Puglia
Italy
- Coastline
- The shapely heel of Italy
- Coast life
- Trulli, madly, deeply
Located in Italy’s sunny south, Puglia has a unique character and charm, little known to outsiders; the Italians who flock here in the summer keep this laidback playground of blue sea, golden sands and olive groves strictly a family affair.
As at all good Italian get-togethers, food takes centre stage: fresh fish, melons, figs, olive oils and wines. Puglia produces almost all of the country’s – in fact Europe’s – pasta. Yet although the region may appear Italian down to its boots, the heel of Italy has a very cosmopolitan past; the Greeks, Spanish and Normans all paid visits, leaving a quirky mishmash of architectural heirlooms, from Baroque churches and Romanesque cathedrals to whitewashed villages and the traditional conical dwellings called trulli.
Pictured: Masseria Torre Coccaro
Boutique hotels in Puglia
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Puglia
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Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
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Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Puglia has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
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Eating, drinking & dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Puglia.
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Smith Maps
Here is the map of Puglia; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
moreLocal knowledge
- Taxis
- Trying to hail a cab on the street won’t get you anywhere; go to a taxi rank or ask your hotel to order one for you. They are metered and levy small extra charges for luggage and for travelling after 22h.
- Tipping culture
- A service charge is usually added to restaurant bills, but it is customary to tip an extra five or ten per cent.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Shops open early and close late, with long lunch breaks. Most close on Sundays and Monday mornings, except in resort areas. Banks also break for lunch, reopening at 15h for an hour. Restaurants only start to fill at 21h; nightclubs hot up around midnight.
- Packing tips
- Summer wardrobe staples – think laidback southern style, not chi-chi Capri.
- Recommended reads
- Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano; Heel to Toe by Charles Lister.
- Cuisine
- Enjoy an abundance of sun-ripened fruit and vegetables and delicious olive oil. Definitely try the local pasta orecchiette or ‘little ears’. The region produces huge amounts of wine, too: Salice Salentino, a full-bodied red, is one of the best.
- Currency
- Euro.
- Dialing codes
- Country code for Italy: 39. Local area codes: Foggia: 0881; Bari: 080; Brindisi: 0831; Lecce: 0832; Taranto: 099. Remember, with Italy you need to leave in the 0, even when dialling from abroad.
- Do go/don't go
- If you don’t fancy sweltering-hot weather and busy beaches, visit in early or late summer for milder conditions and the chance to bag a decent spot on the sand. Fine, sunny weather starts in spring and lasts well into autumn this far south, and sees the region at its best.
