Puglia

main gateway for Bari, Polignano a Mare and the Valle d'Itria

best airport for the Salento and the southern Valle d'Itria

A green plateau of vineyards, dry stone walls and trulli, with three of the region's prettiest hill towns a short drive apart.

The White City looks down over a plain of ancient olive trees to the sea, and the masserie around Fasano and Savelletri are among the finest in Italy.

Two seaside towns built on limestone cliffs, with a working fishing harbour, lively evenings and small rocky coves.

The capital of the Salento is a honey coloured baroque city with excellent restaurants and an elegant evening passeggiata.

Italy's easternmost town sits on clear water, with sea caves and cliffs running south towards Santa Maria di Leuca.

Long sandy beaches, warm shallow water and an island old town joined to the mainland by a bridge, with famous sunsets over the Ionian.

Positions are approximate: the exact address is shared once your stay is confirmed.

More than a thousand whitewashed stone houses with conical roofs fill two hillside quarters, together listed by UNESCO. Visit early in the morning to see the lanes before the day trippers arrive.

The soft local stone allowed sculptors to cover church facades in fruit, cherubs and monsters, most extravagantly at the Basilica di Santa Croce. The Roman amphitheatre lies half excavated in Piazza Sant'Oronzo.

Frederick II's octagonal castle crowns a hill in the Murge, a perfectly geometric puzzle of stone that is listed by UNESCO. It pairs well with a tasting of Nero di Troia in the surrounding vineyards.

The old town perches on cliffs above the sea, and the tiny Lama Monachile beach sits in a gorge beneath a Bourbon era bridge. Sea caves can be explored by boat from the harbour.

A maze of whitewashed lanes climbs to a Gothic Romanesque cathedral at the summit. Sunset from the walls over the olive plain is unforgettable.

The floor is covered by a vast twelfth century mosaic depicting a Tree of Life with biblical scenes, zodiac signs and mythical beasts. The Aragonese castle and bastioned walls frame the harbour below.

A spectacular cave system of stalactites and chambers lies under the countryside near Castellana Grotte. Guided tours lead to the gleaming White Cave.

A natural sinkhole of turquoise water set into the limestone coast north of Otranto. Swim early, as it becomes very busy in summer.

Learn to shape orecchiette by hand with a local cook, then lunch beneath the olive trees on what you have made.

The plain between Ostuni and Fasano holds olive trees many centuries old, and family estates open their mills for tastings and tours.

A gozzo or speedboat from Otranto or Castro reaches sea caves such as the Zinzulusa and coves that are hard to access by land.

Quiet lanes between Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca make for gentle rides past trulli and vineyards, with e-bikes widely available.

Choose your meat at the counter and it is grilled for you on the spot, a local tradition known as the fornello pronto.

Visit producers of Primitivo on the red soils near Manduria and taste the region's most powerful red.

A protected stretch of dunes, juniper scrub and clear water north of Brindisi, reached on foot or by shuttle in summer.

A crescent of fine sand backed by pine woods and reached along a short path, with remarkably clear water.

White sand and shallow turquoise water on the Ionian side of the Salento, wonderful for young children.

A rocky cove within a nature park of pines and coastal paths, with fresh springs that keep the water cool.

A long sweep of dunes and pale sand on the Ionian coast near Porto Cesareo, ideal for long walks.

What to eat

What to drink

The cave city of the Sassi in neighbouring Basilicata, one of the most striking places in Italy.

The old town of the regional capital, where women make pasta in the lanes and the Basilica di San Nicola holds the saint's relics.

The southern tip of the heel, with a lighthouse, Art Nouveau villas and boat trips to sea caves.

The National Archaeological Museum displays exceptional Greek gold jewellery from ancient Taras.

From April the countryside turns green and wild flowers fill the olive groves, perfect for walking and cycling. The sea warms enough for swimming by late May.

June to August brings long hot days, warm sea and lively evenings in the coastal towns. August is the busiest month, especially around Ferragosto.

September is often the finest month, with warm water and quieter beaches, and October brings the grape and olive harvests. Days remain mild well into October.

Winters are mild but many beach clubs and seaside restaurants close. It is a lovely time for food, festivals and the baroque towns without crowds.