Puglia
Overview
Discover Puglia: Private Tours, Experiences & Custom Travel
Imagine Italy as a shapely leg whose foot is shod by a Manolo Blahnik high-heeled boot. Puglia (Apulia), rarely visited by English-speaking travelers, is Italy's elegant stiletto heel. The southern reaches of the Salentine Peninsula are virtually surrounded by the immemorial waters of the Adriatic on the east, the Ionian Sea to the south east, and the Gulf of Taranto, across which lies the Region of Calabria. In the mountainous north, Puglia is bordered, in clockwise fashion, by Basilicata, Campania, and Molise. Albania is a mere 80 kilometers (50 miles) across the Adriatic.
Puglia is exceptionally sun-soaked and dry, with a scarcity of fresh water, so water is carried by aqueduct and pipeline from Campania, largely drawn from the Sele River.
Originally settled by early italic tribes, Puglia was colonized by the Greeks during the 5th and 6th centuries BC. However, as with the rest of southern Italy, it was subjugated by the Romans in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. The Goths, then the Lombards held sway in their turn, followed by the Byzantines, then the Normans.
For a time, the Puglian City of Melfi was the capital of the Norman territories, but when Robert Guiscard conquered Sicily to establish the Kingdom of Sicily, with Palermo as its capital, Puglia fell into provincial status, a status it retained when the Kingdom of Sicily transmogrified into the Kingdom of Naples.
Ultimately, during the 12th and early 13th centuries, Puglia was absorbed by the Holy Roman Empire. Then the Turks, and Venetians had their turn. Finally, Puglia was incorporated into the modern state of Italy, in 1861.
The modern English-speaking traveler will find Puglia exotic in many ways, partly due to its historical evolution, but also because socially and culturally, Puglia is just now catching up to the rest of Italy. Throughout it's history, up until recent times, feudalism persisted. Agrarian and social reforms, which were begun in the late 19th century, only really started to take hold in the mid 20th century.
While the official language is standard Italian, among themselves people in different areas will speak dialects not heard elsewhere. In the north, a version of Neapolitan Italian, in the far south, a Sicilian variation, elsewhere dialects that are heavily Greek or Albanian in flavor.
As you explore Puglia's cities and towns, and outlying areas, you will encounter Greek and Roman ruins, paleo-christian ruins, and public and ecclesiastical buildings done in every major style from Romanesque, to Gothic to Renaissance. You will even encounter a local architectural style called "barocco leccese", a fanciful, almost hyperbolistic strain of the Baroque, found in Lecce and other towns and cities.
In Puglia, and no where else, you will also find a very peculiar type of building - the trullo - a beehive-shaped, whitewashed, mortarless structure made of stone, usually used as barns in farming areas within the Val d'Itria, but also used as housing in fairly large-scale communities like Alberobello, where over 1000 Trulli are situated on terraces. The original Trulli date back hundreds, if not thousands of years, but the curious style has been revived by modern homeowners and not a few resort owners who have created Trulli tourist villages.
Apart from mountainous areas in the north and north west, Puglia is mostly a plain where farmers produce olives (and olive oil), grapes (and wine), cereals, almonds, figs, tobacco, and livestock. It is reliably said that Puglia produces 10% of all the wine consumed in Europe - which is pretty staggering when you think about it. Or perhaps not when you consider that until recently that Puglian wine (and olive oils) were used to dilute finer products grown elsewhere. However, vintage wines and olive oils of some repute are increasingly being produced in the region.
Not surprisingly, fishing is another main support of the regional economy, although tourism is increasingly important. Industrial activities include the manufacture of chemicals, cement, iron, steel, and plastics, and the production of refined oil and gas.
Visit in summer for clear blue skies and beach-life (average Jul and Aug temperatures can get above 30°C and sometimes as high as 40°C or 50°C. Spring and autumn are moderate, and therefore more climactically accommodating to Northern Europeans and North Americans. Winter is cooler with temperatures usually above 0°C, and only occasionally rising above 15°C.
Puglia in pictures
Gallery
A few frames from our own trips. The rest are in the gallery below.
Multi-Day Holidays Tours
Whole journeys, planned end to end
The Heel and Toe of Italy : Puglia, Calabria and Basilicata
This meticulously crafted 11-day journey through Southern Italy offers an immersive experience into the heart of Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria. Starting with your arrival at Bari airport...
The Kingdom of the Sun - South of Italy - Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily - Private Individuals & Small group Tours
Each year we bring people in the travel industry to experience incredible interesting places in Italy and the Mediterranean. This year one of our most thrilling adventures is going to offer a rich and rewarding learning experience through Sicily and...
Explore the Hidden Gems of Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria
This is a unique opportunity through southern Italy where we will introduce you to somee of souther Italy's most incredible landscapes.
