6 Delightful Things to Do in Puglia From Chic Beaches to Hilltop Towns

Puglia is a place of scents and sensations, of the sea and the city. The sunny climate elevates simple pleasures, like drizzling some of Italy's finest olive oil on bread and watching it glisten. Also known as Apulia, it offers the very best of Italy. Discover diverse things to do in Puglia for every taste.

Begin in Bari, an authentic southern Italian port city where locals live, work and delight in their own cuisine. Beside the emerald-green Adriatic Sea, stroll Lungomare di Bari, the longest promenade in Italy. Walk in the cooling shade of ornate Liberty-style architecture (Italy's take on Art Nouveau), and stop at the historic port of Molo San Nicola. Here, small fishing boats bring in the day's catch to be served immediately with a glass of something crisp and cold.
 

Explore the stone alleyways of Bari Vecchia (the Old Town) or discover exhibits at the 1914 Margherita Theatre. Visit in the late afternoon when sunlight warms the orange-pink facade, which reflects in harbour waters. Along Strada delle Orecchiette, see local women roll ear-shaped orecchiette pasta on their doorsteps. Distinctive Barese dialect echoes off the walls, and some homes open up for exceptional dining experiences.
 

As the light softens, choose your spot for an aperitivo by the water or in a centuries-old square. Piazza Mercantile is a centre of daily life, and Piazza del Ferrarese overlooks the port. Al fresco dining is also sublime on the terrace at Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci Bari hotel, across the city centre, where Ristorante Carducci draws on regional culinary traditions in the former home of a noble family.

The scent of native plants growing around dunes. Echoes of ancient tribes who lived by the shore. Warm, clear water pooling at your feet. Many of the best beaches in Puglia line both the Ionian and Adriatic, separated by the Salento peninsula.

Stroll down from Polignano a Mare's whitewashed old town to the enchanting cove of Lama Monachile. Above the compact beach of white pebbles, stone buildings fuse with rugged limestone cliffs, a union of nature and masonry. The cove entrance frames the turquoise Adriatic. The beauty of this spot makes it one of the most popular things to do in Puglia, so visit early morning for tranquility.

Step lightly across pure white sand at Punta Prosciutto and gaze out to the shimmering Ionian horizon. This beach, evoking the Caribbean, is flanked by vast dunes. Close your eyes and pick out the scent of rosemary, wild myrtle and Phoenician juniper on the warm breeze. Just north of Punta Prosciutto, near Porto Cesareo, snorkel among submerged Roman columns.

While no longer a permitted swimming spot, Grotta della Poesia is still one of the most magical things to do in Puglia. This spectacular natural archway and pool exudes folklore, including the tale of a princess who swam here while poets recited verses. Tangible history also awaits, as the grotto sits within the Roca Vecchia archaeological area. Feel a timeless resonance standing beside Messapian city walls, built by an ancient tribe who heard the same Adriatic waves crashing against the rocks.

If Punta Prosciutto is a little piece of the Caribbean, Pescoluse Beach is the Maldives in Salento. The beach spans four kilometres of soft white sand, and the shallow seabed makes it ideal for family holidays in Puglia. Dunes give the locale an unspoilt, natural feel, while restaurants set just back from the shore await for family lunches with sand still between your toes.

Many of the most memorable things to do in Puglia are defined by generational cuisine, from cheesemaking dynasties to millennia-old olive oil.

Try spicy spaghetti all'assassina ("killer spaghetti"), cooked directly in the pan to give it a crispy, slightly burnt taste. The beloved street food panzerotti also has a playful name, derived from the southern Italian term for a belly. This deep-fried pastry stuffed with tomato, mozzarella, and prosciutto swells to resemble the stomachs it satisfies.
 

Seeking out irresistible food in Puglia presents a wonderful opportunity to visit off-the-beaten-track towns. Picture Cisternino, a hilltop town in the Brindisi province, where flowers decorate courtyards in the historic centre. The native dish here is bombette, a roll of thinly sliced pork, local cheese, and pancetta grilled on open flames. Savour yours in a fornelli pronti butcher's shop, where simple tables are set up to turn the shops into restaurants.

Try caciocavallo cheese to taste the ancient landscape; this robust, stretched-curd is aged in caves for many months. Conversely, pasticciotti is about the freshness of mornings. This crumbly short-crust pastry with lemon-infused egg custard comes straight from the oven to be enjoyed with strong coffee, especially in Lecce.

