Can’t Miss:
Hard Truth:
The heel of Italy used to be a forgotten region. To Italians ~10 years ago it was an up and coming destination. Even now some foreigners haven’t heard of it. In the US, I always had to caveat my trip by saying Puglia, you know the heel. It’s blowing up now, the Four seasons is planning a new hotel there. It’s also become a foodies destination. A number of restaurants have been given Michelin stars putting the region on the map. As of the 2023 guide, there are 8 restaurants that have been granted Michelin Stars. See the list in my Don’t Forget section.
There is so much to experience in this majestic region. From whitewashed hilltop villages, baroque architectural gems, enchanting piazzas, rustic trattorias, luscious vineyards and olive groves to secluded beaches.
The region is split in 2 with Bari airport serving the northern towns and Brindisi airport in the south. We decided to venture into the south to Brindisi and Lecce Provinces and spend the most time in the Salento region which is the peninsula part of the heel.
The region is split in 2 with Bari airport serving the northern towns and Brindisi airport in the south. I only had a week so decided to venture into the south to Brindisi and Lecce Provinces and spend the most time in the Salento region which is the peninsula part of the heel. If I had more time I would’ve done a trip starting from Bari along the coast and back inland to see the hilltop towns and hit up some of the Michelin restaurants. I’d start in Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Capitolo, Savelletri, Torre Canne, Lecce, Otranto, Castro and then to the very tip of the heel, Santa Maria di Leuca. On the way back Gallipoli, Manduria to eat at the first Michelin restaurant, Ostuni and maybe Carovigno for another Michelin, Locorotondo, Alberobello, Putignano and Conversano for a few more Michelin restaurants.
While researching, I found out pretty quickly you need a car to get around. The public transport isn’t as easy as in other regions in Italy. And a small car is better to fit into some of the parking spots in the small towns. So after flying into Brindisi we picked up our tiny rental car and headed on our road trip.
The trip started slightly north to Ostuni. It’s a quaint hillside town that gleams from afar with its whitewashed walls which bears fruit to its name as “The White City”. It’s also home to one of the Michelin Star restaurants in the region, Cielo, in the La Sommita Hotel. It’s only 30 mins drive from the Brindisi airport, a perfect first stop on the trip for lunch. But watch where you drive. While I was looking for a parking spot I accidentally crossed over into a historic area of the town where no cars are allowed and ended up getting a ticket sent from the car rental company when I got home.
Throughout the region, many old farmhouses, masserias, have been converted into boutique hotels so the choices for where to stay is plentiful. I wanted to stay in a bigger town with more options for restaurants and bars so decided on Lecce. It’s now one of the more popular towns in Italy, ranking higher in visitor numbers than Siena in Tuscany.
La Fiermontina, which was once a 17th century mansion, was a gorgeous “urban resort” as they call it. It’s in the old town, Centro Storico, which is mostly pedestrian only streets where local wine bars line the squares. This would be home base for the next week.
Lecce is over 2000 years old and has been preserved very well, most likely attributed to the lack of tourism for many years. You can see proof of this in the 48 unspoiled church facades.
It has been affectionately dubbed the ‘Florence of the South’. Being the cultural capital of Puglia with the baroque palaces and churches by its 17th-century architects, surrounded by olive groves and vineyards warrants it’s new title.
Over the centuries people of the past have left traces of themselves everywhere in Lecce, engraving the signs of their presence in ‘Lecce Stone’. The city is bathed in this cream and golden stone seen across the entire city. It is a legacy left in stone with history carved onto it. The stone is found all around the Salento region.
Lecce’s historic center is a great place to explore. It’s mostly pedestrian only so you can just wander around the narrow ancient streets, find hidden piazzas, see all the magnanimous churches, checkout the cafes or sip on an aperitivo at sunset. The streets come alive at night as locals and tourist meander by the restaurants and bars lining them.
