Adria Ferries: operates connections between Bari and Albania. Excursions by boat – also by sailing boat – are possible along the whole coast, from Gargano (ideal starting point to visit the Tremiti Islands) to Salento and along the coast of the Bari province from Polignano to Monopoli, with a visit to sea caves only reachable by sea. Gargano Easy to Reach operates connections to Manfredonia/Monte Sant’Angelo, Mattinata, Vieste, Rodi/Peschici. Sea, mountains, hills, plains: in Apulia the landscape is varied and mixed as well as the activities, dynamic or relaxing, you can engage in. This province is also known as Daunia (after Daunians, an Iapygian pre-Roman tribe living in the territory) or else Capitanata, originally Catapanata, because during the Middle Ages it was governed by a catepan, as part of the Catepanate of Italy. 10. Printable Map of Italy Searchable Map of Italy. Besides the many festivals of products of the land organized anywhere in the region, there are some major events of particular relevance: the Carnival in Putignano, one of the oldest in Europe (existing since 1394), in the province of Bari, with its sensational floats; the Notte della Taranta (“Night of Tarantula“), a folk music festival taking place in August in different districts in the province of Lecce, with final concert in Melpignano; the Festival of Valle d’Itria, between July and August, with opera music shows; the Locus Festival, in August in Locorotondo, showcasing music from all over the world; the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, an international diving competition taking place in Polignano a Mare since 2009, scheduled for July; the Holy Week in Francavilla Fontana, from the Holy Wednesday to Easter Sunday, with sacred celebrations and the procession of the “Pappamusci“, and the Focara di Sant’Antonio in Novoli, in the province of Lecce, with celebrations in honor of the patron St. Anthony the Great. First courses are an inevitable dish in the Apulian cuisine, with many countless variations of pasta, possible homemade, according to recipes handed down from generation to generation. If you think of Apulia first of all you think of trulli, the typical dry stone huts with conical roof of the Apulia’s countryside you find scattered all over the central and southern part of the region. 'Speleonights' take small torch-wielding groups into the caves after dark, among the bats, beetles, and crustacea that live there. The Brindisi Aiport is about 6 kilometers away from the city center and about 35 kilometers from Lecce, the best option to reach the Salento area. Puglia offers a couple of interesting options for lodging. Bus Ferrovie del Gargano: comprises eighteen intercity lines in the province of Foggia and nearby province of Barletta-Andria-Trani; other 47 lines cover the whole province of Foggia. Unesco World Heritage Site Alberobello resembles an urban sprawl – for gnomes. The interlinked galleries, first discovered in 1938, contain an incredible range of underground landscapes, with extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations – look out for the jellyfish, the bacon and the stocking. STP Brindisi: operates public transport service in the city of Brindisi and all over its province. BY BUS . Moreover, very charming to travel by car or by bike is the coastal road from Otranto to Santa Maria di Leuca. It's an amazing place, but also something of a tourist trap – from May to October busloads of tourists pile into trullo homes, drink in trullo bars and shop in trullo shops. Travellers bored or worn down by the crowds of Campania and Tuscany can find still release in the baroque splendour of Lecce, ‘Florence of the South’, or one of many lesser (but no less beautiful) Pugliese towns. The centre harbours a nondescript small town with several hotels. Itâs the same grape as Zinfandel in the US and will cozy alongside BBQ burgers. Miccolis Spa: operates connections to Bari, Lecce, Brindisi, Taranto, Potenza, Matera, Salerno and Naples, in summer also to various holiday resorts in Salento. In addition to the connections to and from the airports, other companies operate connections by bus within the region: Puglia Air Bus: connects the airports of Brindisi, Foggia and Bari to different towns in Puglia and to the city of Matera. View Maps of Missouri including interactive county formations, old historical antique atlases, county D.O.T. Puglia lies in the topographical "heel of the boot", the southwestern point on Italy's peninsula. Puglia Air Bus connects the airport to different towns in Apulia, also reaching the city of Matera. Italy’s best dishes and where to try them, Bari reinvented: why you should visit Puglia's underrated port. Check out the Puglia Map and Guide for an overview. The Bari Airport is the main airport in Apulia. Trenitalia long-distance trains connect Bari and Lecce to Italy’s major cities (like Rome, Naples, Salerno, Bologna, Florence, Venice, Milan and Turin). Salento: a charming land with a unique history and traditions, among masserie and white sand beaches with crystal-clear waters (no coincidence called “the Maldives of Italy”). Mimì sadly passed away in 2016, but his extended family keep this delightful place ticking. It is located 9 kilometers away from downtown Bari. Autolinee Ferrovie del Sud Est: operates connections to Bari, Taranto, Lecce and Brindisi and the local districts of any province. Other uncontested symbols of the region are its dry stone walls, very common in Salento and Itria Valley, and its invaluable hundred- and thousand-year old olive trees, that produce a top end oil, Apulia’s true “gold”. All over the region, there are also many festivals, religious and folkloristic traditions that relive all year long in a packed schedule of events. The Castello quarter, founded by the Pisans in the 13th... You are in Home / Discover Italy / Apulia. Buying property. Walkers and mountain bikers will find plenty of well-marked trails within the forest's 5790 sq km. Apulia is always worth a trip, for many reasons. ... + Puglia 137,922 3,423 3,709 92 780 19 26.9 0.67 Show all. It's the last remnant of Puglia's ancient forests: Aleppo pines, oaks, yews and beech trees cloak the hilly terrain. Here the main ones: Tirrenia: operates