Last updated on May 23, 2022 at 2:12 pm
The sunny region of Puglia in southern Italy is one of the most relaxed and unspoiled parts of the country. It is also a very different destination. With pristine beaches, abundant history, amazing local cuisine, vibrant cities and stunning landscapes, Puglia has something for everyone. Apulia is special for another reason. It is home to many types of accommodation that are unique to the area. We wouldn't want you to miss them, so we've put together a list of the best places to stay in Puglia, keeping in mind to include a bit of everything. Both in terms of accommodation types and the best travel tips on how to divide your time within the region depending on which region is best for what.
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Where to stay in Puglia:farm,trulliIpalaces
Before we get into the details of how to split your time in the area to see as much of Puglia as possible at once, there's one thing we can't stress enough. No matter how much (or little) time you spend in Puglia, be sure to book a stay atvacation house, onetrulliand, if possible, apalacealso. These may sound like budget-friendly options, but you can always find themfantastic deals on booking.com.
Trust us when we say that, in the case of Puglia, it's worth saving money on something other than accommodation. Using such unique types of accommodation will take your trip to Puglia to a whole new level.
This is the best way to immerse yourself in the secrets of the real Puglia and understand the very essence of this stormy country that feels like a lazy summer day and steadfastly refuses to succumb to the sirens of mass tourism.
What is onevacation house
Cottagesare large fortified agricultural complexes built in Puglia between the 16th and 18th centuries. Mostfarmthey have some basic characteristics in common. They are surrounded by high walls and consist of various buildings arranged around a central courtyard. Other than the owner's house, avacation houseit also consists of other buildings. These include workers' quarters, barns, crop warehouses, olive mills, wineries, cheese factories and so on.
Today, most of these historic properties have been renovated and converted into exceptional holiday homes ranging from traditional to luxurious. Almost all of them have restaurants serving local dishes based on organic ingredients, and lots of themfarmstill operating farms producing oil, cheese, wine, etc.
Our stay at Masseria Torre Coccaro
I stay insideMasseria Torre Coccaroin Fasan, he was one of our top performers2 week tripthrough Apulia. Set amongst centuries-old olive trees and only a 5′-10′ drive from the nearby Savelletri beach, this magnificent 16th century estate has been restored to perfection with old buildings such as the chapel and imposing watchtower still standing on its site.
Thevacation houseis a 5-star farm that manages to combine luxury and tradition in an irresistible way. With private terraces, roomsvacation housethey are huge, impeccably clean, extremely comfortable and their decor reflects the history and traditions of Apulia.
Common areas invacation housethey have a nostalgic and elegant atmosphere that is hard to describe in words. Hands down the most charming pieceMasseria Torre Coccarois a large central courtyard. It is at least fairytale-like and especially enchanting at night. No wonder couples from all over the world choose this place for their wedding receptions.
Moreover,vacation houseit hosts a fantastic restaurant serving excellent home-cooked local dishes with a selection of the region's best wines. Last but not least,vacation houseIt features an indoor and outdoor pool, spa facilities and a dreamy beach club. On our first night there, we were spoiled to be greeted with a full body massage followed by a dip in the warm water of the indoor pool just before dinner. We could certainly get used to all of this.
Far from another luxury hotel,Masseria Torre Coccarooffers its visitors an invaluable opportunity to get to know the real Puglia. Except he's actually sleeping inside centuries-old wallsvacation houseand enjoying dishes made from organic produce grown on the property itself,Masseria Torre Coccaroorganizes a series of exciting experiences for visitors to feel closer to the traditions and mentality of Apulia.
During our short stay we had a fantastic cooking classMaserijachef, during which we learned how to make pasta and pizza from scratch. In about 1.5 hours, we prepared all three courses of a typical Apulian meal. Best of all, all the food we cooked with the chef was served to us later for dinner in the restaurant.
Masseria Torre Coccarohe also organized an amazing bike tour for Katerina. To be precise,vacation househe organized a bike tour for both of us. But, you know, I'm Maria, a weirdo who can't ride a bike. Anyway, back to Katerina and her cycling experience. It turned out that cycling among centuries-old olive groves and vines was a unique experience for Katerina.
During the three-hour tour, he visited a traditional cheese factory. There he watched howburrataIMozzarellaare prepared before indulging in a delicious cheese tasting. After that, Katerina and her tour guide visited anothervacation housewhere olive oil was produced and learned all about extra virgin olive oil and its secrets. He came back to the hotel with the brightest smiles and I was so jealous I could have died. However, the cottage cheese she brought made me feel a little better.
