4 Days in Puglia
Quarantiello Family Trip to Puglia - 2021
Home Base: Monopoli
Accomodation: Santa Maria 24
City Visits:
Monopoli
Alberobello
Locorotondo
Lecce
Otranto
Polignano a Mare
Matera
Notable Meals/Restaurants:
The King Street Food
Experiences/Attractions:
Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?mid=1sDbfA0atTeYbVA1qlF-aDCIte9YEW6Me&usp=sharing
Our stay in Puglia over Christmas was everything we could have hoped for and more! From the stay at Santa Maria 24 to the Christmas lights strung throughout all the cities, we felt like we were in an Italian winter fairytale!
Santa Maria 24 was the perfect place for our group of 10 people to stay. We all had our own apartments with a beautiful seating area that overlooked the ocean. Everything was sparkling clean and we all agreed we could have stayed for at least a month if it were an option. Another big plus to staying here was the all inclusive breakfast. Each day they had freshly baked pastries with a selection of quiches, meats, cheese, fruits, cereals, fresh juice and coffee. The women running the place were extremely hospitable and accommodating. If you are looking for an oceanside, comfortable location I would not skip out on the chance to stay here.
Staying in Monopoli, we quickly identified that The King Street Food would be our local bar/restaurant. We ate here our first night for a casual pizza/salad dinner and the following nights we hung out in their square for a few more glasses of wine. There are some other great restaurants and bars in town but The King was an easy spot to hang out at close to the hotel.
During the day in Puglia we explored the different towns by car. Parking was extremely easy everywhere we went and we also found over Christmas that booking everything in advance was not necessary. Even for a group of 10!! During high season (April-September), I would probably be a bit more proactive about planning meals. Overall, the region has incredible food and it’s pretty hard to end up eating a sub-par meal - especially if you visit some of the Masserias!
Here are the the daily itineraries we had for our trip:
Day 1 Itinerary:
Alberobello
TLDR: Small Tourist town famous for Trulis
Time needed for visit: 1.5-3 hours
Super cute town with the famous truli houses. Worth a couple hours to walk around and poke in the shops but I wouldn't recommend staying here as a home base. The shops are nice but definitely geared towards tourists.
Worth the visit for the views of the truli houses. You can also go inside of a few that are open to the public to get an idea of what it would be like to live in them.
Masseria Madonna Dell’Arco
Website: https://www.masseriamadonnadellarco.it/it/index.html#
TLDR: Amazing farm to table restaurant. Save all your daily caloric intake for this meal.
Time needed for visit: 2 hours
Some of the best food and wine I've ever had! We came here for lunch after visiting Alberobello in the morning/afternoon. Save your appetite this place because you will be served an insane amount of food. The meal starts with bread, cured meats, cheese and various other appetizers made with ingredients from their farm. Then you are served a pasta dish and if you leave room/order it they'll serve you a meat dish and dessert. Also, you are served unlimited wine..
We went with a group of 10 people which was nice for passing all the plates. I'd also recommend coming here a bit later in the day for lunch and skipping dinner all together. You can also ask for takeaway containers if you want to snack on some leftovers later in the day.
This place is popular with both locals and tourists but be warned that the staff does not speak any english.
Locorotondo
TLDR: Small town set up on a hillside in a circle with cute shops and restaurants.
Time needed for visit: 1-2 hours
Really cute town set up in a circular maze. We went there after lunch at Masseria Madonna. Was a nice place for a walk with cute shops and restaurants. The main highlight for us were the Christmas decorations.
Each street in the circle is decorated differently and it is a competition for who is decorated best each year. If you're not there over Christmas I'd recommend popping in for a walk around and maybe a glass of wine or coffee depending on the time of day you decide to go.
Day 2 Itinerary:
Lecce
TLDR: Largest city in Puglia other than Bari. Tons of history and worth taking a tour. If you take a tour you’ll get a lot more out of the visit but it will also take a bit more time.
Time needed for visit: 1-4 hours
Lecce has some beautiful architecture and incredible history. We had a guide to take us through the town which I normally would never do but in this case I think it was totally worth it. They walked us through the full city and gave us all the context on the different historical sites. If we didn't do that we probably would have been bored here and look at the incredible architecture left with questions rather than answers.
If you are interested in the guide's info, let me know! He was extremely knowledgeable and easy to follow.
Depending on when you get through the tour either stop for a lunch in town or head a bit further south and have lunch out on a town by the ocean.
Otranto
TLDR: Beautiful oceanside town that we didn’t spend a lot of time in. If we didn’t spend so much time on the Lecce tour we probably would have gone here for lunch out by the ocean.
Time needed for visit: 1-2 hours
On a clear day you can see Croatia from here. We went at night so didn't see anything. The town is beautiful set up on cliffs and has a variety of beachside restaurants if you're there during the day.
We didn't explore too much here because everyone was tired from the day in Lecce.
Day 3 Itinerary
Grotte Castellana
Website: https://www.grottedicastellana.it/
TLDR: Incredible grotte randomly set in the middle of a town. You can only visit with a guide and they have a set schedule each day for when tours are offered in English.
Time needed for visit: 50-100 minutes
This was actually insane. I am claustrophobic so not necessarily my idea of a good time but still super impressive. We did the short tour which I thought was plenty of time inside the cave but if you are interested in natural wonders and enjoy being underground beneath rocks that could fall on you then they say the long tour is worth it.
Polignano a Mare
TLDR: Beautiful seaside town that is famous for the cliffs and views. Worth a visit.
Time needed for visit: 1-3 hours
This place is famous and for good reason in Puglia. It is set cliff side and the streets are incredibly charming. There is also a famous restaurant here that is set inside of a cave. It is a pricey option and a big meal. After eating so much at the other places we opted against another long meal and just spent the day walking around.
Masseria il Frantoio
Website: https://www.masseriailfrantoio.it/en/
TLDR: Do not skip this meal! It is a magical property with incredible food.
Time needed for visit: 2-3 hours
Book this in advance! This place is seriously top notch. We went for dinner and had a small tour of the property and olive oil production ahead of time. The menu is changed regularly to highlight the produce in season. Most of the dishes are veggie forward and they do not use many animal products including meats and cheese. The menu included a fair amount of seafood and everything was incredibly fresh. They also serve just the right amount of food over the right period of time to leave you feeling satisfied but not too full when you leave.
I would recommend going at night to see the courtyard all lit up. Also would dress up a bit when you go - it's a very classy place even though it's on a farm.
Day 4 Itinerary
Matera
TLDR: Pre-Roman town with lots of history and incredible views. James Bond and other famous movies were filmed here.
Time needed for visit: 2-3 hours / 1 full day with a hike
We drove here on our way back to the west coast and it was absolutely worth the stop! We just walked through the old historical part of the center and then hit the road but there are also some cool hiking paths to check out if you want to spend a full day here.
The town dates back pre-Roman and there is a ton of crazy history about a plague hitting the town and then everyone leaving and then years later moving back in. We read all this on Google and skipped a tour.
The town is also where James Bond and some other famous movies have been filmed. When you go and experience it, you'll see why!