The Mini Rough Guide to Puglia (Travel Guide eBook)

By Rough Guides

This pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do, what to see and how to get around Puglia. It covers top attractions like the Tremiti islands, the Gargano peninsula and Otranto, as well as hidden gems, including Alberobello - the centre of Puglia's famous trulli, the quaint, conical-shaped houses - Castel del Monte, a unique medieval masterpiece, and Lecce, Puglia's Baroque gem, packed with lavish architecture and fanciful facades. This will save you time, and enhance your exploration of this fascinating region. This title has been fully updated post-COVID-19.

This Mini Rough Guide to Puglia covers: The Gargano Peninsula, Puglia Imperiale, Canosa di Puglia, Bari and beyond, Valle d'Itria, The Salento, An excursion to Matera

In this travel guide you will find:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Puglia, from cultural explorations to family activities in child-friendly places or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas.

TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS
Covers the destination's top ten attractions not to miss, including Martina Franca, Lecce, Gallipoli and a Perfect Day/Tour itinerary suggestions.

COMPACT FORMAT
Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, with a sharp design and colour-coded sections, this is the perfect on-the-move companion when you're exploring Puglia.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture.

WHAT TO DO
Detailed description of entertainment, shopping, nightlife, festivals and events, and children's activities.

PRACTICAL MAPS
Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Practical information on eating out, including a handy glossary and detailed restaurant listings, as well as a comprehensive A-Z of travel tips on everything from getting around to health and tourist information.

STRIKING PICTURES
Inspirational colour photography throughout.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: May 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839058097

Rough Guides

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about--having either traveled extensively or lived there--and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

Book preview

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HOW TO USE THIS E-BOOK

Getting Around this e-Book

This Rough Guide Mini e-book is designed to inspire you and help you plan for your visit to Puglia, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Highlights, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan an unforgettable trip. The Introduction and History and Culture chapters give the lowdown on Puglia, past and present, while the Out and About chapter is a comprehensive guide to all the best sights. You will find ideas for getting active in Things to Do, while the Food and Drink chapter introduces you to the local cuisine and gives listings of our favourite restaurants by area. Travel Essentials offers just that; practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, Where to Stay provides a special selection of hotels for every budget.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Puglia are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Puglia. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Rough Guides:

Published in 1982, the first Rough Guide – to Greece – was created by Mark Ellingham and a small group of friends who couldn’t find a guidebook to meet their needs. Combining a contemporary, journalistic style with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers’ needs, the immediate success of the book spawned a series that rapidly covered dozens of destinations. These days, Rough Guides include recommendations from budget to luxury and cover more than 120 destinations worldwide, all regularly updated by our team of ever curious, roaming writers. These Rough Guide Minis may be small, but they are packed with information and inspiration and offer amazing value for money.

© 2022 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd.

Table of Contents

10 Things Not To Miss

A Perfect Tour of Puglia

Overview

The Land of The Two Seas

Truly Trulli

A Slow Pace

A Foodie Heaven

History and Culture

A Brief History

Magna Graecia

Roman Rule

The Dark Ages

Norman Conquest

Stupor Mundi

French and Spanish

From Unification To Present

Out and About

The Gargano Peninsula

Foresta Umbra

Monte Sant’Angelo

Vieste

Peschici

Rodi Garganico

Isole Tremiti

Il Tavoliere

Puglia Imperiale

Castel del Monte

The Coast

Barletta

Canne della Battaglia

Canosa di Puglia

Trani

Bari and beyond

Bari

Polignano a Mare

Valle d’Itria

Grotte di Castellana

Alberobello

Locorotondo

Martina Franca

Cisternino

Ostuni

The Salento

Brindisi

Lecce

The Grecia Salentina

Otranto

South from Otranto

Santa Maria di Leuca

Gallipoli

Taranto

An excursion to Matera

‘City of Shame’

Seeing the city

The Sassi

The New Town

Parco della Murgia Materana

Things To Do

Sports

Cycling

Adriatic Cycleway

Hiking

Watersports

Beaches and Boat Trips

Other Activities

Spas

Shopping

What To Buy

Entertainment

Children

Food and Drink

Where To Eat

What To Eat

Antipasti

Il primo

Il secondo

Vegetables

Cheese

Desserts

Cookery Courses

Drinks

Wine

To Help You Order

Menu Reader

Where To Eat

The Gargano Peninsula

Monte Sant’Angelo

Peschici

Rodi Garganico

Vieste

Puglia Imperiale

Trani

Bari and Beyond

Bari

Polignano a Mare

Savelletri

Valle D’Itria

Alberobello

Ceglie Messapica

Cisternino

Martina Franca

Ostuni

Salento

Brindisi

Gallipoli

Lecce

Otranto

Basilicata

Matera

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Bicycle rental

Budgeting

C

Camping

Car hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime and safety

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

Guides and tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

LGBTQ travellers

M

Maps

Media

Money

O

Opening hours

P

Police

Post offices

Public holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephone

Time zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Transport

Travellers with disabilities

V

Visa and entry requirements

W

Websites and internet access

Y

Youth hostels

Where To Stay

Gargano

Peschici

Vieste

Bari and Beyond

Polignano a Mare

Savelletri di Fasano

Selva di Fasano

Puglia Imperiale

Trani

Valle D’Itria

Locorotondo

Montalbano

Ostuni

Salento

Corigliano d’Otranto

Lecce

Otranto

Ugento

Basilicata

Matera

10 THINGS NOT TO MISS

Shutterstock

1. Gargano peninsula

Ravishingly beautiful spur with stunning coastline and an ancient forest for hiking and biking. For more information, click here.

