Perfect 6 Day 5 Night Itinerary in Puglia/Basilicata
The inkling to go to Puglia I’ve had for years, but the concrete planning happened in the space of a week.
Italy is my favorite country to visit, but some of the smaller towns are more accessible if you drive. Since I don’t like driving in foreign countries (narrow streets! Parking! Roundabouts!), I wanted to find a travel agent who could also arrange transportation. Plus it would be great to have a guide too.
I reached out to a couple different people I found online, but only Tours of Puglia seemed to be operating at this time of year, and had the network of drivers and guides to make it happen.
I basically had an idea of what I wanted to see and in what order, but Tours of Puglia also made a couple suggestions. After quite a few emails back and forth, here is the itinerary we ended up with:
Day 1 – 6th January (1 night stay in Bari)
Day 2 -7th January – tour services start: Bari / Matera (1 night stay in Matera)
Old Bari Sightseeing Tour, Puglia's Capital
Transfer to Matera
Guided Tour of Matera (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Visit one of the typically furnished cave-houses
Visit a rupestrian church built by Oriental Monks
Day 3 – 8th January – Matera / Alberobello / Locorotondo (2 Nights Stay in Ostuni)
Morning in Matera
Transfer to Alberobello
Guided Tour of Alberobello, (UNESCO World Heritage Site), just be amazed about it
Stop by the Most Famous Saint Lucia View Point
Visit Inside a Trullo
Visit the Church of Sant'Antonio, the only one with a Trullo shape
Taste Typical Local Appetizer (taralli, almonds, regional sweets and drinks)
Locorotondo, time to visit one of the most beautiful villages of Italy;
Arrive at Ostuni hotel
Day 4 – 9th January - Ostuni
Afternoon Ostuni, Guided Tour of the "White Lady"
Day 5 – 10th January - Lecce/Gallipoli (1 Night Stay in Lecce)
Guided tour of Gallipoli
Guided Tour of Lecce
Day 6 – 11th January – Bye bye Puglia
Transfer to Brindisi airport (closer to Ostuni considering that it’s an early flight)
So how did it turn out? Read on!
Day 1: Arrival in Bari
This day we were on our own. I flew into Bari from Valencia around midday, then took the train into town, left my bags at the B&B, and then had a chance to walk around the old town and make reservations for dinner. Then I went back to the train station to meet them, as they came in on the Frecciarossa from Rome.
From the train station there was a pretty walk along the pedestrian Via Sparano da Bari, with lots of people enjoying the post-Christmas spirit.
We dropped bags off at the B&B, and then went to dinner.
After dinner, we had a walk along the Strada Palazzo di Città, an elevated walkway along the walls next to the water.
Day 2: Bari and Matera
This morning after breakfast, we met our lovely guide for the next few days, Flo. She would be so patient with us, explaining so many details in history and architecture, and always adjusting to our pace.
We went on a half day tour of Bari.
Including seeing the famous street where the ladies make and sell their orecchiette pasta.
Pasta out to dry.
I liked this little display of fruit and vegetables. These fruit aren’t very local.
But these vegetables, yes. These were the famous turnip tops and radish tops of the area.
Basilica San Nicola with its architectural details in shallow relief.
After a rather disastrous lunch at La Tana del Polpo, a driver came and picked Flo and us to take us to Matera, in neighboring Basilicata region.
We were dropped off above the old part of town, and we walked towards the sassi cave dwellings, while Flo gave us the history along the way.
We made a stop at this museum showing life in the sassi.
Everything was in one space.
The beds were elevated so livestock could live underneath. Our hotel, Sextantio, had the same beds!
After checking into Sextantio, we continued our tour. The rupestrian cave church at the top of the cliff on the right was closed, so we’d come back the next day.
We walked together with Flo through town, from the Sasso Barisano side where we were staying, to the Sasso Caveoso side of town where we parted ways, and she went to the train station to take the train to her home in Ostuni. Beautiful views looking towards Sasso Barisano, with the rupestrian church on the right.
Day 3: Matera, Locorotondo, Alberobello, ending at Ostuni
This morning we had on our own in Matera. We had a lovely breakfast at our hotel Sextantio.
Look at these morning views!
Here was our room for the night.
Matera was really stunning!
After breakfast we returned to the rupestrian church to have a look.
And then we went into the valley and even crossed the bridge.
We didn’t have time to make it up the other side to other cave churches on that side.
Because then it was time to get picked up by our driver Giuseppe, who would drive us around the next few days. He was also great! In fact he was the one who brought our bags down from Sextantio to the car.
Our first stop in the afternoon was Locorotondo. This wasn’t on my list of towns originally, but the agency recommended it. I’m so glad they did!
It’s a town that is very proud of its prettiness, displaying some tourist placards at the city gates.
Locorotondo refers to the rotund shape of the city, which is visible in this aerial view.
And indeed it is very pretty.
