Puglia is becoming more and more known to tourists around the world, and its for good reason. This region of Italy has incredible beaches, wines, food, and architecture, but is relatively less traveled than other areas of Italy. My Puglia recommendations are from when My sisters and I spent a week in the region the summer of 2023 and loved it. We visited Polignano a Mare (with a day trip to Monopoli), Alberobello, and Ostuni, so my recommendations for those spots (where to stay, eat, drink, and what to do) are in this post.
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Polignano a Mare
incorporating This beautiful coastal town into your itinerary is probably the top of my Puglia recommendations. It’s known for its stunning cliff-lined coast, picturesque beach, and vibrant food and drink scene.
Stay
We stayed at Donna Domenica Boutique Suites, which is a super cozy bed and breakfast in the heart of Polignano a Mare. We booked a suite for the three of us and had plenty of room. Their breakfast spread was also 10/10. Highly recommend this spot!
Eat and Drink
- Grotta Palazzese / By far the most famous restaurant in Polignano a Mare due to its unique setting. We honestly didn’t go here because it is pretty expensive, but it does look beautiful. The restaurant is built into a cave on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic Sea!
- Caffè Dei Serafini / a gorgeous spot for an afternoon spritz with a view of the sea
- Il Quadrifoglio / insane pizzas
- La Locanda Porta Picc / pastas and seafood
- Il Mago del Gelato / amazing gelato (but tbh there are plenty of good options around the city!)
Play
- The beach / You’ve probably seen pictures of Polignano’s beautiful beach all over social media, and it’s just as surreal in person. Definitely recommend at least an afternoon here.
- Boat day / The best way to see the most of Polignano a mare is by boat. We booked this excursion and had the best time – our boat driver was super friendly and entertaining! here is a similar option if that one is unavailable.
- Shop / The city center is packed with cute little Italian shops selling clothes, ceramics, bags, etc that are worth exploring.
- Day trip to Monopoli / Monopoli is a very historic city about 15 minutes away from Polignano a Mare. We spent a day exploring the old town area and hanging out at the beach. It’s definitely a place worth visiting, but I don’t know if you need to stay a night here.
Alberobello
Alberobello is completely catered to tourism, but it’s 100% worth spending an afternoon here. it’s famous for its unique trullo buildings, which are essentially white stone huts with cone-shaped roofs. You won’t find anything like this town anywhere else in the world, so I definitely recommend stopping by!
We didn’t do much here besides walk around town and shop a bit, but we did have an incredible lunch at Ristorante Trullo D’oro. Their pasta was some of the best I’ve had.
Ostuni
Ostuni honestly reminds me a lot of the greek islands with its white-washed stone buildings (often covered with flowers) and cats roaming the streets. I think it’s a must for at least a night on any Puglia itinerary.
Stay
We stayed at the Ostuni Palace Hotel and had the best experience here. The white stone interior matched the architecture of the rest of the city, and the rooms are gorgeously decorated in a chic Italian style. Their spa is also fantastic!
Eat and drink
- Borgo Antico Bistrot / The perfect aperitivo spot. The restaurant is perched on a hill overlooking the land surrounding Ostuni and offers views to the sea. Along with their atmosphere, Borgo Antico is known for their very reasonably priced appetizer boards of meats, cheeses, bread, etc. I believe they are 10 euros each now.
- Sax restaurant / a great pizza spot!
Play
- Cooking class / We booked this cooking class and loved it. Nonna was so sweet and taught us how to expertly make orecchiette, the pasta that Puglia is known for. This class also looks like a great option!
- Explore Old Town / Ostuni’s old town consists of gorgeous white-washed stone buildings and cobblestone streets. I highly recommend just strolling around town and popping in and out of stores for a few hours.
- Winery tour / Puglia is known to have some amazing wines, so why not do a wine tour and tasting? I wish we had time to do this – it looks so fun!
Other areas of Puglia
in addition to the cities I mentioned above, other popular destinations in Puglia include Bari, lecce, Locorotondo, Otranto, and Gallipoli.
We flew into Bari and spent a few hours there, but I honestly don’t think it’s worth spending much time here. As expected, it’s more of a bustling city than a holiday destination. The other cities mentioned may be worth looking into to see if you’d like to incorporate them into your itinerary.
Need help packing?
Check out my travel outfit post for my favorite cute and comfy clothes to travel in, or my collection of European Summer outfit recs!
Did you visit any of these spots?
Let me know below!
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