Puglia Things to Do

 
by Ronaldinho86
 
  •   Things to Do
    by Ronaldinho86
  • The miltary garrison
      The miltary garrison
    by Yorkshireman47
  • The pedestrian area
      The pedestrian area
    by Yorkshireman47
  • The harbour
      The harbour
    by Ronaldinho86
  • Outside Melendugno
      Outside Melendugno
    by BlueLlama
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Things to do in Salento

by microsensazione

I'm still waiting replies by my friend living in Morciano di Leuca (not so far from Santa Maria di Leuca) to give you some suggests about Salento.Anyway, waiting for him, I'd suggest you also:- ALIMINI lake (it's very peaceful, I don't know if you are interested for)- PONTE CIOLO - It's not so simple to find. It is not properly a "beach" under a bridge of the road on Adriatic Coast side it's about 8 km far from Santa Maria di Leuca (take a look on Google Maps searching "Ponte Ciolo, Gagliano del Capo"). Well, some CRAZY people take position on the bridge to dive! More than 30 meters! Too crazy!- GROTTA ZINZULUSA (on Adriatic Coast side)- ALBEROBELLO (small village with "TRULLI"); take a look about on images of Google, maybe you could consider it.About nightlife:- LIDO AZZURRO (It was our favourite! take a look on "http://www.lidoazzurro.org/index.php")- GIBO' (I did not stay but it is...

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Martina Franca

by MichaelFalk1969

Martina Franca ended up to be our favourite city in Puglia - a real surprise find. After we drove past Martina Franca the first time, we decided to skip it, as what was visible did not look very special at first glance. Then we decided otherwise as every guide book recommended Martina Franca and its historic town center and gave it a chance. We were amazed. A wonderful historic Old Town with baroque faccades, a charming maze of alleys, excellent restaurants, lively squares. The most obvious sights are the Palazzo Ducale, built in 1688 with a high baroque façade and beautifully decorated with iron wrought railings, and the main Church of San Martino, built in the Baroque period. Martina Franca is especially charming in the evening and full of life: young romantic couples, families with lots of bambini, old people chatting, going into restaurants, taking an evening walk. Lovely city!

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Gravina Laterza (National Park)

by MichaelFalk1969

The Gravina Laterza (near the town of Laterza) is a lush green gorge in an otherwise extremely dry landscape. The Gravina serves as a bird sanctuary where many birds of prey live (it was fairly easy to spot them, we saw falcons, bussards and ravens). A hiking path parallel to the gorge (sentiero Nr. 3) starts at the visitor centre allows to walk for ca. 1 hour (one-way) and glimpse great views on the fantastic canyon landscape and bizarre stone formations. Just be careful not to step too close to the fringes of the gorge - it is almost 200 metres deep!

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absolute must-see in Puglia

by David_trip

Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, Castro, Ostuni, Alberobello, Martina Franca, Manduria, Castel del Monte, Trani, Porto Cesareo, Veglie, Gargano and its coast. Tip: rent a car and travel all the way down from Taranto to the extreme south along the Ionian coast and back along the adriatic coast up to Veglie. Stay overnight in Agriturismos (farm holiday resort) in the countryside and eat simple local products.

Parco della Murgia Materana

by MichaelFalk1969

Only a few kilometers off Matera on the left-hand-side of the street SS 7 (Via Appia) lies the Parco Murgia Materana. It is a very dry, savannah-like landscape, where several historical cave dwellings (and a cave church) can be discovered. You can easily spot those caves from the street that runs through the park. There is also a Belvedere from which the famous city of Matera can be seen.

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Ostuni - "La citta bianca"

by MichaelFalk1969

Ostuni is rightfully called "the white city" (la citta bianca) because of the whitewashed houses of the Old Quarter. Any trip to Ostuni should start at Piazza della Liberta with the Town Hall (in an old monastery) and the church St. Francis of Assisi. The old town has several beautiful churches (the cathedral and the church St. Maria Maddalena), but the highlight of Ostuni is its intricate maze of alleys and stairways where you can easily lose yourself. The classic view of Ostuni is from the Belvedere in the newer part of the town. If you are standing at the Piazza della Liberta, go straight ahead for ca. 500 metres (past the Oronzo monument) - from the Belvedere on the left-hand-side you can see the whole Old Town, the cathedral and the historic city gate. P.S.: By the way, the gelateria near the cathedral sells fabolous ice cream. Try a cone of Cassata Siciliana - wonderful!

