Visiting Puglia

There have been several articles around the web lately about the Puglia region, and the gist is always, “It’s really great here, but don’t tell anyone!” My hunch is that the Puglia tourism board is working overtime, which is fine. It’s just that the idea that it’s a big secret when it’s all over the web is kind of silly. Still, I’m succumbing to the pressure and highlighting one of the articles, so I guess they’re succeeding on some level, eh?

Puglia is Italy’s heel (the stiletto, if you will – and I will) and is increasingly popular with tourists – especially those from the United Kingdom. But at the moment, most tourists don’t venture much further south than Rome. If they do, they’re visiting Pompeii and that’s about it. So while you’ll find more tourists in Puglia than you probably would have ten years ago, it’ll still be refreshingly quiet as compared to, say, Florence or Rome.

Some of the things the author of this particular article found appealing about Puglia were:

• Nice beaches – The sea surrounds Puglia, so it’s no surprise that it should have some good beaches for sunbathing and swimming. There’s also a Natural Maritime Reserve north of Brindisi if you’re into sealife as well.
• Mysterious buildings – The “trullo” is found only in Puglia, and no one knows exactly where they first came from. Dating from the Middle Ages, most of them are still lived in.
• Pretty cities – Puglia might not be heavily touristed, but it has a few cities worth noting, including Bari, Brindisi, Lecce and Gallipoli.
• Good food – Seafood is big in Puglia, for obvious reasons, but the region also produces its own wine and is the country’s top olive oil producer.

Here’s one of the myriad articles which have cropped up recently where you can read more, and here’s the Puglia tourism portal for more information. You can book hostels and hotels in the area as well.