Puglia Travel Guide: The Best Places to Visit in the Itria Valley: Ostuni, Alberobello and Fasano.
Best time to go in
Spring/ Summer
Language
Italian
CurrencY
Euros, €
Transportation
The best way to reach Puglia, is by flying to their main airports which are: Bari or Brindisi. According to where you are planning to stay, you can choose the closest airport. The Ostuni area, is closer to Brindisi. If you are in Italy and feel like driving, you can also reach Puglia by car and enjoy a beautiful car drive.
Alternatively, if you are in Italy, you can also reach Ostuni by train. The Ostuni train station is situated only 2 km outside the city center. The best way to move around Puglia is by car. You will realise once there, how many kilometers you will actually drive, as all of the places are stunning, but not necessarily close. I would therefore, highly advise to rent a car as soon as you land in Brindisi or in Bari airport or to reach the venue with your own car, to facilitate your transfers.
What to take ?
I would advise to bring quite light dresses if you visit the area during Spring or Summer time. Spring time is obviously colder, so some nice jumpers for the evening and some warm jackets in case it gets windy are recommended. For the summer periods, nice bathing suits, shorts, shirts, and lovely evening dresses and linen shirts for men would be great!
What to know before you go ?
Puglia is a dreamy destination! In fact, all of the people that visit it completely fall in love with it. However, the city is big, and you need to therefore, plan your trip ahead in order to make sure that you see the best of everything!
I would also advise to book 2 or 3 different “Masseria’s” if you end up being in Puglia (specifically in Ostuni and Fasano area) for more than a week, as every hotel is different and has a unique energy to offer. If you visit Puglia during the summer period, I would definitely recommend to book all activities, restaurants and hotels in advance as it tends to book out very fast!
Alternatively, if you decide to visit Puglia during the Spring time, make sure to check that all restaurants and activities are open and available as some of them, given the “low season” can be closed.
BEST PLACES TO EAT
Breakfast
The best Apulian breakfast that you can usually do, is the one offered by the Masseria hotels. The venues always offer dreamy buffets, that are filled up with: cakes of all kinds, freshly baked croissants, fruits platters, different types of breads and focaccia’s, cheese and jam platters, pastries of delicious flavors and much more!
If you decide to rent a house or want to have breakfast outdoors, my favorite breakfast spots in Ostuni are the following:
Gelateria Borgo Antico (best for good ice-creams, but also offers great freshly baked croissants and good coffee!).
Bloom Bistrot Café (good coffee and cappuccinos, that you can perfectly pair up with great sweet pastries and cheese and ham toasts).
Caffè Fanelli Bistrot (situated in Piazza della Libertà, make sure that you seat outside to enjoy the view while sipping an iced-cappuccino and a chocolate brioche!).
La Gilda (a small but beautiful bar situated in the heart of Ostuni’s old town center. Ideal for breakfast if you want to taste the typical Apulian “pasticiotto” with a good coffee, but also a fun spot to enjoy with your friends, for an evening drink and some nice local finger foods!).
Lunch
Masseria Brancati in Ostuni (a beautiful Masseria, that owns a beautiful farm of approximately 30 hectares. Here, you can enjoy a private olive oil tasting tour followed by a fresh and local lunch).
La Pastasciutta in Ostuni (a lovely and unpretentious spot, serving outstanding pasta dishes. The tables outside allow you to admire at the beautiful city while having your best pasta in town!).
Masseria il Frantoio in Ostuni (a very nice Masseria situated in a stunning courtyard, that offers a great organic restaurant, with products that are carefully picked from their farm).
Beach Club Restaurant of Borgo Egnazia (charming restaurant situated in front of a deep blue sea, where you can enjoy fresh fish tartars and really good fish pasta’s!).
Osteria Piazzetta Cattedrale (a very cute and cosy little restaurant situated opposite of the Ostuni’s Cathedral. Must try: pasta with aubergines and Scamorza cheese!).
Dinner
Masseria Moroseta in Ostuni (this lovely masseria, allows people that are not sleeping there, to taste and savour their fantastic cuisine curated by their chef “Giorgia Eugenia Goggi”. They offer different yet sublime dinner options, that change daily and seasonally).
Masseria Torre Maizza in Savelletri (stunning Rocco Forte Hotels Masseria, offering an outstanding service and fresh and local foods options, with great white and red wine options! My recommendations are: tuna tartare with avocado and stracciatella as a starter and oven-cooked sea bass with fennel and orange salad as a main. For the sweet tooth lovers, their homemade ice-cream sorbets are fantastic!).
