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Puglia Guide: information and travel guide
Are you planning your trip to Apulia?
Read all about the region, beach tips and get inspired. Apulia is the ideal destination for sea lovers, a journey of cultural discovery or a delicious food and wine experience.
Holidays in Puglia, Italy’s heel
Puglia is located at the southern Italian peninsula and forms the heel of the popular boot. With its 1.4% of mountainous territory it holds the record for less mountainous region of Italy. Its territory is divided inside, in fact, almost equally between plains (53.3%) and hills (45.3%).
The Tavoliere constitutes most of the flat land while hilly areas are divided between Murge and Salento. This conformation has encouraged the grain cultivation, giving the Puglia and in particular the Tavoliere the definition of granary of Italy
A look inward
The inside area is very varied and gives a wide choice to those who want to plan their holidays in Puglia. Some examples are the beautiful National Park of Gargano, located inside the promontory, which contains a environment variety unique in the region, the salt mines of Santa Margherita di Savoia , the canyons of Castellaneta and the protected oasis of Alimini lakes.
During your holidays in Puglia you can’t miss visiting the several caves, as the beautiful Castellana Caves, Zinzilusa Cave, and Palazzese Cave, which is housed on the homonymous hotel.
The long coastline of Puglia
A beach holiday in Puglia involves a preliminary assessment of its coasts. Puglia has a coastline of more than 800 km, the longest coastal extension after the main islands, Sardinia and Sicily. In the easternmost point of Italy, Capo d'Otranto in the homonymus city the sea changes name changes from Adriatic to Ionian.
Puglia offers a wide variety of costs for different types of holidays...
The choice of the location that suits you for your next vacation in the sea of Puglia has to take account of the fact that coastal development varies from area to area. The coast of the Gargano area is indeed rocky, while from Manfredonia down to Barletta the coast is low and sandy.
The territory of Bari alternates low rocks and sand, with the exception of Polignano a Mare that has the features cliff rocks. In Monopoli and down to Otranto the coast is mostly sandy, while in Salento are predominantly the rocky areas.
The Ionian coast bordering Basilicata is characterized by white sand beaches and in the Gulf of Taranto is surrounded by beautiful pine forests .
Islands of Puglia
For your holidays, you can also choose to visit any of the beautiful islands of Puglia, among which we particularly recall Tremiti Islands , and the particular Sant'Andrea Island, which houses the famous Aragonese Castle.
A region rich in history and culture
Natural bridge to the east, Apulia was a land of conquest and domination as evidenced by the numerous castles, architectural masterpieces, the suburbs (Cisternino, Brindisi) and squares, symbols of power that in turn dominated the territory. But the history of Puglia is much older: the first human settlement dates back to about 250,000 years ago. For those who during their holidays want to discover the region we suggest to visit the ancient archaeological Egnazia park and the famous Trulli, old conical dry stone buildings dating back to proto, such as those in Alberobello.
Photo Credits: Noemi Bisio, freshcreator, paolomargari, emilius da atlantide, Gaetano Anzisi, Dorly Photography, Luigi Brocca, Montanari Michael
Where is Puglia?
Are you sure to know where Puglia is?
The Italian region of Puglia (or Apulia in English) is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy thanks to its fascinating culture and traditions, delicious food and an amazing coastal development. It is considered the “spur” of the boot, but where exactly is Puglia?
Where is Puglia, geographically?
It’s located in the south-eastern tip of Italy, covers over 7,469 sqm and has over 4 million inhabitants. It is bordered by the Adriatic sea on the east, by the Ionian sea on the southeast and by the Gulf of Taranto in the south. In land, you can find the region of Molise to the north, Campania to the west and Basilicata to the southwest.
Where is Puglia for sea lovers?
It is the least mountainous Italian region and thanks to a dry weather and about 800 km of coastline, Puglia is regarded as an ideal destination. It offers enormous stretches of sandy seashore and both free or private beaches.
Some tips for your next sea holidays in Puglia: among the most famous ones, there are the beaches of the Gargano sub-region in the north, or head further south, you can discover the Salentoand the nice sea towns of Gallipoli and Otranto.
Where is Puglia, culturally?
Aside from the beaches and gorgeous sea villages, Puglia has a rich archaeological heritage and boasts 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites: Castel del Monte, Alberobello and the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo. A special mention should be dedicated to Lecce commonly nicknamed “the Florence of the south”. Alongside the city Baroque architectural monuments, Churches and religious buildings, Greek influences and, of course, great operas made with the renowned "Lecce stone" (a kind of limestone).
Where is Puglia, gastronomically?
Puglia is definitely worth a visit if you want fresh, tasty and local food. Among the dish that most strongly defines traditional Puglian cuisine there are the orecchiette with broccoli rabe, Apulia focaccia, Fava Bean Puree and Chicory Greens just to cite a few. Furthermore, the wines of Puglia are admirers wherever they go: you should try the Primitivo di Manduria, the Negroamaro and the Salice Salentino.
Photo Credits: Nouhailler, gaikokujin, frangrit, Rubber Slippers In Italy