Immerse yourself in Apulian cuisine by learning the art of its craft. Altamura, within Alta Murgia National Park southwest of Bari, is a delightful place to start. The Dicecca cheesemaking dynasty offers fascinating masterclasses at their town centre restaurant, as well as prestigious workshops at their Mercadante Forest venue outside of town.

Feel age-old textures between your fingertips when you make tiramisu and cavatelli pasta within an 1800s monastery in Monopoli, where monks once carefully performed their own culinary routines. Inland, and an hour further south, experience the secluded Fragnite masseria outside Ceglie Messapica, where the family guides you through authentic cheesemaking processes before a tasting session surrounded by farmland. 
 

Olive oil is a millennia-old tradition in Puglia, with some trees having produced fruit since the Roman era. The Itria Valley, the Plain of the Monumental Olive Trees, and the Corato region are the best areas of Puglia for olive oil tasting with sommeliers. To wake up to the sight of olive groves, base your Puglia holiday at the rural Borgobianco Resort & Spa Polignano - MGallery Collection, just outside Monopoli and overlooking the sea.

Cycling holidays in Puglia take in coast roads and hidden gems, offering the chance to discover secluded local restaurants and have entire landscapes to yourself. Travel the coastal roads between Bari and Brindisi, cooled by the Adriatic breeze. You'll pass through Polignano a Mare and Monopoli along this route of roughly 120 km. The White City of Ostuni also awaits along the way - stop at Marina di Ostuni's Blue Flag beaches to cool off in the sea.
 

Further along the Salento Peninsula, envisage a 60-km coast-to-coast cycling trail. Start at Torre San Giovanni and say farewell to the Ionian Sea as you stand on the sweeping, pristine beach of Spiaggia di Torre San Giovanni. Cross inland through olive groves, low pines, and working towns like Ugento and Ruffano. As you near the Adriatic, look out for secluded Bronze Age megaliths hidden among olive trees in Giurdignano.
 

Embrace Valle d'Itria, the Itria Valley: ancient olive groves, hilltop towns, and cone-shaped trulli houses. Explore it during a morning ride from Ostuni via Cisternino to Locorotondo, taking in dry-stone walls and trulli. This circular, immaculately whitewashed village is known for its Lungomare, a pedestrian pathway wrapping around the hillside.

• Cycle in the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn to avoid summer heat
• Note that there are few dedicated cycleways in Puglia, but a 20km section of the Apulian Aqueduct Cycleway runs from Locorotondo to Cisternino
• Park your bike and explore the historic centres of hilltop towns on foot. Many have dedicated bike parking, including near the train station in Locorotondo
• Note that cyclists in Italy are required to ride on the right-hand side of the road
• Expect few bike shops, especially in rural areas, and bring a small repair kit along with water and other essentials
• Major cities and some smaller towns offer bike rentals, as does Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci Bari

Alberobello unfolds like a vision from another world, designed by fantasy. Explore more than 1500 trulli - iconic homes constructed from local limestone. Cast your eyes over the details of a construction technique dating back to the 14th century, using mortar-free, dry-stone masonry. One of the most alluring things to do in Puglia, this UNESCO World Heritage Site sits less than 10 km from Locorotondo, meaning you can make it part of your cycle route.
 

Look out for the fascinating symbols painted on the low conical roofs, ranging from pagan to Christian and often linked to hopes of a good harvest. Visit the museum inside the 18th-century Trullo Sovrano to see Alberobello's only two-storey trullo, and dine in one of the town's restaurants serving regional cuisine within rugged, curving stone walls.

Lecce, the Florence of the South, so called due to its cultural institutions and exquisite Baroque architecture dating from the 17th century. You could simply view it all from the terrace of a cafe on Piazza del Duomo and Piazza Sant'Oronzo, admiring how sunlight gilds the honey-toned Pietra Leccese limestone. The softness of the local stone allowed masters to carve ornate details into architecture. If you visit such a cafe in the morning, pair your pasticciotto pastry with iced, almond-flavoured caffè leccese.
 

For exploring and sightseeing, Lecce offers some of the most captivating things to do in Puglia:

• Museo Faggiano, Via Ascanio Grandi, 56 - 73100 Lecce
• Open daily 9:30am - 8pm
• Tickets cost €5 for adults and €3 for children age 8-16; kids under 8 visit for free

A holiday in Puglia offers Salento peninsula beaches evoking the Caribbean and the Maldives, from the Ionian to the Adriatic. Explore hilltop villages overlooking pre-Roman olive groves, and take culinary courses in the countryside or in towns with unique cuisine. Authentic, hardworking ports and cities offer some of the most beautiful architecture in Italy. Explore this part of southern Italy to find your favourite things to do in Puglia.