Borgo Antico Bistrot in Ostuni (the best for evening cocktails, mixed and sharing food platters).
Osteria Del Tempo Perso in Ostuni (a lovely place to be, to enjoy traditional and fresh Apulian food that comes beautifully presented on ceramic and local Fasano plates).
Masseria Le Carrubbe in Ostuni (beautiful small and cosy Masseria, that offers a lovely buffet for lunch.)
Osteria Casa Ciaccia (a charming and romantic restaurant that offers a beautiful courtyard with a great menu!).
Food specialties to try on the island
Burrata (cow’s milk mozzarella cheese, that will melt in your mouth thanks to its delicate liquid filling).
Focaccia Pugliese (delicious crispy on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside bread, made with olive oil and topped up with fresh cherry tomatoes).
Taralli (small bread rings made from crispy dough and olive oil. Typically enjoyed during a nice outdoor aperitivo, and paired with an excellent white wine).
Caciocavallo (great cheese that pairs amazingly with toasted bruschetta bread).
Orecchiette Pasta (homemade fresh pasta, which is great to pair with the local “cime di Rapa“ vegetable or with a fresh tomato sauce).
Panzerotti (you cannot leave Puglia, without having savored a local panzerotto! Just thinking about it, I am starting to get really hungry! Panzerotti consist of a stuffed and deep-fried dough, which is filled in with tomato and mozzarella.
Pasticiotti Pugliesi (short crust sweet tartlets filled in with cream and cherries).
Friselle (one of my favorites! Crunchy bread to be enjoyed with fresh tomatoes, local olive oil and a pinch of salt).
Cartellate (traditional sweet, that is usually served during Christmas time. Made of dough and fried in oil and vincotto, a dark sweet sauce made by cooking the reduction of fermented grapes and then topped up with sugar and cinnamon!).
Where to buy fresh foods, fruits or vegetables. Markets or organic farms
Supermarkets
In Bari:
Mercato Coperto Santa Scolastica in Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII (from Monday to Saturday).
In Ostuni:
Mercato Settimanale in Via Nino Sansone (only on Saturdays).
In Alberobello:
Mercato Settimanale in Largo Martellotta (only on Thursdays).
In Fasano:
Mercato Settimanale in Frazione di Montalbano (only on Fridays).
What to see or visit?
MUST-SEE IN THE CITY
Visit the beautiful Ostuni’s Cathedral and then head onto “Corso Vittorio Emanuele II” to observe the sunset, from the best city viewpoint.
Explore Ostuni’s Old Town also known as the “centro storico” and admire the white city’s unique architecture. You can find many lovely coffee shops, ice-cream stores and nice places to enjoy an evening drink and grab a fresh and delicious bite.
Shop at the Ostuni Street Market (happens every Saturday). Farmers sell great fresh products and local goods!
Visit the city’s Olive farms: enjoy different olive oil tasting. Masseria Brancati, a hundred- year old olive oil farm deserves a visit, to admire their unique organic trees and try their great olive oil!
Explore the central plaza of the city, “Piazza della Libertà” and enjoy a fresh gelato or an evening aperitivo! - Visit the “Palazzo Vescovile” and the “Palazzo del Seminario” (historical palaces that have remains from the 12th century).
QUICK AND UNIQUE ESCAPES FROM OSTUNI
Matera- a one of a kind city where the movie “The passion of Christ” was filmed. This town is situated in the Basilicata region, but it is very close to the Apulian border, meaning that it is relatively easy to reach.
Polignano a Mare- a unique town built on a cliff, just by the coast. A must visit is mandatory, and so is an Italian aperitivo followed by a great dinner in the restaurant “Grotta Palazzese”. In Polignano, you will feel as if you will have lost track of time, as the view of the cliff and the sea are breathe-taking! If you are an ice-cream lover, makes sure that you stop at the “Caruso” ice-cream store, for the best pistachio and hazelnut icecream!
Bari- Go to visit the capital city of Puglia and enjoying staring at the old ladies making fresh orecchiette pasta and try to make some with them! Book a guided tour to see the glorious streets of Bari and look at the old fish market and then lose yourself into the historical city centre, where you can admire the Basilica of San Nicola. If you are a wine lover, book a wine tasting tour at Terre di San Vito Winery.
