You could depart from Bari, chief town of the region, and discover the ancient Peucetia; the Land of Bari divided between rock and sea: you will be so taken by the beauties made by man and nature that you will forget the daily anxieties and frenzy.
The sea, blue and clear, is the characteristic trait of enchanting cities like Giovinazzo, Molfetta, Bisceglie, Trani and Barletta to the north or south of spectacular localities like Polignano a Mare, with its sea caves and its coast on a cliff above the sea.
On this landing place of the Adriatic, after having spent the morning sunbathing on one of the sandy or pebbled beaches, and enjoyed a refreshing swim in the crystalline sea, visit the cathedrals, basilicas and villages, marvellous examples of the Romanesque-Pugliese, or the castles and the fortified walls, testimony of the dynasties and powers (Norman, Svevis, Angevin and Aragonese) which followed during the centuries.

The hinterland is equally spectacular.
If you are an enthusiast of prehistory, you cannot miss to pass through an archaeological path which unwinds between dolmen, menin and sinkholes or visit places where the extraordinary fossilized skeleton of the Altamura Man was found.
Move on forward and new incredible scenery, like those offered by the Alta Murgia national park, will literally rob your breath: fields of blossoming clovers, endless meadows of the Murgia plateau, an extraordinary maze between tunnels and caves in the ravines, the forest of Mercadante.
Everything seems to entice for horseback rides, mountain bikes rides, or simply appetizing stays inside manor farms where one can relive the simple life of peasant culture.
Starting this journey means in fact also throwing yourself into wine and food paths able to offer you unique flavours, made from renowned wines, fresh fish, of cheeses from the hinterland and of a precious extra virgin olive oil.

If your destination is the northernmost zone of Puglia, you are in the province of Foggia where, according to mythology, the Homeric hero Diomede disembarked here, after the Trojan War, founded several cities and married King Dauno’s daughter.

If you decide to embark in a journey along its roads, you will be surprised by the varieties of the panorama, a multicoloured fresco of plains and hills.

The peaks of the Sub-Apennine will greet you in a very beautiful amphitheatre situated on a hill, enveloped by the silence of the woods and dotted by the characteristic villages sloping on the hills.
Frederick II loved this ancient and isolated marginal land in which rose a civilization of fortifications and castles, during the Middle Ages, which left deep effects on art and folklore.

Further down, towards the Adriatic, an endless flatland of cultivations and dry meadows or large agricultural villages scattered amongst the wheat, vines and olive trees: it is the Tavoliere, the second largest Italian plateau.
It is a land with a long and exciting history, crossroad of populations and emperors, of pilgrims and leaders, of roads and cattle-tracks. Visiting Cerignola here is a must with its imposing Tonti Dome, eclectically styled with a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements and an 80 metres high dome (which follows that of the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence) visible even from kilometres away.

And then the Tremiti Islands and the Gargano, plunging towards the splendid sea, the Balkans and Greece, it forever lives of a Mediterranean spirit which even today tells the stories of trading with the East, of pirates and of sailors, of legends like those of Pizzomunno in Vieste and of magnificent scenery along its more than 200 kilometres of coast, alternating with spectacular rocky and steep walls, splendid coves filled with dunes, rocks and stacks, Mediterranean shrub and limestone walls.
One can also enjoy the urban centres rich with history and tradition or drift along paths moving away from the coast moving towards the interior part, towards the splendid Gargano national park.

It is a fascinating land, where the majesty of the scenery acts as backdrop to an almost mystical atmosphere.
The consolidation of the Via Sacra Langobardorum, the high road of devotion, occurred here; along the path you will run across San Giovanni Rotondo, pilgrimage destination to the sanctuary dedicated to Saint Pio of Pietralcina, fondly called Padre Pio by the devoted.

Sacred and profane - both can be found in Gargano, yes because there are various possibilities for relaxation: the more dynamic ones can do sports like windsurfing, or excursions on jeeps or ATVs; camping enthusiasts can hike through roads deep in the woods and stop at designated areas; time will fly on the beaches with restaurants and open discos.

And then why not seize, in any time of the year, the possibility of visiting one of the wine cellars spread across the territory? You will surely be enveloped by the warmth of the place…warm as the colour of the red wine which you will be able to taste together with some local delicacy.

