13/10/2022
We loved our time in Puglia, Italy. A short 4 hour train ride from Rome, I really feel it is the destination in Italy, for those who have been to Italy before, loved the people, food and culture, but looking for something new.
It is much less explored by the North American market, however rising in popularity. When the Amalfi coast was seeing thousands of tourists daily, some of the areas we visited had hundreds, some even less.
Accommodation can be more casual depending on where you stay. There is not many large hotels, more 4 star boutique.
We split our time between Monopoli, a beautiful fisherman's town on the coast. We loved it. It had a slow pace, beautiful narrow streets to explore and amazing dining options. Accommodation is more B&B style here, however there are a few great boutique hotels.
We then stayed in the countryside in a traditional trulli between the towns of Cisterneno and Martina Franca. It was a bit secluded in terms of dining options, but we loved the experience, and biked every day.
We ended our time in the city of Lecce, which offers a whole new prospective of history, and our apartment over looked their main plaza and Roman amphitheater. We took day trips to visit the famous town of Alberbello and the other seafront towns with beautiful beaches.
There is many things I learned on our journey as we travelled by transfer and train, and did not have our own car. But in terms of diverseness of the towns, amazing food, opportunity for wine and olive tastings and a great culture I would highly recommend the area.
One challenge is the language barrier as it is untouched by the North American market, but if you go there prepared for that, it is certainly doable.
If this is something you have in mind I would love to help.
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