ONE: LECCE
For whatever reason they call it Florence of the South, but Lecce is a different kind of magic. Lecce is pure Baroque excess: hot, theatrical, playful, sensual. The local pietra leccese stone is so soft it practically begs to be carved, and architects went wild: cherubs tumble, columns twist, saints float mid-air, facades ripple like stage curtains. Santa Croce is the delirium of it all, Piazza Duomo the perfect backdrop – you simply cannot be a saint here. And when the sun goes down, the city doesn’t dim, it glows. On a stage as big as your ego and as daring as your secret desires, you are the protagonist.
TWO: POLIGNANO A MARE
Yes, it’s real, not AI generated. A white town perched impossibly on cliffs, dangling above turquoise water, hiding a heart-stopping chasm and a secret beach like a pirate’s treasure. Polignano is as daring as it is beautiful. People dive headlong from dizzying heights, the old town spills poetry from every wall, and Domenico Modugno still throws his arms wide to the sea. You’ll hum “Volare” before you even catch your breath from the view.
THREE: OSTUNI
Ooh. The White City blinds you in the midday sun and glows gold at sunset. Ostuni rises like a mirage from olive groves that roll on forever. Wander its narrow alleys, climb the stairs, perch on terraces high above the Adriatic, and let yourself believe magic portals are real.
FOUR: GARGANO
The spur on Italy’s boot is wild, lush green, and stubbornly itself. Forests, cliffs, and secret coves: Gargano feels like Puglia’s password-access oasis. Drive the winding roads, stop at Vieste and Peschici, and let the headlands surprise you with sudden views that knock the air out of your lungs. Wake up early for once and head to tiny Rodi Garganico to watch fishermen haul in the catch while the town still sleeps, and pick up a dorada or two for lunch. Spur of the moment, let’s say.
FIVE: THE BEACHES
So, on top of seductive Baroque, white cities, the best olive oil, and the nutty trulli, you have the stunning beaches, which many say are Puglia’s true calling card. From silky stretches around Salento to hidden coves lapped by impossible blue, pick your poison. You’ll chase the best one and then realize, they’re all the best one.
Sandy beaches are made for long, barefoot walks and lazy sunbathing: Torre dell’Orso, Punta Prosciutto, and Porto Cesareo are soft, golden, and endlessly Instagrammable. The rocky coast is a playground for explorers: cliffside grottos, secret coves, and turquoise waters around Polignano a Mare, Castro, and Santa Maria di Leuca dare you to dive, scramble, and disappear for a few stolen hours. Then there’s Gargano, a world of its own and the absolute punch in the gut that is Vignanotica and Baia delle Zagare.
SIX: VALLE D’ITRIA & TRULLI
Trulli land. Conical roofs rise from vineyards and orchards, like a fairy kingdom you somehow fell down a rabbit hole into. Alberobello is the obvious star, but if you take a lazy drive a little further – to Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino – you’ll find the real magic: trulli still lived in, not staged.
SEVEN: GALLIPOLI
Gallipoli is not shy. It’s loud, Italian, unapologetic. The old town sits on its island, wrapped in walls, and evenings spill into dawn. The Ionian Sea gives you a gift you won’t find “on the other side”: the sun setting into the sea.
EIGHT: BARI
Bari is no afterthought. Bari Vecchia is a living set: alleys strung with laundry, voices bouncing off the walls, nonne rolling orecchiette right on the street. San Nicola keeps its secrets, the seafront flexes wide and proud, and the whole city runs on espresso and attitude. Two steps from vintage Italy you crash into big brands, street style, and a young feel that lives in the insta reel.
