A Travel Guide to Puglia: Luxury Villas, Boutique Hotels & Authentic Experiences
I’ve just returned from a truly unbelievable summer in Europe, spanning nearly two months across three countries: Greece, Italy and Spain. Every part of the trip was sensational in its own way. But certainly one of the most memorable parts came from our two weeks in Puglia.
As the Amalfi Coast continues to suffer from both overcrowding and mind boggling prices, Puglia is often thrown into contention as heir apparent for Italy’s next premier coastal destination. Can you compare Puglia to Amalfi? Not really, but in many ways that is a compliment to Puglia.
If I could describe Puglia with a single word, it would be dynamic. If you want a dramatic coastline and romance, it’s still hard to beat the Amalfi Coast. But for literally just about everything else, Puglia really delivers. Food, wine, culture, history, architecture, beach, cycling, hiking… Puglia not only has it all, Puglia does it all extremely well AND without the insufferable crowds found virtually everywhere else in Italy.
Should I stay in northern or southern Puglia?
Lecce & Southern Puglia
As part of an itinerary, Puglia is usually split into two parts: north and south. For the majority of our clients, time is a precious commodity and as such many will want to know how to divide their stay between Northern and Southern Puglia. As is the case for much of Europe, the further south you go in Puglia, the more you seem to transport into the past. Southern Puglia lacks the luxury infrastructure many of our clients are accustomed to, but it has tons of charm and some of the Mediterranean’s most gorgeous beaches. The region’s largest city, Lecce, is often called the “Florence of the South” thanks to its impressive history and dazzling baroque architecture.
Top accommodation options are fairly limited in the south. We stayed at Castle Elvira just outside of Lecce, and while it was absolutely charming I would be hesitant to recommend a stay there for most of our clients, at least until they work out a few service-related matters (which I know that they are, as they’ve recently hired a top industry person to assist them in making the property better suited to discerning guests). Long story short, the hotel is a lovely option for independent travelers who aren’t necessarily concerned with being waited on, and/or those who will be out exploring for most of the day and want to come “home” to a magnificently decorated castle. I had hoped to be wowed by some other Lecce hotels widely considered to be high end, but was generally underwhelmed. This was quite a surprise as a few had come highly recommended by some whose feedback I typically trust, and like Castle Elvira, online reviews were spectacular. Ultimately as a travel advisor, nothing can replace a real-life visit to hotels and destinations when you are responsible for making important recommendations to clients. And as I had mentioned on the Craft Instagram account, herein lies the value of professionals who not only do a deep dive into a destination and its properties, but also really seek to know and understand their clients.
I don’t want to downplay southern Puglia. Beyond the incredible history and coasts, there are some lovely villas, which would make a lot of sense for families or groups of friends especially interested in some beach time. However, unless you have plenty of time or really want to focus your trip on the beach, I think most of our clients would be best served staying in Northern Puglia and making a day trip to Lecce for some fantastic foodie experiences and a stroll through the beautiful old town.
Valle d’Itria & Northern Puglia
Northern Puglia encompasses coastal towns such as Bari, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare, but for me the crown jewel of the region is Valle d’Itria. The Itria Valley is home to what came to be my favorite towns in Puglia (more on that in a bit), as well as the iconic towns of Alberobello and Ostuni. Alberobello is best known for its stunning collection of trulli, the traditional Apulian style of whitewashed stone huts with beehive-like roofs. Trulli are found throughout the Itria Valley, and many villas available for rent - including the one we booked - are built in the trulli style. Another thing you’ll notice throughout the valley is lush greenery, a major distinction from the more barren landscapes further south. The juxtaposition of plentiful trees and striking trulli makes for idyllic scenery that I simply fell in love with. And while towns like Ostuni and Alberobello do not disappoint, my personal favorites were the smaller towns of Locorotondo and Cisternino. It’s important to note that even the larger and more famous cities of Ostuni and Alberobello didn’t feel particularly overcrowded; compared to Rome, Florence or Venice, they would seem close to empty. But Locorotondo and Cisternino were even more off the grid.
We booked our villa in Cisternino with (uncharacteristically) very limited intel on the town. Once I’d confirmed the arrangements I got a bit nervous, and asked some local industry friends for their input, and they advised it was a solid choice. But what we didn’t know until arriving was that Cisternino is actually quite the up and coming destination: Italy’s Prime Minister was summering there alongside us and Monica Belluci has a home there, as apparently many Italian celebrities do. During our trip, we rather serendipitously discovered that a pair of very stylish European parents of our daughters’ friends from school in Cape Town had a home just down the street from us, and they confidently confirmed that Cisternino is THE place in Italy to be.
