If Italy is the shape of a boot, Puglia is the heel. It is the largest producer of olives in Italy as well as being famous for its wines, cheeses and meats. Beaches stretch for miles along one entire side of Puglia, but just three or four miles inland hills rise up to 800 metres, offering relief from the summer heat. The hills are dotted with ancient cathedral towns such as Ostuni ("The White city"), and Lecce ("The Cambridge of the South"). There is an endless choice of beaches, mostly sandy, some with rocky coves where the clear water stretches deep down into the sea.

Trulli in Alberobello

In the centre of Puglia is a small area, just 20 miles by 10, which contains buildings known as "trulli". These exist nowhere else in the world, and there are thought to be less than 5000 of them. Trulli are round stone cones, originally made without cement, which may or may not be attached to buildings. They relied on a stone "plug" at the top of the cone to support the tension of the cone. Pull the plug, and the cone imploded. This was done whenever Federal government tax inspectors appeared to levy taxes on buildings. All they would find was a pile of rubble that was miraculously restored to a trulli as soon as they had passed!

The centre of the trulli area is a small town called Alberobello. It is exactly half way between the two largest towns in Puglia, Bari and Brindisi, each about 1 hour away. Each has an airport served by several airlines (see "How To get There"). It is 30 minutes' drive from the sea and beaches, about 700 metres up, so it benefits from a slightly cooler climate in mid-summer despite being in the south of Italy. Alberobello has shops and restaurants, but they are arranged along three main streets, so the town is small enough to park in and navigate with ease. Everywhere is within walking distance. Within a 30 minute drive are the medieval towns of Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Ostuni and Cisternino. The world famous caves of Castellana are also a short drive away. Lecce and Taranto are about a 90 minute drive.

These towns are not Florence or Sienna. They have small areas of stunning beauty on the centre of each, but are ordinary Italian towns, full of the character of the area, not tourist towns. With the exception of Ostuni, you will probably not hear any language but Italian - a phrase book is a definitely a good idea.

Nearby town of Ostuni

Italy. Puglia hilighted in red.

Puglia

Alberobello and nearby towns