June 2023 – Day 1: BARI – MATERA
Arrive in Bari in the morning.
Rent a car from the airport and drive to Matera (64km, about 50 min). Matera is a UNESCO world heritage site (since 1993) and in 2019 it was elected European Capital of Culture – and you will see why.
I stayed at a B&B named Don Milani, very central (with free parking available, 60€/night early June 2023). Breakfast was prepared by the lovely owner, a super nice ‘granpa’ originally from Bari and lived many years in Matera, so can tell you fun stories and give you recommendations!
I had a magic lunch at La Lopa (to book in advance: https://www.lalopa.com/prenota-ora/ ), a gorgeous restaurant built inside a cave, close to the center. The interiors are breathtaking and the atmosphere is beautiful (perfect for a romantic date!). The food is local, curated and super flavorful (even their local bread with extra virgin olive oil!). I also had a glass of white wine (greco), which matched perfectly with my fish dish. Definitely recommended. And I am not mentioning a nice surprise at the end of your meal! 😉
Next, have a walking tour across the sassi (which are actually the two boroughs/areas of Matera old town) to learn about the history of one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities. I booked mine through Getyourguide: Matera: tour dei Sassi con ingresso alle Case Rupestri (15€). I really enjoyed it and it brings the experience of walking through this beautiful, characteristic city to a whole new level!
The tour I booked lasted from 16.00 until around 18.30, perfect timing to enjoy a final stroll during the golden hour to admire one last time this gem! In my case, during the afternoon the weather wasn’t great (it rained quite a bit and the sky was overcast) – but towards the evening it all cleared out leaving the sun out to glow on this majestic city!
My favorite viewpoints and spots:
-Cathedral
-Belvedere viewpoint near piazzetta Pascoli
-Chiesa rupestre s. Maria of Idris
-Via Madonna delle Virtu’
-Piazza s. Pietro Caveoso
For dinner, I went to via Buozzi, one of the main streets. It’s filled with many small restaurants and bars, offering plenty of choices! I chose Pane&Pomodoro and went for a charcuterie board with local cheeses (including a sheep’s cheese to die for) and cured meats (Capocollo Lucano was my favorite, basically melting in my mouth) with their traditional bread. To drink, a beautiful glass of local red wine of course 😉 just what I needed after those hours in the rain! I then went for a final (dry) stroll to end the day.
Overall summary and scores:
Matera: 10/10 I left a piece of my heart here
Walking tour: 9/10
Best food: lunch at La Lopa – and the local wines!
Day 2: MATERA – POLIGNANO A MARE
I woke up quite early to go for a nice morning walk to see the Palombaro (old underground cistern) and to admire one more time the city (the weather was gorgeous!) before hitting the road to Polignano a Mare (99km, 70 min without traffic).
I stayed at B&B Petali rosa, quite central, beautiful small apartment with all amenities you could ask for (80€/night). After a quick snack from a nearby bakery, I headed for a walk through the white, narrow streets of the old town. What a nice vibe! I also check out the famous beach – quite crowded so my suggestion is to go early in the morning 😉
For dinner, I was recommended Pescaria, a chain specializing in all things fish. I went for their fried octopus bun (Polpo fritto) – so nice! Then I went for an evening stroll through the old town and stopped to get dessert: a frozen yoghurt with almonds at Joya. You have plenty of topping combinations to choose from and even suggest your owns. Definitely worth a visit for a light and refreshing snacko at any time of the day 😉
Day 3: POLIGNANO A MARE
Today I decided to spend most of the morning at the beach to relax. Some reading, sunbathing and swimming in gorgeous blue waters.
I walked to the beautiful beach Cala paguro,whichwas definitely less busy, only with a few locals. Only about 15 minutes walk from the center, I would definitely recommend it! On the way back, to avoid roasting too much, I walked back and stopped for the famous coffee from Polignano at Super mago del gelo Mario Campanella (and why not – a pasticciotto). It was interesting, definitely worth trying the coffee with the twist 😊 and the pasticciotto was gorgeous (filling: sour cherries and cream).
After some rest (and cooling down) I went for a late lunch at Antica trattoria Comes and had their mixed seafood starter (octopus and calamari rings, divine) and their seafood cavatelli, bursting with flavor.