Locorotondo was just 10-15 minutes away from us by car and had the most gorgeous old town with zero crowds. We kept waiting for the shoe to drop, assuming there must be some reason every cute restaurant and bar wasn’t overflowing with tourists, yet regardless of the time or day of the week, it remained incredibly charming. One of our favorite finds, just outside of the old town, was Ottolire, a stunning boutique hotel with the best restaurant we encountered in Puglia. Ottolire was recommended to us by our local friends and was somewhere I would’ve never been able to find without either being in the area for an extended period of time or having connections. It just goes to show how essential our own travel is as advisors in order to be able to really deliver for our clients. Again, nothing can replace first-hand knowledge.
Where to stay in Puglia
The charming Ottolire could be a great fit for budget-oriented clients looking to focus on exploring Vale d’Itria. But I have to say that I came away extremely impressed by Borgo Egnazia. We’ve been sending clients there for years with exceptional feedback and after having gone myself, I feel confident it’s the right fit for many - if not the majority- of our clients
While being highly regarded throughout the industry, I had once heard Borgo Egnazia referred to by a fellow advisor -whose opinion I greatly value- as “Italian five-star Disney World”. This comment always stuck in my mind a bit, and I wondered whether the hotel would be the right fit for high-end travelers who’d be arriving to Puglia after staying in our Italian favorites like JK Roma or Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, where intimacy and exclusivity are the name of the game.
Yet despite its massive 45 acre compound with 144 rooms, Borgo Egnazia does not feel overwhelming in the least. The spaces have all been intentionally designed to feel cozy, and everything is executed in a way to make each guest feel like the star of the show. The location alongside Savelletri and Fasano couldn’t be better, with direct access to fantastic beach (and two beach clubs), plus a plethora of restaurants in both towns. Within a 20 minute drive, you can find yourself at the majority of Puglia’s most noteworthy towns. But with seven restaurants on site, you never have an obligation to leave to experience great cuisine. As much as I love golf, I don’t typically prefer hotels with golf courses. But Borgo Egnazia has a fantastic one, and because it’s not really visible immediately from the property, it does not have the feel of a golf resort, something which I think gives it a more elevated vibe.
Funnily enough, we ran into a couple at Borgo Egnazia who had also been guests at Castle Elvira during our stay. They remarked that while prior to the trip, they would have thought they would be more “Elvira” type travelers, in the end they couldn’t believe how intimate Borgo Egnazia felt and how much they loved it. They actually found Borgo Egnazia to feel much more private and romantic, despite being so much bigger than Castle Elvira.
Borgo Egnazia is one of those rare properties that I’ve come to appreciate so much as a parent where the experience is just as good for families as it is for couples. The accommodations are divided into two sections, one of which is adults only, and boasts several of its own pools. Meanwhile the family-side facilities are excellent, with a kids’ club, ice cream shop and various activities scheduled for the younger guests throughout the week.
I think Borgo Egnazia is a fabulous base for exploring Puglia, and you could easily stay here for a week and not get bored given the amount of things to do at the hotel and the highly central location within Puglia. It also works well for those interested in just a day trip to Lecce, which I think for the typical first-time traveler is more than enough: it’s just an hour’s drive, giving you ample time to go walking through the city to witness its impressive architecture and then get hands-on with a really impressive cooking class. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see Rocco Forte’s Masseria Torre Maizza, a property about which I’ve heard great things. It’s certainly a smaller property that might appeal to those looking for a more boutique feel and Rocco Forte almost always gets it right: we had the most fantastic stay at their Verdura Resort in Sicily following our time in Puglia (maybe I am starting to like golf resorts?!). In any event, I will report back next year with my thoughts on Masseria Torre Maizza. But for now, I can say that if you are a small family or a couple looking for luxury in Puglia that checks all of the boxes and then some, Borgo Egnazia is essentially a no-brainer.
For larger families however, renting a private villa in Puglia makes a lot of sense. We were a multigenerational group of ten, ranging in age from three to 70, and having the space of a sprawling trulli home could not have been better.
We arranged a private chef to prepare meals for us several times, along with professional pizza makers who utilized our impressive outdoor pizza oven. We walked and biked to a lovely cafe down the road from us for delicious Apulian pastries and, thanks to the central location, were able to use the trulli as a base to explore the Vale d’Itria, coastal towns like Polignano a Mare and even Matera, the world’s third oldest continuously inhabited city which was only 90 minutes away by car.
Side note: Matera was an absolute highlight and I’d consider going back and spending a night or two there to explore more thoroughly. I could not get over how a city with so much cache and such jaw-dropping scenery could be so quiet in the middle of July. Something else to consider: for those looking to combine Puglia with the Amalfi Coast, Matera can serve as a lovely stop along the way, as it’s just over three hours from Amalfi and then another hour and a half to pretty much anywhere the Vale d’Itria or Monopoli/Savelletri area.
