Puglia suggested itineraries

Cities by the sea and sacred mountains, Puglia

A seaside vacation in Puglia? In this sunny, sea-lapped region of Italy holiday makers are simply spoilt for choice. Our journey commences in Northern Puglia, from the Gargano, an immense promontory where the sea, sun, and lush Mediterranean vegetation happily co-exist. The hairpin bends typical of the Gargano make the promontory a favourite with motorcyclists, keen to experience the exhilarating and wonderfully scenic coastal road leading from Mattinata to Vieste.

Also known as the "Sacred Mountain", Gargano is home to a number of important sites of worship such as San Giovanni Rotondo and Monte Sant'Angelo, sites which attract thousands of visitors - both tourists and pilgrims - each year. San Giovanni Rotondo is an important town with a population of circa 30.000 where San Pio of Pietrelcina lived for more than fifty years. Having visited the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie and the Tomb of the Saint, we take time to admire the immense monumental Church designed by Renzo Piano.

Monte Sant'Angelo is situated just 30 kilometers away. This is where to find an ancient Sanctuary and the Grotta di S.Michele: reputed to be one of the most sacred places in the world. The historic center of Monte Sant'Angelo, with its Museum of Art and Popular Traditions and Medieval abbey of Santa Maria di Pulsano, is also worthy of visit.

Those in search of a fun-packed beach holiday need look no further than Puglia's fabulous seafront towns just north of Bari: town's such as Trani, Barletta, Molfetta and Giovinazzo, all easily reached via the SS16 highway, also known as the "Adriatica". Here the entertainment is guaranteed day and night, thanks to the great number of fashionable shops, bars, restaurants, and clubs which line the streets and seafront promenades. Those nurturing a passion for art, need look no further than the area's magnificent Romanesque Cathedrals, among the most beautiful in the whole of Southern Italy.

Travelling down along the Adriatica highway, towards the Salento - land which the inhabitants fondly refer to as the land of sea, sun and wind - we come to Ostuni, a much loved tourist destination famous for its characteristic white-washed houses and fabulous, 20 kilometer-long sandy white beach.

The list of places in this area of Puglia where to enjoy the sea, the sun, and some of Italy's most breathtaking scenery is endless, as is the number of towns and villages where to savour the excellent cuisine of the Salento. Further South still lies the historic city of Otranto, with its impressive castle. From here its is possible to see right across the Adriatic as far as the mountains of Albania. Equally stunning views can be seen from Puglia's Ionic coast, including that of Gallipoli, in the Gulf of Taranto.