Afterwards, I rolled all the way to the harbor to digest the amazing lunch. I had booked a boat tour to see the caves (Crociera in Barca alle Grotte Panoramiche con Aperitivo through Getyourguide, 30€ for 90 min). It was super fun! The caves (and water) had beautiful, bright colors. And to see the town from the sea was very special. I would definitely recommend the tour 😊
For dinner, I was recommended Da Tuccino for their fresh seafood selection – well guess what I had? xD …more seafood (is there such a thing as too much seafood?): a mixed platter, and gratin mussels. Both super nice. As dessert, a millefoglie with fresh cream and caramel. Perfect ending for my stay in Polignano!
Note: this restaurant is a bit out of town so would be super helpful if you had a car!
Overall summary and scores:
Polignano: 7/10
Boat tour: 9/10
Best food: the seafood pasta and the gratin mussels
Day 4: POLIGNANO – ALBEROBELLO – WINE TASTING
The next morning I made my way to Alberobello, the town of trulli (UNESCO world heritage site since 1996). I booked a walking tour at 10.30 in the morning, which left me plenty of time for a relaxed departure from Polignano (it’s a 35 minute drive). Once you get to Alberobello, you can easily park the car just outside of the historic center (where the trulli are located) for a small fee. I parked mine in via indipendenza, not too far from the restaurant Terra Mossa (which I went to for lunch – but will get to that later). The walking tour was good – we walked through several parts of the city where we learned a lot about those peculiar homes. I won’t spoiler anything though 😉
If you want the full experience, you can spend the night in one of them! Many have become either a hotel room/apartment or Airbnb. Be aware, they are expensive! You can also do other activities like a cooking class (check this link for some inspiration: https://www.getyourguide.com/alberobello-l800/cooking-classes-tc107/ ).
If you are not doing any city tour, make sure to visit the Church, the only one in this architecture style! On your walk back, you ca get lost in the fairytale-like narrow streets full of small trulli that serve as super cute shops and bars. Other interesting sightseeing spots are: the area around the rione Aia piccola, with the nearby viewpoint Belvedere. Lastly, don’t forget the Scalinata dell’Amore (the stairs of love)!
My lunch was super nice – I went there with a lovely Aussie girl that did the tour with me and we shared the Appetizer mix. It was huge and ranged from seafood, to cheese (burrata & co) and cured meats. Beautiful!
I left after lunch, around 14.30, headed to a Masseria (traditional Apulian farm) for a very nice wine tasting and tour of their vineyard and cellar. If you like wines from this region, this is a must! I visited Masseria Torricella (https://www.cantinamasseriatorricella.it/en/tours-and-tastings/ ) where I chose the tasting of 6 organic wines (with food) for only 55€, a bargain! I don’t have to remind you that if you purchase wines directly from the shop you’ll save quite a bit – plus nowadays most wineries can ship bottles worldwide!
This time I could not do it, but if you can I would recommend the experience to stay at a Masseria (they are mostly hotels + restaurants and offer plenty of activities like wine tastings, cooking workshops etc.) for an immersive cultural experience.
I spent the night in a trullo-like house in the countryside, very close to Ostuni. The name is Trullo dei Ricordi and was only 40€/night – a super bargain!
Day 5: OSTUNI & CASEIFICIO NEAR GALATINA
In the early morning I made my way to Ostuni, the white city. This super charming small town takes its name from the bright white houses, covered with extra white limestone mixed with water. The result is simply stunning – especially on a calm, bright morning. And the fact that this city stands on top of a hill makes it even more breathtaking – for the views you experience from the city and from admiring the city from afar!
This time I did not book any tour – I opted to get lost into town and absorb all its beauty by myself 😊 great thing: almost nobody around (I was there from around 8.30); less great thing: everything was still shut! Luckily for breakfast I found an open bar near the main church, where I finally had my first proper granita (which they call ‘grattata’): it’s denser, creamier I would say, and the traditional flavor is almond. I paired it with a traditional pastry, a super soft sponge filled with Chantilly cream with the best name ever: la tetta della monaca (the nun’s boob).
Overall summary and scores for Alberobello and Ostuni:
Alberobello: 7/10 (definitely worth a quick stop to see the Trulli live – but to me was a bit too touristy)
Ostuni: 8/10 (stunning and romantic, without the tourist crowds but I did not get too see much)
Best food: the food I had at the wine tasting – small bites with loads of variety, mostly made with vegetables from their own garden.
Final note: if you stay somewhere nearby those two cities, you can definitely visit both without stress or rush in a day 😊 That afternoon I went to my friends’ place near Galatina, but before I stopped by a caseificio, a cheese shop that sells the freshest and local cheeses. Puglia is famous for its mozzarella (whether it’s the classic fiordilatte, bufala, burrata, and so on). If like me you are addicted to cheese in general, and love a nice mozzarella, you have to goto a caseificio. Period. Your life will change forever!! At least mine did.