Staying in an authentic trulli made the Apulian experience come alive, and from a merely practical standpoint, in the height of summer you quickly realize what a genius invention this style of architecture was: these structures were intended to stay cool. Our villa was incredibly designed and well-appointed, though we heard from friends who’d found places on Airbnb that the standard can (not unsurprisingly) be quite inconsistent. I scouted over a dozen villas and trulli during my stay and am happy to help our clients find the right fit for their families.
As previously noted, villas -or private homes for smaller families- are in many cases the way to when exploring the south of Puglia, particularly when looking for beachfront properties. The hotel options in this region are extremely limited. We have a handful of good options to consider here as well that we can share with you.
What to do in Puglia
I think it’s fairly clear from the above that there is a lot of eating to be done in Puglia. Overall I found the food to be delicious, and typically much less expensive than in other parts of Italy. Beyond the restaurants, there are so many unique experiences centered around food: culinary tours, cooking classes, mozzarella making… you name it! Some of these activities can be found elsewhere in Italy, but it all still feels a bit more authentic in Puglia.
Wine production is integral to Apulian industry, as is olive oil. Olive oil is only really produced in the south of Italy (Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, to be exact), and it’s nice to have the variety of doing tastings not only of wine but also of olive oil. It’s also more family-friendly, and caters perfectly to couples traveling to Italy on their babymoon or those who simply do not wish to drink.
Perhaps most notably, Puglia -from north to south- is an underrated paradise for active travelers: the number of hiking and cycling opportunities is seemingly endless. We have a local partner who specializes in outdoors experiences in the region and it’s remarkable how much can be seen on foot or by bike. There are several stunning coastal hiking paths along national parks, such as Gargano There are several stunning coastal hiking paths along national parks, such as Gargano and Alta Murgia, as well as inland trails that wind through ancient olive groves and medieval villages.
To touch on beaches again, I do think the beaches in Southern Puglia, particularly on the Ionian Sea (western side), are the best in the region. Borgo Egnazia, on the Adriatic (eastern) side, has a pretty great beach and the luxury of a beach club, meaning you do not have to worry about crowds or sourcing chairs and umbrellas. But in my opinion, the beaches in the Polignano a Mare area are just too busy to enjoy, and the water is simply not as beautiful as its Ionian counterpart. I did not visit the beaches in Bari, so cannot comment on those, but anecdotally it does appear that the further south you go, the better. And that once you reach the bottom of Puglia’s “heel”, you’ll find yourself on beaches that compete with the best of the Mediterranean.
Again, I’m not sure I really see Puglia as a beach destination: for me, it’s a gorgeous, fascinating region that just so happens to have beaches around it. But you certainly can enjoy a wonderful beach experience by either venturing far south, or (which in my opinion would probably be the case for the majority of our clients) by staying at a hotel further north with a top-notch beach club.
Should you visit Puglia?
In full disclosure, I am somewhat of an outlier in that I don’t have the same innate love and appreciation for Italy that many travelers do. While there are some places that are undeniably remarkable and in a league of their own (again, Castiglion del Bosco comes immediately to mind!), I find much of “mainstream” Italy to be grossly overrated, overpriced and increasingly unbearable thanks to mass tourism.
But Puglia provides the antidote to every qualm I have with Italy: the prices are reasonable, the crowds are minimal (for now), the food is consistent, the experiences are authentic and there is simply so much to do. I’m not sure how much longer Puglia has until it faces the same issues found elsewhere in Italy. Many locals or longtime enthusiasts will say it’s already changed remarkably in the past five years. But what my family and I encountered this summer in Puglia was nothing short of magical, and we plan to enjoy it for however long it will last: we’re already planning on returning to our same trulli next summer.
As a destination for clients, I find Puglia extremely exciting: it offers the ability to visit Italy for a second, third or fourth time and experience something completely different, without sacrificing on the wow factor. It’s very hard to imagine any of our clients visiting Puglia with the proper planning in place and not falling in love with it.
It can easily be done on its own for one to two weeks, or combined with various parts of Italy, with nonstop flights into Bari from quite a few major cities and increasingly frequent train connectivity. I love pairing Puglia with Sicily, which is what we did with a beach finale at Verdura Resort to end our extended stay in Italy. And we had arrived to Puglia from Athens, which has several nonstop flights, and for next year are considering taking the ferry from Corfu to Brindisi (Puglia’s smaller but highly convenient airport just south of Bari).
And because Puglia is so far south, it’s a destination that can be visited year-round, with a much longer spring, summer and fall than its northern counterparts. Yes, summer in Puglia is quite hot, but without the crowds I somehow find it much more bearable! All you need is a pool, well-designed trulli and an aperol spritz to cool you down… and to remind you that you can still find la dolce vita in Italy if you know where to look.
