Bari Vecchia appears like the nostalgic mirror of a country that is constantly challenging itself towards the future, but of which the genuine culture and traditional values are fortunately hard to neglect.

Fresh Orecchiette, Bari