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2. Tremiti islands

Glorious archipelago of tiny islands, surrounded by glittering turquoise seas. For more information, click here.

© ARET Pugliapromozione/Franco Cappellari

3. Castel del Monte

A unique medieval masterpiece reflecting the humanism of its founder, Frederick II of Swabia. For more information, click here.

Shutterstock

4. Trani

Elegant coastal town with a dramatically sited Romanesque cathedral and a finely restored historic centre and port. For more information, click here.

Shutterstock

5. Alberobello

The centre of Puglia’s famous trulli, the quaint, conical-roofed houses. For more information, click here.

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6. Martina Franca

Large and lively town, known for its finely-preserved Baroque monuments and gastronomy. For more information, click here.

© ARET Pugliapromozione/Vittorio Giannella

7. Lecce

Puglia’s Baroque gem, packed with lavish architecture and fanciful facades. For more information, click here.

iStock

8. Otranto

Historic port with a picturesque old quarter, stunning cathedral and good beaches nearby. For more information, click here.

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9. Gallipoli

Charming historic town with fishing harbour and good seafood restaurants. For more information, click here.

iStock

10. Matera (in Basilicata)

Fascinating troglodyte town of ancient grottoes and rock-hewn churches. For more information, click here.

A Perfect TOUR OF PUGLIA

Day 1

Vieste. Make the Gargano Peninsula your base for three nights (it’s a long haul from Brindisi or Bari airports). Stay at the seaside resort of Vieste, surrounded by coves, cliffs and excellent beaches. But avoid July and August. Stroll through the historic centre, feast on fish creations at Capriccio, then chill out on one of the golden sand beaches.

Day 2

Tremiti Islands 1. Join a cycling or hiking tour to explore the beautiful 15,000-acre Foresta Umbra.

Day 3

Tremiti Islands 2. Take a ferry from Vieste to the glorious Tremiti Islands (note that there are no ferries from Vieste off season). These bite-sized isles are still largely unspoilt despite many summer visitors. Renowned for dazzling blue-green waters and a fascinating coastline of sun-bleached cliffs, grottoes and rocky coves they are perfect for diving, swimming and boat trips. Explore historic sights at San Nicola, then take a boat to the pine-clad San Domino.

Day 4

Trani. Drive south along the coast to Trani, a beautiful port and fishing village with a prosperous air. The showpiece is the dazzling white Cathedral, set dramatically against the deep blue sea. Discover the historic quarter and colourful port with bars and restaurants.

Day 5

Valle d’Itria. Discover the white towns and the trulli of the Itria Valley. Head south to Alberobello, capital of trulli, with around 1,500 of the quaint conical-roofed dwellings. Less touristy is the lovely hilltop towns of Locorotondo or Ostuni to the east. Spend an evening in the beautiful Baroque town of Martina Franca south of Alberobello. Join the passeggiata, dine in the historic centre and check out the evening cultural programme in this lively university town.

Days 6 & 7

Lecce. Head south to Lecce and stay a couple of days (the Santa Chiara is a charming hotel in the centre). This is the Baroque jewel of Puglia so spend time strolling the squares and streets of the old town, absorbing the exuberant facades of churches and palazzi. Combine culture with a spot of retail therapy checking out the cartapesta (papier-mâché) workshops and the chic shops selling olive oil and local pasta, then dine on the fashionable cucina povera (food for the poor) at Alle Due Corti.

Day 8

Otranto. Drive south to the lovely port of Otranto, ending your tour on the Adriatic coast. Visit the unique Romanesque cathedral with a remarkable floor mosaic, enjoy seafood specialities at L’Altro Baffo and spend the rest of the day relaxing on one of the fine sandy beaches.

Overview

Twenty years ago few foreign tourists took any interest in the heel of Italy’s boot and many had never heard of Puglia. Northern Italians tended to regard the region, along with most of the Mezzogiorno (southern Italy) as a land somewhat apart from the rest of Italy, lacking the cultural riches of the north. But from a backward and neglected region Puglia has become the rising star of the south. Most of its tourists are Italian, but an increasing number of foreign Italophiles have been discovering the delights of this southern tip of Italy: from the Foresta Umbra and the sands of Gargano to the hilltop towns of the Valle d’Istria to the Baroque splendour of Lecce. The region is a vast natural larder, the plains and hillsides yielding huge