The “heel of Italy” is a very unique, rich and diverse region. That is to say that selecting the best places in Puglia that fit with your travel style and desires, will be crucial for the perfect Puglia vacation.

Since a fun thing I like to do when I return from a trip is to rate every place and experience and select my favorites, coming back from my incredible Italy vacation, I couldn’t keep them to myself. As a result, I have already shared the 6 Authentic Experiences in Puglia and 5 Must eat Dishes in Puglia.

This time, I decided to share the best places in Puglia that, for one reason or another, left a mark in my heart. But to make it more interesting, I have selected them by category, such as the most unique, the most remarkable, the most beautiful, and so on. So now you can build the perfect Puglia Itinerary!

Ready to see what they are?

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Ostuni surrounded by olive trees with the sea in the back

The Best Place in Puglia for Views:

Ostuni

For this one, I was debating between 3 of the top Puglia places to visit: Locorotondo, Cisternino and Ostuni.

Since Ostuni is centrally located, it makes the best town to stay in Puglia, specially if you plan to explore the Istria region. For this reason, we made it our home for 4 nights during our vacation.

As a result we had the incredible views of the ocean, olive trees, and the white washed houses every time we drove in and out of this beautiful hill top town. Certainly, I couldn’t have chosen differently.

• TIP: One of the best spots in town for these premium views is Corso Vittorio Emanuelle II, and you can walk, drive or take the tuk tuk tour (which I super recommend) to get there. But most importantly, be sure to book a table at one of the restaurants in this street during sunset, and soak up the views while having an Aperol Sprit. Ahhh!

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Enchanting streets of Alberobello

The Most Unique Town in Puglia:

Alberobello

Alberobello is no doubt THE Puglia town not to miss, and if I had to describe it in one word, I would say MAGIC!

That is to say there is nothing more unique than seeing an entire town of traditional Apulian cone shaped trulli squeezed together. In fact, here, stores, restaurants, hotels, and even the town’s church have the conical roof.

In other words, Alberobello is truly a fairy tale town.

Now, can you think of a better and cozier way to fully experience these unique shaped houses other than by staying at one of them? I can’t! In fact, staying at a trulli is one of my favorite 6 Unique Puglia Experiences, and having done it, I can’t recommend it more.

• TIP: Although Alberobello is the trulli town of Puglia and it offers many options of cute trulli hotels and rental homes, there are also great trulli accommodations all throughout the Istria region of Puglia.

Need help finding the perfect trulli to stay? Reach out to me!

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Lama Monachile beach in Polignano Al Mare

The Most Beautiful Beach In Puglia:

Lama Monachile in Polignano al Mare

A perfect Puglia itinerary must include a visit to Polignano Al Mare.

Besides having gorgeous cliffs, and the famous cave restaurant Grotta Palazzese, here is where you also find Lama Monachile bay (or Cala Porto), the most beautiful beach in Puglia. And what makes Lama Monachile beach one of the most unique places to see in Puglia? The scenery that surrounds it!

To explain, imagine a little beach, located right on the center of the town, crunched between two rock cliffs that hold beautiful old buildings (It totally blows my mind that people still live in them). In the background, a gorgeous Roman bridge, and finally, to the left of the bay, a cave leads to the ocean from where you can jump to swim in deeper waters. SURREAL!!!

• TIP: If you are coming in the high season, be prepared to share this paradise with hundreds of tourists because this tiny beach is very popular. And don’t forget your water shoes, because the beach is covered in white, large rounded pebbles.

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Otranto’s ramparts

   The Best Place in Puglia For Nightlife:

Otranto

Let me begin by saying that this rating is based on my 40 years of maturity and my nightlife preferences. To clarify, although I love to dance, I’m way over busy night clubs. For this reason I didn’t pick the town of Gallipoli.

In sum, the ramparts of Otranto’s old town had to one side the beautiful ancient buildings with inviting restaurants, bars and lounges. All with great ambiance, a cool vibe, good music, and most importantly, they were not crowded. In addition, to the other side, a view of the sea where boats peacefully bounced on the emerald ocean waiting for the cotton candy sunset.

What else could I ask for?

• TIP: You will have many options of places to choose from, so be sure to read reviews before you head out. You don’t want to end up in a tourist trap with ok food and watery pricey drinks. Yuk!

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Romeo & Juliet balconies in Locorotondo and flowered alley in Cisternino.

The Most Beautiful Towns in Puglia:

Locorotondo and Cisternino

Ok, so for this category I just couldn’t make up my mind so I had to pick two of the must se towns in Puglia.