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Matera

by MichaelFalk1969

The city of Matera (in the Basilicata region) is a UNESCO world heritage monument, and rightfully so. It is famous for the "sassi", caves dwellings that were used as houses up tol the 1950`s. The old town has two quarters that are both worthwhile to explore: The Sassi Barisano quarter, and the Sassi Caveoso. A walk through the old town will give you incredibile vistas on the city and the surrounding "gravina" (gorge) from different viewing angles. Matera also has several interesting churches, for example the Cathedral (great view on Matera from there) and the Chiesa di Purgatorio (the latter church has a front door completely decorated by skulls). Matera has also served as a film location for Mel Gibson`s "The Passion of Christ".

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Alberobello

by MichaelFalk1969

Alberobello (a UNESCO world heritage site) is probably the most popular sight next to Castel del Monte. The city (and the surrounding region Valle d`Itria) is famous for the round Trulli with their cone-shaped roofs, the dominating rural house type in central Puglia. It is said that the Trulli were built because of a tax evasion scheme: For houses that could be "unbuilt" in a day, no taxes had to be paid. Alberobellos Old Town consists only of Trullis (even a Trulli Church). If you cross the main street between Old and New Town, there is a (modern) church with a Belvedere from where you have a classic view on the old quarter and plenty of Trullis. Though tourists have annoyingly overrun this place, it is still very interesting and surely a must-see. Unlike all other places we visited in Puglia, the city is also filled with tacky, hard-selling souvenir shops.

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Lecce

by MichaelFalk1969

Lecce (Old Town) is stuffed with baroque churches and palazzi, and a very worthwhile daytrip. The most spectacular sights are the churches, especially the cathedral as well as the surrounding square (piazza duomo), the Basilica St. Croce with its marvelous baroque exterior, and the church St. Irene. Lecce also features the remnants of a roman arena.

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Basilica St. Croce - Lecce

by MichaelFalk1969

I guess there can be no doubt that St. Maria della Croce is the most beautiful church in Lecce - if not all Puglia. The baroque exterior is richly decorated with sculptures, gargoyles, dragons, and other real or mythological animals. It is even more spectacular than Lecce Cathedral itself.

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Fun things to do in Puglia

Top 3 Hotels in Puglia

Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci Bari  Bari

 1 Review and 322 Opinions  This hotel is one of the finest I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. The rooms are spacious and... 

 Hotels in Bari

Patria Palace Hotel  Lecce

 1 Review and 101 Opinions  I had dinner here one night with a big party. Including the Irish Ambassador and his wife. (They... 

 Hotels in Lecce

HOTEL ASTORIA  Alberobello

 1 Review and 24 Opinions  We were very pleased to find this hotel was so close to the train station- a five minute walk... 

 Hotels in Alberobello

469 Hotels in Puglia
 
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Reviews and photos of Puglia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Puglia sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Puglia
  1. Bari Things to Do
  2. Lecce Things to Do
  3. Taranto Things to Do
  4. Brindisi Things to Do
  5. Monopoli Things to Do
  6. Alberobello Things to Do
  7. Ostuni Things to Do
  8. Foggia Things to Do
  9. Otranto Things to Do
  10. Isola San Domino Things to Do
  11. Castellana Grotte Things to Do
  12. Gallipoli Things to Do
  13. Trani Things to Do
  14. Parco Nazionale del Gargano Things to Do
  15. Isola Caprara Things to Do

More Cities in Puglia

 

Questions and Answers

smeans2 profile photo

Q:  I will be staying near Locorotondo, but I want to visit Trani, and I would appreciate any advice on driving into the city and... 

Trekki profile photo

A: Hi Spencer, I see that up to now no one answered your question. So I try, although I haven't been that far south in Italy. Usually I find parking outside the town... 

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