I just went on a 10 day trip to the southern part of Italy, Puglia. After a crazy rain storm in the northeast and a missed my flight from NY connection to Italy by MINUTES, but I finally made my way to Rome from Vancouver & NY via Barcelona and a few days late.
(Note to all: Fly Norse Airline does not have digital check in, so despite making it to JFK from Newark in time for boarding the check in desk was EMPTY, so I literally saw my friend but couldnt get my boarding pass)
We started the trip in Rome for a few days before heading on our road trip of Puglia where we visited:
Bari - largest city and port town of Puglia
Bari is very small and you can visit it all in a day. Aside from a major port for boat/trains, the main things to do there are shop and eat, with 1 Michelin star, 1 recommended restaurant and lots of high end designer shops
Pogliano del Mar - coastal beach town by the water
Gorgeous beaches, but they are pretty rocky vs sandy but most known for Lama Monachile Beach (Cala Porto)
Boat and cave tour is a must here!
Monopoli - coastal beach town
Great town to walk around and have some seafood
Fasano - olive tree town
In Fassano, you can stay at a masseria, which now are more of resorts where you can get some much needed R&R. You can learn now olive oil and cheese are made at some of them!
Alberobello - known for the trulli style of architecture, which reminded me of some of the Smurf homes
You can check out some of the architecture and a few of shops for souvenirs and my favorite - gelato!
Matera - old town located within the caves and rocks of the ruins
Very cool to see how people lived in the past in some of the cave dwellings, many of which have been turned into shops and restaurants now. There is not much shade, so be sure to bring a ton of water and sunscreen before you start your trip!
Lecce - 2nd largest city in Puglia, known for a lot of their limestone buildings, with many pretty churches and even a mini coliseum
Great city to explore the local and historical architecture and delicious food!
Each of these towns had their own personas and brought something unique and special.
If you plan to make a trip out there, I would recommend renting a car, so you can drive around and see things at your own pace - however it was a bit tricky to drive down the narrow streets, especially at night in the more rural areas.