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Boutique hotels in Puglia

Holidays in Puglia, Italy

Puglia Overview

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.

Perfectly Puglia

Puglia produces 70 per cent of Italy’s olive oil. There are many different varieties, each with its own unique flavour. The olive press of Il Frantolio di D’Amico Pietro near Cisternino offers tours and tastings – great for wine buffs looking for a new challenge.

Local 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.

Dialling 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.