Day 6: OTRANTO GALATINA & GALLIPOLI
The following day I had some me-time left before the celebrations (I was there for a wedding) so I decided to spend the morning in Otranto and the afternoon in Gallipoli. They are quite far from each others, so if you prefer to not drive too much you could opt for Lecce instead. All three are stunning and worth a visit! Let’s start with one of my favorite places of the entire holiday: Otranto.
First thing in the morning I went to this stunning free beach, Lido la Castellana just 5-10 min walk from the center: It still has some stones instead of pure sand but it was definitely quieter than the one closer to the center. You should definitely go for a nice stroll through the old town, within the white walls of the castle. It reminded me of the magical Ostuni, just a bit more lively 😊
I did not visit the Aragonese castle itself. Nowadays, it hosts art exhibitions which make it look like an art gallery rather than a well preserved castle. You should visit instead the Cathedral instead: more than 1000 years old, it has stunning floor mosaics (the only one in Italy from the year 1165 that is still intact nowadays) and the peculiar Cappella dei Martiri (= martyr Chapel), containing the bones of the locals that fought to protect the city from the Ottoman Empire’s invasion in the late 1400s. Just note that it’s closed from 12.00 until 15.00. After that, make sure to check the view from Torre matta:
For lunch, I stopped by Postofisso, a lovely small shop specialized in Puccia, a small bread made with pizza dough filled with all sorts of magic. Look at this beauty and try to not drool too much 😉
And now, on to Gallipoli for the afternoon! It’s just under 1h drive from Otranto. I would suggest to park either in Corso Roma or in one of the perpendicular streets, to be close to the old town center (a bit detached from the mainland). It’s a nice little town, with cute restaurants, bras and shops. Check out the life-sized Christmas crib, and the small and super charming Christmas shop (open all year).
PS if you have time and are a big fan of Pasticciotto, you should stop by the alleged bakery where it all started, in Galatina: Pasticceria Ascalone. They offer the traditional Pasticciotto filled with custard cream. Fun fact: when the former owner/baker was still around, he would let you buy them only if you ate them on the spot. You were only allowed to eat them at their freshest – crazy huh? Nowadays you can buy them and eat them whenever and wherever you want! 😉 Although to be fair, eating them when they are still warm and super soft is a totally different experience!
Below you also see a ‘friend’ of the classic pasticciotto (in my defense, I still had to have breakfast..the second breakfast, that is): the fruttone (same short crust shell, but this one is filled with jam and almond paste, then covered with chocolate glaze).
Overall summary and scores for Otranto & Gallipoli:
Otranto: 10/10 simply stunning. Having such gorgeous beaches so close to the center – the dram!
Gallipoli: 6/10 nothing wrong with it, but I personally preferred other towns.
Best food: the cheeses from the caseificio. Hands down.
Day 7: GALATINA – BARI – FLIGHT HOME
You can get back to Bari from Lecce in less than 3h without traffic. If you have time, you should definitely visit the old town of Bari, very charming. And you’ll see plenty of houses setting up tables outside showing freshly made orecchiette, taralli and sundried tomatoes to buy!
Places to eat:
El focacciaro for their pan brioche filled with ham and cheese, and their focaccia barese. A must.
Pizzeria di Cosimo in the old town, for their super big and delicious panzerotto. Get ready to queue and wait for this one, but it will be worth it! Next to it, if you feel particularly hungry, you can try the sgagliozze (fried polenta squares). A lovely lady is prepping them on the spot!
Here we are, at the end of this truly magical trip in the heart of Salento. I visited just before peak season so most places were still relatively quiet. Locals were very friendly and helpful. I always felt safe (travelled by myself almost all the time). Aside from a couple of high-range restaurants (La lopa & da Tuccino), I would say the prices were very reasonable (3-5€ for a glass of wine, 8-15€ for a main dish). The places were relatively close to each other, yet so different from each others. Each one had a special vibe. Very peaceful, charming places. To not mention the stunning beaches! It was my first time visiting Puglia (and Salento) and I am sure I will be back! Definitely recommended for a chilled holiday in gorgeous, relaxed places with stunning food and wines.
I like to be on the move and don’t mind changing location almost on a daily basis. If you do, this might be a bit hectic for you and you might want to consider to decrease the number of places to see. I hope I gave you enough information and inspiration with the pictures! For any question or advice (I have a few local friends that recommended almost all places I visited), just contact me and I’ll do my best to help! 😊 To the next gourmet adventure!