Of course, they are the white hilltop towns of Locorotondo and Cisternino, which although quite similar, they are both worth visiting.

Basically, between quaint Romeo and Juliet balconies, walls covered in hot pink flowers, perfectly decorated restaurants, colorful art and vases hanging on street walls, and charming fountains, every corner is a surprise.

Besides, I don’t know about you but, getting lost in charming maze like alleys never gets old, specially if they are covered in white and lead to stunning views.

Shall I say more? Just have your cameras ready and get the snapping going.

• TIP: If your travel companion is like mine and is not a happy camper when it comes to taking pictures, be sure to bring a selfie stick with a tripod and bluetooth remote control so you can take your own pictures. You won’t regret it!

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Matera views

The Most Remarkable Puglia Town:

Matera

Matera is the most extraordinary place I have ever been!

Certainly a heaven for adventure lovers, history seekers or those looking for a romantic destination with stunning views. For this reason, and for the fact that it is just a couple of hours away, even though it is actually located in Basilicata, it makes an ideal combination for the perfect Puglia itinerary.

But what makes this town remarkable? So many things! Firstly, Matera is located on a rocky outcrop surrounded by a national park, which could easily make of it the town with the best views and hiking trails in the region. Secondly, it has a Sassi filled with cave restaurants, cave hotels, and museums. Undoubtedly all very unique experiences.

In spite that, what truly makes Matera the most remarkable town in Puglia, is the fact that it was once known as the shame of Italy, because of the poor living conditions of its people, and is now a cultural capital of the country. Is this amazing or what?

• TIP: To fully explore this incredible place, plan on spending at least one night (two days) here.
  Also, Matera is very hilly and full of steps all throughout, so a stroller will be of no use. Trust me! Lastly, only cars with permits can enter the old town, so if you will be driving, plan on parking your car outside the old town of Matera, and arrange for someone from your hotel to pick you up.

No time to plan your dream trip? Let me plan it for you!

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Piazza del Duomo in Lecce

The Best Place in Puglia For Beautiful Architecture:

Lecce

Lecce is know as the Florence of the south, and that does not surprise me. Similarly to the tuscan town, it has incredible historic attractions which make it a paradise for history and art lovers (in other words, me!). To list a few, Lecce has a castle, a Roman amphitheater, a variety of beautiful palaces, churches, museums, and ancient monuments.

But what really had me at an awe in Lecce was the square, Piazza Del Duomo and the gorgeous baroque architecture of Lecce’s cathedral and of the two 15th century-built palaces that surround it. Also, seeing these beauties to the sound of live classical music on a piano being played right at the entrance of the square, was just magical.

• TIP: Try to visit the square during the day and also at night. The “Petra Leccese” stone used around it, has incredible features that make its buildings look sun kissed during the day and look like moonstone at night. Really stunning!

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Pasta drying and charming streets of Bari.

The Best Place in Puglia To Experience Their Traditions:

Bari

As I mentioned in my post 6 Authentic Puglia Experience, the capital of Puglia, Bari, screams tradition. After all, this is the typical Italian town where you see locals chatting on their doorsteps, riding their mopeds or bicycles to work, and even making and drying pasta on the streets.

For this reason, Bari is the place you want to sit, grab a coffee, a gelato or a plate of their traditional pasta, Orecchiette, and just watch as they live “la dolce vitta”.

• TIP: Be sure to also check my post 5 Must Eat Dishes in Puglia  where I shared where you can eat the best orecchiette in town.

Best Places in Puglia by Category – Gallipoli, best beach town to stay in Puglia

The Best Beach Town In Puglia:

Gallipoli

Gallipoli wins this category because it has it all: sandy beaches, many hotel options within walking distance from them, and a historic center filled with great restaurants and incredible sites.

Another key point is that, if your goal is to deeply explore the Salento region, this town makes a great base to stay in Puglia, because from here you can easily explore other gorgeous beaches on the Ionian Sea, like Punta Prosciutto, and incredible historical towns, like Lecce.

• TIP: Are you more like a villa type of girl? Reach out and I’ll help you find the best villas near Gallipoli.

These are almost all the towns we visited during our 8 day Puglia vacation and they made a perfect Puglia itinerary for me and my family based on what we were looking for. Surely, each of these places touched my heart in a very special way. Perhaps they will touch yours in a different way, after all, travel is not a one size fits all. In fact, perhaps your itinerary will be completely different from mine and you will have your own incredible stories to tell from other enchanting Puglian towns.

Regardless, if you would like help creating your itinerary to Puglia or anywhere else in the world, just get in touch with me. Together, we will make your dream trips come true!