Italians have long enjoyed seaside beaches; medieval hilltop villages; and amazing local produce,

wine, fish and cheese in Puglia, which they call Apulia. The breathtakingly beautiful region is
easily reached from Rome; hour-long flights connect with Bari or Brindisi, 75 miles farther south. A coastal drive — or
an hour-long train ride — links these two major cities, following a two-lane autostrada past scraggly shrubs,
windswept trees and whitewashed houses. However, many travelers choose appealing tour options to enhance
their visits to the southeast coast of the Adriatic Sea.Tauck offers a comfortably luxe and convenient way
to explore the region on an escorted, eight-day land journey from Bari for about 24 guests. Participants enjoy
guided walking tours and, among the 15 meals, one lunch in a winery. Guests stay two nights in each of the three
destinations: Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site where the Sassi cave dwellings date to 7000 B.C. and
where some streets are actually cavern roofs; Lecce, a beach-studded, Baroque-style city dubbed the Florence
of the South and located 25 miles south of Brindisi; and Savelletri di Fasano, with accommodations at Masseria
Torre Cocarro, set in a 500-year-old fortified farmhouse. The trip includes a visit to must-see Alberobello, a
UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the medieval città bianche (white villages) in the Itria Valley, famous for its 1,500
trulli, cylindrical houses made of limestone slabs topped with a cone-shaped roof. If you prefer to tour the region from the comfort of one home base, stay at a well-located hotel where the concierge sources bespoke guest activities with a local provider.

Indigenous Experiences provides personalized experiences for guests at two luxury properties: Borgo Egnazia, an exclusive, recently
constructed, white-stone, pedestrian village-like complex and a member of Leading Hotels of the World; and its sister property, Masseria San Domenico, a 14th-century fortified stone farmhouse with a Templar-era tower tall enough to spot invaders on the Adriatic. Located in Savelletri di Fasano, midway

between Bari and Brindisi, these two 5-star golf and spa resorts sit about three miles apart on the same estate amid a 1,000-
tree olive grove and vegetable gardens and adjacent to the golf course and beach. Tailor-made excursions include private
dining (and mozzarella making) in a trullo, cheese making in a farmhouse, seasonal grape or olive harvesting, touring a ceramic
studio, cruising on a yacht or driving a vintage car. It also organizes regional tours to iconic destinations.
Folks who stay in Bari or Lecce will find the array of private and small-group tour options organized by Viator most convenient. Viator offers guided day trip adventures from either city to Alberobello, Polignano a Mare and Monopoli. From Lecce, one option includes sightseeing in Ostuni, a whitewashed
town where the cathedral combines Gothic, Romanesque, and Byzantine elements. Or book a Viator boat trip to the caves in Polignano a Mare, a tour to Matera or food-focused activities like street food tasting, wine tasting, and orecchiette making (the ear-shaped pasta typical of the region).

Puglia, Global Traveler, August 2022