A bridge between two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian, located between Bari, Brindisi and Taranto: it’s the Itria Valley, also known as the Murgian Valley of the Trullis. It is a picturesque zone abounding with low-growing vineyards, woods of oak, fruit trees and thorny bushes piling amidst dry stone walls made of “chiancarelle” (typical stones of Puglia).

It is a journey inside the journey because this large karsic valley surrounded by soft hills and dotted with enchanting localities, is a coffer of wealth which you can only discover by passing through the various possible pathways.

Spectacles of nature and man’s genius and inspiration fuse together in a unique and incomparable scenery.

You could therefore find yourself visiting the incredible underground pits known as the Castellana Caves, one of the most popular speleological complexes in Italy and, a few miles away, be surrounded by “unusual” conical shaped houses, the Trulli, which are scattered around Alberobello.
Along the Adriatic coast, between Egnazia and Brindisi, extensive beaches and a mild climate will tempt you to prolong your stay in Puglia; therefore you will continue to move forward, towards its inner part and a magnificent path made of olive trees, vines, almond trees, will lead you to the striking Ostuni, the so-called “White Town”.
And what can we say of the protected natural oasis, Torre Guaceto, rich with vegetation and fauna, zone of priceless naturalistic value? Immersed in an unreal silence, you can admire herons and hawks.

If, on the other hand, you enjoy luxury and wellness, once you arrive to one of the many resorts converted from ancient manor farms, your only wish will be to delay your departure!
Mini apartments, provided with all the comforts, in the shade of olive trees and containing a private garden and more: health farms, golf courses, private beaches, boat excursions…what would you want more?

Between Brindisi and Taranto, the city of the two seas, other itineraries await you, between cities soaked with historical remains and examples of rocky civilizations of gullies and ravines.

At the end of this unique journey you will take with you the warmth of an unforgettable experience together with the taste of distinctive delicacies, results of unplanned breaks in some tavern found here and there amongst the village allies, and the beauty of the local craft ware.

Salento is a magical land, stretching out towards Albania and Greece, with its soft, iridescent and blending colours, with its mild climate all year round, great naturalistic interest, but also proof of ancient civilizations, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Normans, and Aragonese.

Lecce is the principal centre of this part of Puglia, but it is also the capital of Baroque, so much that it is called the Florence of the South, where the decorative virtuosities of the artists who lived here managed to reach levels of unparalleled perfection.
The spectacle which you will find in front of you will be made even more unique by the remains of the Roman era, like the Roman Amphitheatre in Piazza Sant’Oronozo which, without any harshness, complete the architectural scenery of striking urban areas.

As it always happens when one is in Puglia it is easy to have an embarrassingly wide choice in deciding where to go and what to do.
In any case, your decision will not be lacking wonderful surprises.

Thus, if you decide to move further to the south, along the Ionian coast, from the Natural Marine Reserve of Porto Cesareo passing through the extraordinary nature reserve of Portoselvaggio, you will arrive to Gallipoli and its name, from the Greek kalé, beautiful, and polis, city, says it all: white flat-roofed houses highlighted against the deep blue sea, and then the imposing Angevin Castle, the Cathedral, the lively fish market.

The populated areas become increasingly fewer towards the south and it will be easy to find yourself in front of 16th century towers, manor farms (many of which are now splendid agritourisms), extraordinarily beautiful Moorish villas like those of Santa Maria of Leuca, borderland facing the East.

Restarting from Leuca and going back along the Adriatic coast one arrives to Otranto, a stage which is a ‘must’ where one can admire, amongst other things, the Roman Cathedral which guards inside it the largest, most complex sacred mosaic found in the South.

The journey can then continue towards the North, in a succession of natural oasis or in the hinterland which abounds with vines, olive trees, and small localities like Santa Maria di Cerrate, important religious centre of Greek monks, Copertino, or the archaeological area of Rudiae, and then Galatina, Maglie, Nardo.

Do you think Salento is all here?
This is just the beginning: Yes, because together with so much nature and history there will also be moments of total relaxation and entertainment.
You will be able to let yourself go to the rhythm of the pizzica or go windsurfing, or take a sweet break with a pasticciotto or go scuba diving and admire the water depths rich with posidonia, corals, gorgonians…

Try to imagine your dreams, Salento will grant them to you.