Puglia is known for it’s full-bodied red wine, Primitivo, Negroamaro and Susumaniello. Anytime I travel to a wine region I like to get out to visit the wineries. This time biking the countryside of the region sounded like a perfect way to see the vineyards. There was a day biking tour through the vineyards listed on Viator so went with that. It can be slightly confusing using Viator as they don’t list the underlying tour company when booking and I’ve even seen situations where its a travel company outsourcing the tour adding another layer of confusion. For this one, we didn’t have the tour companies contact details and were just told a location to meet which wasn’t very specific. We wandered around the Piazza Sant’Oronzo hoping someone would find us or we’re see a clue. Then, 15 minutes later we saw some bikes being unloaded unto the sidewalk and viola! Those were our tour guides.
We got our helmets fitted and bike adjusted and then we were on our way! There was one guide riding with us and another went ahead in a van. The van served a duel purpose, delivering the bikes and driving anyone who drank too much at a vineyard and couldn’t continue cycling (great idea! Luckily we didn’t need it).
We rode through the city for a short time to get onto a dirt road. This is where the adventure began. The lush green countryside opened up in front of us. We road by ancient walls used to separate land plots, olive groves and of course vineyards.
It was a very windy day and of course we were riding against the wind. With that, the uneven dirt terrain and hilly land it was fairly tough to cycle. All the work was worth it once we got to our first vineyard, Masseria La Veli. We got to taste an ancient Susumaniello amongst a variety of others the winery was known for. The wines went down very easy after our strenuous ride!
South of Lecce there are so many quaint towns all within driving distance. It’s a great day trip to pick a few to venture to. Parts of the drive are the most beautiful scenes. Make sure to plan a section of your road trip to drive along coastal road SP 358 heading North to Otranto. There are so many little towns, you can stop in as many or few as you want and still see some amazing sights. The itinerary I’d recommend starting from Lecce would be Galatone – Collometo – Gallipoli – Torre San Giovanni – Santa Maria di Leuca – Castro – Otranto.
A majority of Lecce province is made up of seaside towns which are sadly desolate in the off-season. I found out April is definitely the off-season. It was still a charming experience to drive through the desolate towns. And the views are magnificent. Make sure to stop in Santa Maria di Leuca to see the views by the lighthouse.
I was lucky to find a restaurant that was open for lunch in Otranto, Bel Ami. It ended up being the perfect spot on Atlantis Beach. It was part of a beach club. I could just picture how great this spot would be in full force over the summer.
This region of Italy is so densely filled with experiences for all travelers, from towns, landscapes, and beaches to restaurants and wineries. Even mostly desolate in the off-season, I loved it here and can’t wait to come back.
Don’t Forget:
As of 2023 Michelin Guide: One Star- Bros’, Primo Restaurante (Lecce), Pasha (Conversano), Angelo Sabatelli (Putignano), Due Camini (Savelletri), Casamatta (Manduria), Già Sotto l’Arco (Carovigno), Cielo (Ostuni)
Restaurants: Otranto – Atlantis-Bel Ami (on beach); L’Altro Baffo; Gallipoli – La Puritate (seafood w/veranda) ; Capitoni Corragiosi; Lecce La Succursale – pizza, Le Quattro Spezierie, Osteria degli Spiriti, La Torre di Merlino – modern Puglian, Primo Restaurant, Anima & Cuore, Avio – coffee shop, Alvino – snacks, Natale – gelato, La Cucina di Mamma Elvira, Mastro
Bars Lecce: Quanto Basta – cocktail bar, Mamma Elvira Enoteca – wine bar
Wineries: Cantine de Falco, Masseria Li Veli, Cantele, Tenute Rubino, Le Braci, Mocavero, Apollonio, Duca Carlo Guarin
Hotels: Borgo Egnazia (resort village in Fasano), Castello di Ugento (Ugento), Palazzo Presta (Gallipoli), Don Totu (San Cassiano), La Sommita (16th century mansion in Ostuni), La Fiermontina (17th century mansion in Lecce), Masseria Torre Coccaro (Savelletri), Masseria Trapanà (Lecce), Masseria Muntibianchi (Otranto), Rocco Forte, Pollicastro
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