Amazing Amalfi, Mystical Matera and Pristine Puglia
The Amalfi Coast and Italy's Deep South are almost impossible to visit without a car. Yet, the roads in many places, the parking situation and other logistics are complicated. This is why, our Amazing Amalfi & Italy's Deep South offers our guests th...
Kingdom of the Sun Escorted Tour of Italy's Deep South including Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria Departing Spring 2026: May 23, June 6 Fall 2026: Sept 12, Oct 10
Let the sun shine through in our small group tour of Italy's deep south including the regions of Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria. Throughout the tour we visit extraordinary towns, villages and coastal villages and we enjoy some of the very best loca...
Magical Matera and Puglia Private Discovery Experience
Embark on a captivating 6-day private tour exploring the enchanting regions of Matera and Puglia in southern Italy. Delve into the rich history and stunning landscapes of these areas as you visit Matera, known for its ancient cave dwellings, Bari wit...
Kingdom of the Sun Discovery: A private Journey into Italy's Mezzogiorno
Southern Italy reveals itself slowly. In whitewashed towns above the Adriatic, in the ancient cave dwellings of Matera, in long lunches that drift into the afternoon. This private journey through Puglia and Basilicata is made for travelers who want t...
Puglia Discovery (6 nights/ 7 days ): Mostly All Inclusive Private Tour of Puglia including Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Ostuni, Lecce, Otranto Bari and incredible wine tastings and olive farms
Our Puglia Discovery Experience is a great option for first time visitors or returning visitors to the Puglia region who want to experience the region with local hosts and visit the region in a relaxing, comfortable way with visits to local farms, wi...
Calabria with Local Hosts: Food, Coast & Village Life
This is an opportunity to stay in a private family home in Praia a Mare, Calabria a beautiful sea-side resort town famous for Dino Island and the Arcomagno caves. During this unique holiday experience you will visit the coast of Maratea, Diamante th...
Private & Small Group Tours in Puglia
Days out with people who know the way
Full Day Puglia Experience including Alberobello, Martina Franca, Locorotondo & Polignano a Mare
Our full day Puglia Discovery experience includes a unique journey through the Itria Valley, which is located in southern Italy between the provinces of Bar, Brindisi and Taranto. Over the course of the day we visit Alberobello, Martina Franca & Loc...
Private Tours and Excursions in Puglia
Puglia is one of the most beautiful regions in Italy and has so much to offer those who visit including wonderful wineries, some of the best olive oil in Italy, gorgeous coastlines and countryside. Towns like Alberobello, Otranto, Martina Franca, Ost...
Lecce & Otranto Full Day Tour
This full day tour of Lecce, Otranto and Santa Cesarea is great way to experience some of the most beautiful towns in the Salento region. Lecce is known as the 'Florence' of southern Italy and it is best experienced with a local English speaking gui...
Hotels
Rooms we would happily sleep in again
Italy,Puglia,Monopoli
Hotel Don Ferrante, Monopoli
Welcome to Don Ferrante, a magnificent hotel nestled in the breathtaking cliffs of Monopoli. Formerl...
Italy,Puglia,Tremiti Islands
Hotel Eden - Tremiti Islands
Hotel Eden is a welcoming hotel set among palms and pine trees on San Domino Island, just a short wa...
Italy,Puglia,Monopoli
La Peschiera, Monopoli
La Peschiera is a luxurious boutique hotel nestled along the Adriatic coast in Monopoli, Italy. Once...
Italy,Puglia,Monopoli
Masseria Il Melograno, Monopoli
Nestled among centuries-old olive trees, Masseria Il Melograno is a historic 17th-century country re...
Italy,Puglia,Ostuni
Masseria Valente, Ostuni
Masseria Valente is a charming historic farmhouse nestled in the peaceful countryside near Ostuni, P...
Villas
Private homes with stories of their own
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Italy,Puglia,Taranto
Italy,Puglia,Otranto
Italy,Puglia,Polignano a Mare
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Photo Gallery
Explore Towns and Cities in Puglia
Every town here has its own personality. We know them by name.
Our Featured Properties
Stays we picked one by one
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Italy,Puglia,Bari
Italy,Puglia,Taranto
Italy,Puglia,Polignano a Mare
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Popular Transfer Routes in Puglia
The rides our guests ask for most, with a driver who knows the way.
Italy Vacation Specialists provides licensed private transfer services throughout Italy, including Puglia and surrounding areas. With over 20 years of experience, our professional English-speaking drivers offer both Business Class and Luxury Class vehicles for airport transfers, city-to-city rides, and full-day chauffeur services. All vehicles are fully insured, well-maintained, and operated by vetted local drivers who know the roads, traffic patterns, and best routes across the region.
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In their words
Stories That Stay With You
Here's what our guests share about their unforgettable journeys
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