100% customisable travel idea
Puglia from north to south A road trip to places with character
Italy - Puglia
100% customisable travel idea
Italy - Puglia
100% customisable for you
On arrival at the airport, collect your rental car and drive to Matera. You have to use your imagination to understand what the Sassi are: caves turned into troglodyte dwellings. They are undergoing extensive restoration work and have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the Rupestrian churches decorated with frescoes are open to the public. You’ll stay for two nights in a former priest’s residence attached to one of these churches. The 18th-century building is partially troglodytic, and the decor is all about the purity of the white stone. It is the perfect setting for contemporary design. Underneath this apparent simplicity, the interior design is very refined, with modern amenities. The result is a truly unique and captivating atmosphere that you will relish.
Scheduled: Private tour of the Sassi. Hermitages, monasteries, houses and cisterns have been carved into the limestone tuff over time. Byzantine monks who settled there during the Early Middle Ages decorated their churches with frescoes, whose splendour can still be admired today. You will then discover, accompanied by a guide, the expression of a culture that has managed to maintain a harmonious relationship with its natural environment over time.
Optional: Matera from above, a hot air balloon flight.
Drive to Mattinata, in the south of the Gargano Peninsula. Stay for two nights in the foothills of the mountains. All the hotel’s windows look out onto the sea, so there is an abundance of blue and light. The interiors are designed in comfortable Mediterranean classical style. You’ll soon be charmed by the serenity of the location. The highly professional, efficient and dedicated staff offer helpful tips.
Gargano National Park protects numerous landscapes, ensuring visitors have a multitude of opportunities: Dolina Pozzatina, Arco di San Felice in Vieste, Palude di Frattarolo and Lago Salso. You will see many beech and holm oak trees there. Many birds come here to take refuge, including birds of prey (short-toed snake eagle, Montagu’s harrier and peregrine falcon), as well as waterbirds (great crested grebe, garganey, purple heron and black-winged stilt). There are some pretty villages worth visiting, such as Vieste or Peschici. There are also plenty of options all around the peninsula for those who prefer to enjoy the beach.
Scheduled: Tour of the village of Monte Sant'Angelo and tasting of Caciocavallo cheese at a local producer. The village of Monte Sant'Angelo is enchanting, with its narrow white houses and staircase alleys that tumble down the mountainside. It is mainly visited for its cave, where the Archangel Saint Michael is said to have appeared to order the building of a sanctuary. At the end of the tour, you will visit a traditional cheese factory to learn all the secrets behind the production of Caciocavallo, a typical cheese from the Gargano region. Lunch is then planned, which of course will be prepared using local produce.
Drive to Noci.
Not to be missed along the way: The lesser-known villages of the Itria Valley, including Locorotondo, which takes its name, meaning “round place”, from the circular shape of its charming town centre. Next, head to Martina Franca, which is a livelier town, especially renowned for its Baroque architecture and music festival. This is also where the Valle d’Itria Festival has taken place every July since 1975. Finally, Ceglie Messapica is one of the oldest towns in Italy. Lose yourself in its small historic alleyways and piazzas before visiting the Castello Ducale, on top of the hill, far from the crowds.
On arrival in Noci, check in for two nights at a masseria built in the 17th century. The buildings have been carefully and meticulously restored to provide guests with a comfortable stay as well as the warm, noble atmosphere of a historic residence, The restaurant serves flavourful local cuisine while the pool invites you to relax. You will be able to reach the beaches quickly by car, and there are hiking trails branching out in all directions through the olive groves.
This small town, which has the air of a borgo, takes its name from the walnut trees that were once spread across the area. There are still walnut trees, but their role is now more decorative than agricultural. You can happily lose yourself in the winding streets of this white town, away from the crowds, where time seems to stretch out between the midday siesta and the heady aroma of local cuisine. The historic centre, which is a real labyrinthine treasure trove, invites you to stroll at your own pace between small squares and Baroque churches. The locals, true to their dolce vita lifestyle, welcome you with a smile, and as evening falls, the golden light caresses the pale stones of the village while the surrounding countryside reveals its rolling hills and endless shades of green.
Optiona: Private cooking class and lunch in a traditional trullo.
Drive to Lecce.
Scheduled along the way: Private tour of Ostuni. The Città Bianca stands proudly on its hills. The cobbled alleyways climb up through the interwoven old houses, where you will find many local craftspeople. A beautiful Gothic cathedral (15th century), which is both majestic and graceful, towers over everything. Attached to the Carmelite convent, the Church of San Vito Martire has a Baroque façade. An olive oil tasting rounds off the city tour.
Having explored the city and learned some new things, you are ready to continue on to Lecce. As soon as you arrive there, you will check in for three nights at another masseria. The comfort provided does not in any way compromise its authenticity: here, you will embrace the rural pace of an estate that has cultivated olives for generations. This accommodation is hidden away among farmland but just a few hundred metres from the sea: an ideal compromise.
Lecce’s Baroque architecture is stunning. There are a few Renaissance buildings, the Sedile, the Castello Carlo V, the frescoes in the Chiesa dei Santi Niccolò e Cataldo, and then comes the wave of Baroque architecture. Among the most breathtaking achievements of this period are the Piazza del Duomo, the Cattedrale Maria Santissima Assunta (completed in 1682) and its palaces; the Basilica di Santa Croce, among others
Scheduled: Private tour of Lecce. Accompanied by a guide, you will stroll through the most iconic squares and streets of Lecce's Baroque district. Along the way, be sure to try Apulian pastries. All these churches were surely needed to avoid eternal damnation for repeatedly committing the sin of gluttony!
Optional: An informal stroll through the city with a local.
Must see, must experience: The road from Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca, known as the Litoranea Salentina, is one of the most beautiful in Italy. Built along the Adriatic Sea, it offers stunning views. Set off from Otranto Castle and make your way to the Punta Palascìa lighthouse. On a clear day, you can make out the outlines of the Albanian mountains and the Greek islands on the horizon. Inlets and spas are scattered along the rest of the route. Final stops before arrival: a unique cave and a small canyon carved out by the sea. There is no doubt that this 31-mile (50km) route is full of hidden gems and amazing discoveries.
Drive to Brindisi airport and return your car. International return flight.
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