The beaches of Puglia are among the most beautiful in Italy and what to say about its hinterland? A 15-day itinerary to discover in a low cost way what this beautiful land has in store.
I visited the Apulia far and wide on more than one occasion, but the perfect tour of this beautiful region was the one we did in 15 days of a sunny August. Trivially, Puglia is matched only by the sea, instead I must say that I met the strongest emotions and the most evocative landscapes in the hinterland and, in particular, in the Valle d'Yttrius. Inevitable the use of the car to find corners that are few known and not to rely on public transport that is not always efficient.
The first Apulian stop was Castel del Monte (Andria) with a visit to the mysterious castle of Frederick II declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The imposing building amazes for its exceptional state of conservation and for the stories related to it that cannot help but stimulate the visitor's imagination. From there you can reach Altamura by crossing the Alta Murgia National Park: barren landscape dotted with trulli, some old disused farm and flocks of sheep.
The second day, however, was dedicated to a stage outside the region, but given the proximity it was a shame not to go to Matera.
Any word would be superfluous to describe the charm of this city which, however, I advise you not to visit in the hottest hours as I did, and to challenge fatigue, returning from the Lucanian capital, I opted for an evening at Alberobello. Many trulli, perhaps too many! The town is exaggeratedly touristy and therefore I didn't like it very much, the best, most authentic trulli are those found along the countryside of the Itria Valley which, at sunset, gives its best!
The tour then continued with Ostuni, the city with whitewashed walls that recalls the villages of the Greek islands; Cisternino (included in the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy) famous for its butchers-restaurant called "cooker ready”, Ideal for making a rich buffalo meat dinner; Martina Franca with its elegant historic center; Oria known for the Jewish quarter and the imposing Castle.
After 5 days discovering the hinterland I then arrived at the sea: destination Salento and precisely Hello, a few km from Santa Maria di Leuca. Rather convenient location to change the beach daily and move from the Ionian to the Adriatic, so as not to miss anything.
The first stop (a bit disappointing actually) was Porto Cesareo: too much cement used without a minimum of aesthetic taste. In the following days, however, I feasted my eyes on the Pescoluse beach, also known as the Maldives of Salento (very fine and white sand, even if very popular); in Santa Maria di Leuca with bathroom at Punta Ristola (the sea is very deep, but enchanting) and sunset from the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Finibus Terrae.
Castro Marina (with a visit to the Zinzolusa Grotto); Porto Badisco and Santa Cesarea Terme; the beautiful Otranto where to visit the castle and spend a pleasant evening; Gallipoli that I would point out not for the beach, but for the old city: authentic, lived-in and renowned restaurant "La Maruzzella", fresh fish with excellent quality / price ratio.
They are especially worth noting Porto Selvaggio, a fantastic place located in the homonymous Natural Park where I also saw a giant starfish (I recommend arriving early in the morning because then from 12 it starts to get too crowded) and a small corner of paradise on the Adriatic that is located along the via del Sale, in the Municipality of Corsaro. The descent (a bit steep) is that of Scurlisciaturo. Here there are very few people and the seabed is full of fish, do not forget the rock shoes.
But a holiday in Puglia is above all fun! Thanks to the rent calendar of festivals and events (especially in August), every night there is something different to do. If you happen to be in Salento for Ferragosto you can't help but go to Torrepaduli for the Feast of San Rocco (also sung by Vinicio Capossela), here sacred and profane come together giving life to a true, archaic atmosphere, made even more profound by the lights, the religious processions and the patrols of men who compete in the "dance of swords". Also interesting are the festivals, ideal for eating horse meatballs or pittule, but above all for dancing at rhythm of the pinch.
One way to visit all these beauties in a low cost way but always staying in the center of the city, is to do it by renting a apartment in Puglia, so as not to miss anything, saving.