Lecce- also known as the “Florence” of the South. The city has beautiful baroque buildings everywhere. Not by chance, Lecce is the “capital city of the baroque” in Italy.
Alberobello- Enjoy walking through the most famous and stunning streets in Puglia, where the traditional “Trulli” houses have been built and have as a result, made this town special and famously known all over the world.
Locorotondo- one of Puglia’s most beautiful towns also known as the “balcony of the Valle d’Itria”.
Grotta della Poesia- a beautiful natural swimming pool made of seawater that definitely deserves a swim in, given its uniqueness!
FUN ACTIVITIES TO ENJOY WHEN IN PUGLIA
Visit an Olive Farm (Puglia is famous for its ancient grove olive trees that offer an exquisite and golden liquid olive oil. When you find yourself there, you cannot miss an olive oil tour and tasting!).
Take a day trip to Polignano a Mare and book a boat tour to admire the ancient caves.
Go to Santa Cesarea Terme and enjoy this stunning rocky coastline and its sulphurous thermal springs, which have magical healing and curative properties.
Visit and swim at Torre Sant’Andrea, just 30 minutes’ drive from Lecce, a beautiful turquoise water surrounded by big natural rocks, allow you to swim through the stunning arches and dive from the wonderful cliff!
Take a bike tour in the Itria Vallery – Rent a bike and enjoy touring around the lovely Itria Valley, while simultaneously observing the beauty of this town and the charm of the people living in it.
Sign up to a “Pizza cooking class” at Masseria Calderisi – Pietro, the head chef will guide you through a culinary experience and will show you how to craft fresh homemade doughs to create your best pizza! Book a Spa Treatment/ Ayruvedic Massage in one of your favorite Masseria. Masseria Torre Coccaro and Masseria Torre Maizza have a great wellness menu.
Best Beaches
Marina di Ostuni
Lido Morelli
Torre Pozzelle
Quarto di Monte
Pilone Beach
Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve
BEST PLACES to stay
Masseria Torre Maizza
Masseria Torre Coccaro
Borgo Egnazia
Masseria Le Carrubbe
Where to shop (vintage stores, local boutiques, antiques, bookstores, markets)
In Ostuni:
Via Oronzo Quaranta (happening every second Sunday of the month).
In Cisternino:
Palazzo dello Sport (happening every third Sunday of the month).
In Lecce:
Via XX Settembre (happening every last Sunday of the month).
In Bari:
Piazza del Ferrarese (happening every first Sunday of the month).
Mercato Coperto Santa Scolastica (open daily and great to buy fresh and local foods).
Mercato San Nicola (open daily and great to buy great delicatessen goods).
In Ostuni:
Walk in the city center and discover beautiful and small craft shops and boutique stores that sell local and typical products and foods.
STORES
Puglia Outlet Village Molfetta – near Bari, a big outlet store that has more than 140 luxury boutique shops.
CityModa – a great store that includes many small and nice corner shops. There are three in Puglia: one just outside Bari, one in Bari and one in Lecce.
CartaPesta di Claudio Riso- a lovely shop in Lecce where you can buy the famous and local “papier-mâché” figures, which are also known as “cartapesta” in Italian.
Il Salumaio- discover the best Apulian’s delicatessen store situated in Bari, and bring some great local goods back home with you to your loved ones!
Epiphany Society- a beautiful linen store located in the historical center of Lecce, that offers unique household linen products ranging from: bathrobes, to tablecloths to bed linens.
Why do you love this place and why would you recommend it to a friend?
The first time that I visited Puglia, I was 21 years old. I went there with my best friend because of a famous music festival called “Polifonic”. I remember that I was incredibly charmed by the beauty of this region, by the uniqueness of the trulli’s and by the service and the charm of the different Masseria’s that we visited during our time there. But, most of all, I fell in love with the freshness and exquisiteness quality of all the local foods: from the orecchiette pasta, to the panzerotti, to my favorite tomato friselle, to their farm cultivated vegetables and fruits! I really love Puglia because there is no other place like it in Italy and in the world! The cities in this region are so dreamy, that I always relax once I land in Brindisi or Bari, as I know for sure, that I am going to have once again, a beautiful time there! I would highly recommend a visit to the Valle d’Itria region to all of my friends, as I believe that it would be very difficult for them not to fall in love with this place too!