Puglia Travel Guide

One week, seven towns, and all the pasta, sea swims, and dreamy moments you need — your ultimate guide to falling in love with Puglia.

Last month we spent a week exploring the sun-soaked Southern region of Italy and it ended up being one of our favourite holidays that we’ve taken as a couple.

In this guide, I’ve pulled together everywhere we went - from iconic postcard spots like Alberobello and Polignano a Mare, to lesser-known gems and one of the most beautiful B&Bs we’ve ever stayed in. If you’re planning a girls’ trip, a romantic getaway, or a solo adventure full of beautiful backdrops and even better food, I hope this gives you some inspiration to start plotting your own Italian escape.

Getting There
We flew from Gatwick to Bari (just a breezy 2-hour flight), then picked up a hire car from Sixt at the airport. From there, we headed straight to Matera for a few nights (you can read that guide [here]), before continuing on to Alberobello, which took around 2 hours by car. I highly recommend hiring a car if you’re visiting Puglia—it gives you total freedom to hop between all the gorgeous hilltop towns, coastal gems, and countryside spots without relying on public transport. It’s the kind of road trip that’s all about windows down, playlists up, and spontaneous detours.

Where We Stayed
We made Alberobello our base for five nights, and it ended up being the perfect jumping-off point for exploring Puglia—most of the towns we visited were within a 1 to 1.5-hour drive (though we did skip Lecce as it would’ve been a bit of a trek: around 5 hours round trip). We stayed at Astra B&B, and honestly, we couldn’t recommend it more. It’s run by the lovely Anna Maria, who has transformed her family’s ancient trulli into a dreamy, characterful guesthouse. There are just three rooms—two tucked inside the original 1500-year-old trulli, and one deluxe family suite (which we were lucky enough to snag for our stay!). Each morning, Anna Maria prepares a beautiful breakfast with local cheese, meats, and homemade Apulian desserts—it’s cosy, authentic, and felt like staying with family.

Towns we visited:

Alberobello
If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping into a fairytale village, Alberobello is the one. The whole town is sprinkled with trulli—those gorgeous whitewashed houses with pointed stone roofs that look straight out of a storybook. Wander the cobbled lanes, peek into the tiny boutiques, eat allllll the gelato whilst people-watching in the sun. It’s the kind of place that feels almost too magical to be real. It get’s very busy at the weekend and during most days, but many of the crowds are just day-trippers so if you’re lucky enough to stay then you’ll be able to see it less crowded in the evening.

Monopoli
Not to be dramatic, but Monopoli might be the town that made us want to pack up our lives and move to Italy, we loved it so much we went back twice. Picture pastel buildings, a dreamy little harbour with bobbing fishing boats, and the prettiest old town filled with winding alleyways and sun-dappled side streets. If the weather’s on your side, you can dip straight into the sea from rocky coves tucked along the coastline. I was obsessed with the wind-battered facades, crumbly churches, and that golden light that makes everything feel like a film set. One of my highlights was visiting Cattedrale Maria Santissima della Madia - a stunning Baroque basilica hidden among the narrow streets. Its striped columns, intricate ceiling, and dramatic altar totally took us by surprise. The whole vibe of Monopoli is relaxed but effortlessly chic, like the Amalfi Coast’s cooler, more low-key cousin.

Ostuni
Ostuni, aka “The White City”, is perched on a hilltop and the drive up to the town is like something from a Disney movie. I can see why Ostuni is a popular holiday destination with its winding streets, bougainvillea-covered balconies, and sweeping views over the olive groves and Adriatic Sea. We spent hours getting lost in the alleyways (on purpose), stopping for spritzes in tucked-away piazzas and watching golden hour turn the whole town blush pink at Borgo Antico Bar (my full where to eat in Puglia guide is coming shortly).