connections between Termoli and the Tremiti Islands. The islands' main facilities are on San Domino, the largest and lushest island, formerly used to grow crops. Florence. Ostuni: it’s called “White City” due to its historical center of whitewashed houses, a true sight for the eyes, 5. You can reach the city of Bari by train (travel time 20 minutes) or by AMTAB bus with the line number 16 or a shuttle by Autoservizi Tempesta. NavLib: operates connections between the Tremiti Islands and Vieste. Salento in Bus: in summer operates connections by bus with the lines Lecce-Torre dell’Orso-Otranto, Gallipoli-Maglie, Maglie-Santa Cesarea Terme-Castro-Marina di Andrano, Lecce-Porto Cesareo-Gallipoli, Otranto-Santa Cesarea Terme-Castro-Santa Maria di Leuca, Lecce-Maglie-Otranto, Lecce-Maglie-Tricase-Santa Maria di Leuca, Lecce-Gallipoli-Santa Maria di Leuca, Galatina-Galatone-Gallipoli-Posto Vecchio, Porto Cesareo-Riva degli Angeli. Also Vieste, in the Gargano promontory, is a popular destination for surfers and windsurfers, especially the bay of Santa Maria di Merino and Manaccora. By The New York Times Updated February 19, 2021, 12:08 A.M. E.T. The company Puglia Air Bus connects the airport to many towns in Apulia, also reaching the city of Matera. Many companies operate connections by sea to and from Apulia. Bicycle lovers can choose among many itineraries all over the region, particularly suitable in spring and autumn, when temperatures are mild: among the most famous bike itineraries is Anello del Salento (“Salento loop”), 200 kilometers mostly flat, that passes through small villages and food and wine points of interest, or the countryside roads crossing the Itria Valley, among trulli and dry-stone walls, with a must-do stop in Alberobello, Locorotondo and Cisternino. STP: serves the province of Bari and part of the provinces of Foggia and Taranto. In addition to the connections to and from the airports, other companies operate connections by bus within the region: Puglia Air Bus: connects the airports of Brindisi, Foggia and Bari to different towns in Puglia and to the city of Matera. Ferrovie del Gargano: operates connections all over the province of Foggia. Alberobello and Itria Valley: among mild elevations and centuries-old olive trees, this is the valley of trulli and quaint villages like Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino and Martina Franca, 4. Ferrotramviaria: operates in the area to the north of Bari and connect it to important localities in the northern part of the province and in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. Trento, Trentino. Ok Ferry: operates connections between the Tremiti Islands and Rodi Garganico, Peschici and Vieste, between Bari and Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and Greece. I want emails from Lonely Planet with travel and product information, promotions, advertisements, third-party offers, and surveys. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. All rights reserved. The Apulia region is also a land of valued wines: among its most well-known examples you have Primitivo di Manduria, a DOC and DOCG protected red wine of the province of Brindisi and Taranto, Negroamaro, a vine variety native of Salento, also in its variation as Salice Salentino DOC, that can also be rosé, and Castel Del Monte Aglianico, a DOC red wine produced in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani and Bari. Here we have picked ten top localities for you where to start your discovery of the region: 1. Organic wine and food tours in Tuscany. More than 65 different types of orchid have been discovered here, and the wildlife includes roe deer, wild boar, foxes, badgers and the increasingly rare wild cat. Within its territory Apulia preserves many churches, monasteries and places of worship: unmissable stages of a religious tour in the region are the Otranto Cathedral, the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, the Basilica di Santa Croce in Lecce, the San Michele Cave Church, in Gravina, the Sant'Antonio Church in Alberobello (of course trullo-shaped), the Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, in San Giovanni Rotondo that preserves the remains of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. The region's trulli, small, conical stone dwellings, are perhaps its most enduring image. Superfast Ferries: operates connections between Bari and Greece. Just a few miles outside of Rome, in the heart of the Castelli Romani, stands the Monastery of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata, better-knownas the... Cagliari surprises its visitors thanks to its perfect blend of art, history and nature. Learn How to Retire in Italy From American Expats Who Actually Did It. It's ringed by alternating sandy beaches and limestone cliffs; inland grows thick maquis flecked with rosemary and foxglove. The starters of the Apulian tradition offer plenty of tasty, appetizing meat and fish dishes. Either way, it's a lively, graceful but relaxed university town with some upmarket boutiques, decent Pugliese restaurants, and a strong tradition for papier-mâché making. Italy produces a huge amount of table wine, Vermouth, and cooking wines (such as Marsala).That being said, there are 3 major regions that produce high quality table wines and they are: Veneto, Tuscany, and Piedmont! Previously overlooked as a gritty, working-class port, the authentic and welcoming city of Bari is now infused with a new energy and vibrancy. Head to the heel of Italy's boot and discover a region with reasons to celebrate local food all year round. Gargano: the “spur of the Italian boot” is a promontory of pristine wilderness and wonderful beaches, charming villages, olive and citrus groves, 3. 204,500 acres / 82,760 hectares. The 'Forest of Shadows' is the Gargano's enchanted interior – thickets of tall, epic trees interspersed with picnic spots bathed in dappled light. The capital city of the Trentino region, Trento is a perfectly sized city break.It wonât exhaust you like a weekend in Rome, but it still provides ample opportunity to experience the best of Italy; culture, art, food, more food and that relaxed vibe that makes Italy so unique, making it a firm favourite on my Italy hidden gem list.