Puglia, known for its whitewashed hill towns, traditional farmland, fine cuisine, and the sweeping Mediterranean coastline is the southern heel of Italy, and until recently, its best kept secret. With a focus on art, architecture, traditions, and local cuisine, this trip explores the region’s highlights. From Matera, a UNESCO listed town carved into bare limestone rock, where centuries-old caves are still inhabited, we travel to the elegant white city of Ostuni and on to the medieval coastal town of Otranto and Baroque Lecce, known as the ‘Florence of the South’.

We mostly stay in renovated traditional buildings, which give a real taste of classic Apulian architecture. We spend two nights in a comfortable three-star hotel in the historic centre of Matera, two nights in authentic trulli houses (dry-stone dwellings) in Alberobello, one night in a four-star hotel in Ostuni, and two nights in a modern hotel near the historic centre of Lecce.



Below are the hotels normally used:



Matera: Hotel Sassi or Le Dodici Lune (nights 1-2)







Opened in 1996, Hotel Sassi (above) took over a series of dwellings, some of which date to the 1500s. There’s an Italian spread for breakfast (most of the produce locally sourced) and wonderful views of Matera from the terrace. Alternatively, we stay in Le Dodici Lune, where 10 rooms are carved into the old city walls. Right in the Sassi district, it’s an excellent place to stay if you want to explore.



Alberobello: Trulli houses (nights 3-4)







Trulli are the symbol of Alberobello (perhaps all of Puglia) so a chance to stay in one of these traditional dwellings is often a highlight for our travellers. They don’t offer the same type of facilities or luxuries as you’d get at a hotel but do offer an insight into these old Unesco-listed buildings. We have a trio of accommodations we use depending on availability, namely Trulli Holiday, Trulli e Puglia or Charming Trulli.



Ostuni: Hotel La Terra (night 5)







In the White City, we stay in Hotel La Terra. La Terra (above) takes over a 13th-century building in the historic centre. This unique property offers a bar and restaurant on site but is also close to all of the sights that Ostuni has to offer.



Lecce: Eos Hotel (nights 6-7)







Our final two nights are spent at this contemporary 30-room hotel. It has a bar for a pre-dinner drink or final night toast and the main Lecce highlights (plus some excellent bars and restaurants) are around a 20-minute walk or 10-minute taxi ride away.