What is onetrulli
ONEtrulliis a type of building unique to Puglia.Trullythey are huts with conical roofs of the 19th century. They were originally built as storage or temporary shelters for people or animals. As time goes by,trullithey were also used as permanent residences. Internal atrulliit is simple and clear.
There is a special room under each conical roof. Living in onetrulliit was not easy in the past. It was very difficult to heat these structures because the hot air moved up and remained trapped in the highest part of the conical roof. Nowadays more and moretrullirenovated and converted into traditional B&Bs that offer a stay experience like no other.
We only spent one night theretrulliaccommodation. Although we would have liked to stay longer, this night was enough to feel the unique vibes of sleeping inside an old building with such special architecture and history. Next time we are in Puglia, we will definitely plan a longer staytrulli.
Book your exciting stay at onetrullihere!
What is onepalace
Palacesare not unique to Puglia, but the region boasts some of the most beautiful in Italy. Architectural element of cities, not villages,palacesthey are inspired by the palaces of rich families who lived during the Italian Renaissance.
These early palaces were characterized by perfect symmetry and neat rows of windows. The palaces of the 19th and 20th centuries were built under the influence of different architectural rhythms. A good example is the city of Lecce in Puglia, where it is elegantpalaceswere built in perfect harmony with the baroque character of the city.
Spend a fantastic night in the 1930spalacein Lecce.
Book your stay here!
Best places to stay in Puglia, Italy
Driving is the best way to explore Puglia. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that you should choose several cities as a starting point to explore the region. In this section, we'll give you some tips on the best places to stay in Puglia, depending on what each area in the region has to offer.
Planning a trip to Puglia? Get inspired by our list of the best books in Italy!
Surrender to the charm of authentic Puglia
It should be clear by now that you should stayvacation houseME atrulliduring your trip to Puglia.Cottagesare scattered throughout the region. However, there are some areas that are more beautiful and authentic than others. We highly recommend picking one upvacation housecloseFasanotheOstuni.
Both are ideal places to explore the best towns of Puglia. Alternatively,Salento, Italy's fifth, is another completely untouched area in Puglia. Abouttrulli, are only within the area of the so-calledDolina Itrias, the so calledtrullizone.
The latter includes precious stones such asAlberobello,Locorotondo,Martina Franca,Cisterninoand other smaller towns. You can find luxury or rustictrulliin each of these cities. There are many of themtrullihotels in the beautiful scenery between these cities.
Experience the diversity of the cities of Puglia
Most travelers choose Puglia for its beautiful nature andpristine beaches. With good reason. However, if you want to visit the best towns in the area, we would say soBarry ILechethey are the ones that are absolutely worth your time. A vibrant university town, Bari is the most populous city in Puglia and the second largest in southern Italy.
Culture and history ooze from the narrow streets of the Old Town. At the same time, Bari is a vibrant modern center like any other major port city. Last but not least, Bari is the perfect base to explore the cosmopolitan Adriatic coast.
On the other hand, the historic center of Lecce is a baroque dream bathed in intense sunshine almost all year round. It is also the perfect base to explore the charms of Salento. More compact in size than Bari, Lecce has all the hallmarks of a magical Italian city that makes visitors dream of lifesweet lifefor the rest of his life there.
Read all about our trip to Lecce here!
Relax on the beach
Of course, the beach is one of the main reasons why people choose to go to Puglia. There are countless seaside towns in the area. Some of them, although they are wonderful and unique in their beauty, are also over-touristy and crowded.Polignano kobila,MonopolyIBarletta, to name just a few, fall into this category.
Fortunately, there are more relaxed seaside towns in Puglia that are just as beautiful. That includesOtranto,Gallipoli,Jerk offand many others. It's up to you to decide if you want to stay in Instagram-famous cities or quieter cities. All of them still have the most important thing. They are close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. And this is coming from two Greeks who know how to be irritatingly picky when it comes to beaches.
Check out our guide to the best seaside towns in Puglia here!
We have yet to explore the Gargano region in northern Puglia. We definitely will at some point. You see, we left a piece of our heart in this sunny corner in southern Italy. We can't help ourselves. We will definitely be returning to this area for more.See you, beautiful Poulia!
If you're continuing your trip to Rome, read our detailed guide to the best places to stay in Rome!
Detection:We were guests at Masseria Torre Coccaro but, as always, all opinions are our own.