3 DAY PUGLIA TRAVEL ITINERARY

So where is Puglia, Italy? Puglia is a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot,”. It’s known for its pasta, wine, olive oil, Trulli homes, and whitewashed hill towns. Many people haven’t heard much about Puglia, but this region is a place everyone should visit! With its stunning coastline, cute villages, and a very Italian way of life you will truly fall in love with Puglia. After our wedding in Positano and spending 4 days there we made our way to Puglia to visit Ostuni, Lecce, Locorotondo, Alberobello, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare, Cisternino, and Matera. Here’s a 3 day Puglia travel itinerary of everything you need to know.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR TRIP

Airport to fly into is Bari Airport
Ryan and I took a train from Rome to Bari Centrale Station
Having a car is a must. We rented from Hertz.
Great weather year-round. We visited in late September and it truly still felt like summer mostly in the 80s Fahrenheit
Lots of places take credit cards but do carry Euros for parking, snacks, etc.
There are lots of mosquitos so make sure to pack bug repellent
I recommend a minimum of 4 nights to a week to see all of Puglia

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Grotta Palazzese is probably one of the best hotels in Puglia. It’s located in Polignano a Mare which is one of my favorite towns in Puglia. The hotel is located on top of the famous Grotta Palazzese Restaurant, a restaurant inside a grotto (cave). This is a great base for road trips to other towns in Puglia.

Borgo Canonica Hotel is located in Cisternino. This traditional and ancient property is home to 42 Trulli inherited from an ancient rural Borgo from the 1800s. This property is hidden and not the easiest to get to but if you’re looking for an authentic experience in the charming Trulli homes, this is the place to stay. Keep in mind that the roads are narrow & dark, luckily I had Ryan driving. It’s also a great base as it’s central and 30-60 minutes from other towns.

Since I stayed at Borgo Canonica Hotel in Cisternino, this itinerary is based on driving time from Cisternino.

DAY 1

OSTUNI

Start bright and early and drive 20 minutes away from where we were staying in Cisternino, Ostuni is a beautiful white town filled with alleyways and homes that’ll bring you to somewhere or nowhere! The beautiful and stylish town is filled with so much character that you’ll be captivated with each corner that you take.

Visit Ostuni Cathedral
Panorama Cittá Bianca Di Ostuni for panoramic views of the city
Dine at Trattoria Fave e Fogghje. The food is local and authentic in Ostuni. This unique restaurant with an Italian vintage vibe will leave you leaving happy and satisfied.

LECCE

From Ostuni, Lecce is about an hour’s drive. It’s located in Italy’s southeast heel, Lecce is a place for explorers to wander the extravagant streets of the beautifully carved sandstone and enjoy a relaxing lunch at a local wine bar. I did not make it here since we were short on time.

Visit Lecce Cathedral
Piazza Sant’Oronzo and Roman Amphitheatre have plenty of cafes and shops. In the city’s main square you’ll see the historic Roman Amphitheatre, which once seated 14,000 spectators. You can also see the column of Sant’Oronzo along with a 20-meter tall bronze clock in the Piazza.
Basilica di Santa Croce

PORTO MIGGIANO BEACH

A 1.5-hour drive from Ostuni, this beautiful beach is on the east coast of Salento. Porto Miggiano is a little hidden so you need to walk down the staircase into the bay. It’s one of the best Puglia beaches in Puglia!

Faro Di Torre Sant’ Andrea is worth a visit after the beach. Plenty of gorgeous rock formations and caves along the coast.
Grotta della Poesia is known as the Cave of Poetry, this natural pool has crystal clear turquoise waters that you can snorkel and cliff dive into! I recommend visiting midday while the sun is still shining. This was about an hour’s drive from Porto Miggiano Beach. We stopped by on our way back to Cisternino.

PORTO MIGGIANO BEACH — Porto Miggiano Beach

DAY 2

LOCOROTONDO

About 15 minutes from Cisternino, Locorotondo is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, a small town known for its wine. This fascinating and picturesque town stretches alone the countryside lined with the famous cone-roofed truly opuses. The town itself is the main site, great for taking photos or even relaxing at a cafe. I did not get a chance to visit but it looks beautiful for photos!

ALBEROBELLO

A 10-minute drive from Locorotondo. This small town of Alberobello has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site for its cluster of Trulli homes. The Rione Monti quarter contains over 1,000 Trulli buildings, the perfect place to discover these white-tippled, cone-shaped houses. Alberobello is a must-visit in Puglia, it’s my top two favorite towns we visited!

Grab lunch at La Cantina. The food here is fantastic since everything is made fresh from local produce and delicacies. Be sure to make reservations because the restaurant is small.

MONOPOLI

A 30-minute drive from Alberobello is Monopoli. In the heel of Italy’s boot is Monopoli, an old small town built of white stone and a beautiful harbor with fishing boats. Monopoli has some beautiful beaches but since we did not have too much time we did not explore much here. This might have been one of my least favorite towns as there did not seem to have too much to do but if you have time to visit, definitely go explore!

POLIGNANO A MARE

A 15-minute drive from Monopoli is my favorite town, Polignano a Mare! Get lost on a perfect day exploring the town, a tiny old town with charming white streets, stunning old churches, and breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea.

Puglia beaches are amazing so why not spend a few hours on the beach!
Do not leave Puglia without dining at Ristorante Grotta Palazzese, situated inside a cave. I’ve been wanting to visit this restaurant since seeing it all over Pinterest! Make sure to make reservations and dine before sunset! We went for the 6-course meal tasting for $220 per person but they also offer a 4-course meal tasting and a la carte too. For our meal, they incorporated a lot go truffles, can’t complain! I loved this experience and would highly recommend it!

DAY 3

CISTERNINO

Cisternino is a small charming old town also known for its white houses, narrow streets, historic churches, and piazzas. The town is well known for its barbecue butchers where you choose your meat and they grill or roast it for you while you wait!

WINE TASTING

Ryan loves visiting wineries and learning about wines in different regions so one request he had was to go to a winery. Puglia is known for its wine so it’s definitely an activity worth doing.

We booked a private wine tasting and lunch at Tenute Emera and the food was absolutely amazing! The authentic food was what made this experience so perfect. Puglia wine is some of the best. It was also one of my favorite meals! The winery is about an hour and 15 minutes from Cisternino. It can be a little out of the way so if you have the time it’s worth visiting if you’re a wine lover. Our private tour was 150 euros for both of us which came with a mini-tour of an old house, tasting, and lunch. Email them to reserve a private tour, we visited the Lizzano location.
Amasuola is around 45 minutes from Cisternino and another great option for a private tour and tasting.
Masseria Maime and Bocca di Lupo by Tomaresca are highly recommended because they are run by the Antinori family, which has the best wines in all of Italy! They are also one of the oldest wine-producing families in the world! Ryan & I wanted to visit but given our time we weren’t able to visit as it’s a bit farther north.

MATERA

A little under two-hour drive is Matera. We got lost trying to get to the main area, I recommend typing in Stassi di Matera on google maps. It’s known for its ancient cave dwellings and is the 3rd oldest city in the world, Matera is located in the small region Basilicata. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and over 9000 years old. Here you can wander through the ancient neighborhoods known as Sassi. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be strolling through numerous caves and cobblestones.

Make sure to make reservations for dinner at Ristorante Francesca. The restaurant offers traditional and locally inspired dishes along with a wide wine selection to choose from. A great way to end the trip with a lovely experience dining in a cave!

Puglia is such a beautiful place to visit. I’ve been dreaming of exploring this region and am so happy I finally got to experience it. Please comment below if you have any questions!