Apparently they give a prize for the best decorated houses for Christmas, and so everyone puts an effort to make things look nice.
I’d have to say their Christmas decorations are quite tasteful, not gaudy.
Again Flo could point out architectural details, like these faces which were either supposed to be in good humor or trying to scare people.
Since we hadn’t had lunch before we left, we were in the mood for a snack. There was quite a crowd around this window, so I thought it would be a good place to get something,
Turns out they made sandwiches of bombette, which were a specialty of Locorotondo! They were thinly sliced meat wrapped into balls around cheese. Little bombs!
Flo took us with our sandwiches to this city park.
The bombette panini were so delicious! Because the balls are made from thinly sliced meat, they don’t get tough. And the cheese makes them extra savory. They came on nice rolls with some lettuce and mayonnaise. I also had mulled wine with my panino.
And we enjoyed beautiful views of the Apulian countryside with thousand year old olive trees.
So pretty!
After Locorotondo, we made it to Alberobello, the town with the trullo cone houses.
So unique! And the roofs apparently aren’t held together by cement, but rather just are pieces of stone stacked on top of each other.
Here we went to a kind of tourist souvenir shop and did a little tasting of olive oil and taralli. The olive oil processed without leaves or pit - the more golden-colored one - definitely tasted much more of olive!
Tasting them in toast.
These were some trulli turned into a hotel.
Here, one of the cone houses held a display of what it was like to live here.
Then after Alberobello, we were driven to our lovely farmhouse hotel, Masseria Salinola.
Day 4: Ostuni
After breakfast at the masseria, we had our cooking class, which was followed by lunch. After lunch, we took a 10-minute taxi arranged by the hotel from our location in the outskirts of Ostuni into town.
Here are the white city walls, which were cut down to allow a better view for the upper residents.
The town square with the Comuni di Ostuni town hall.
You can see there were very few people in the streets at this time of year!
Steps in the middle and ramps on the side.
Ramp in the middle and steps on the sides.
The very interesting facade of Cattedrale Santa Maria Assunta, with its circles in positive and negative.
It was very windy and also spitting rain, so we were happy to return to our warm Masseria and be received with dinner next to the fireplace!
Day 5: Gallipoli and Lecce
This morning we were picked up by Giuseppe, who then drove to a train station outside of Ostuni to pick up Flo. We then drove through the countryside on our way to Gallipoli.
Gallipoli made a big impression on me. I kind of threw it into the itinerary, partly because it just seemed cool to see a place on the west coast of Puglia, facing the Ionian Sea.
Gallipoli is basically a small island, connected to the mainland by a bridge.
It had very stately streets, also quite empty in January. As I mentioned in my review of Trattoria La Puritate, Giuseppe mentioned that he didn’t recognize Gallipoli for its lack of people!
Flo pointed out the rough, warm brown stone that makes up the buildings here, where I think one can see some shells and other evidence of sea life embedded in the stone.
A little truck carrying produce.
Gallipoli was just very dramatic at this time of year, with strong wind, some rain at times, the sea,…
And we saw a rainbow appear too!
After lunch at Trattoria La Puritate, Giuseppe drove us to Lecce. Here the streets were super clean, and super stately; the town is known for its Baroque architecture, made of a paler stone than that used in Gallipoli, which shows intricate details more.
They also use clever lighting around town.
The main square, Piazza Sant’Oronzo…
…where the Roman amphitheater is.
Day 6: Return home
On the last day, my parents left on an early flight from Brindisi Airport, while I had half a day in Lecce.
First I had breakfast at Caffè Alvino on the piazza, where I had a pasticciotto, rustico (filled with cheese and tomato), and a caffè leccese, which is an iced coffee with almond milk syrup. Apparently the thing to get in Lecce, even in wintertime?
I had a chance to go up the bell tower of the Duomo.
Nice views from up here. I was the only person up here!
Then I took the Frecciarossa from Lecce all the way back to Bari.
First class was in a 2-1 seating configuration.
And they handed out some crackers, water, and tiny coffee.
In Bari, I ran out of the station to get a last slice of Bari focaccia, with tomatoes on top, before the train to the airport, and flight back to Valencia.
Things I would do differently
I loved this trip, and of course, one thing I would do differently would be to spend more time in each place! But in particular, I think Matera could have used another day. It would have been cool to walk to the other side of the valley, and we also didn’t get a chance to sample the cuisine of the region, besides the wonderful breakfast at Sextantio. And of course it would have been great to spend another night in that magical hotel.
Highlights
The most memorable parts of the trip were definitely the stay in the cave at Sextantio, and the two nights at Masseria Salinola, where we also had all of our meals while we were there. Together, I felt so cared for by not just the staff, but by the buildings and environment itself. It was so peaceful and relaxing to stay at each one. I’d love to do it all over again!
Also our guide Flo and driver Giuseppe were great; and I’m so glad Tours of Puglia could make it all happen.
