Travel time: Mid-September 2020
Travelling as a couple with a rental car
Travelling from Switzerland to Apulia
We decided to travel by plane, as you would have to allow around 13 hours for a journey by car. Swiss flies daily from Zurich to Brindisi at affordable prices of CHF 150. At Brindisi airport, we rented a small Fiat Panda from Goldcar, at a price of CHF 360 for 12 days. A small minibus was waiting for us in front of the arrivals hall and took us to our rental car within a few minutes. The round trip through Apulia could thus begin.
From Brindisi to Torre dell'Orso
Our first leg took us from Brindisi airport to Torre dell'Orso, a small coastal town in south-eastern Puglia, a good hour from Brindisi.Â
Staying overnight in Torre dell'Orso
For 3 nights we booked a simple room at the Hotel Belvedere Salento. The location is perfect, directly on the sea and surrounded by various restaurants and bars. The Torre dell'Orso towers in front of the hotel and is romantically illuminated at night by pastel-coloured spotlights. The highlight of the hotel is the rooftop pool, which offers a fantastic view and invites you to take an early morning swim at sunrise as well as to enjoy the sunset on the various loungers, hammocks and daybeds.
www.hotelbelvederesalento.com
Dining in Torre dell'Orso
There are a number of fantastic restaurants in Torre dell'Orso. I can especially recommend the "Modo Bar & Kitchen" on the Piazza Salva D'Acquisto. The leafy outdoor area evokes a Bali feeling and invites you both for an aperitif and for dinner. Modo is known for its oysters, pulpo (octopus) burgers with burrata and two-page gin menu. If your heart beats for gin, Modo will not disappoint.
If you prefer classic Italian cuisine and good pizza, Pizzeria Dietro d'Angelo on Via Lenin is the place to go.Â
A little insider's tip for a cheerful aperitif: Bar La Torre, right on the corner of Matteotti, opposite the famous Dentoni confectionery. When you walk past the bar, the red plastic chairs don't invite you to linger, but it's worth the visit. A glass of prosecco or an Aperol Spritz costs only 2.50 euros and since the bar is integrated into a small supermarket, you can have your very own meat plate put together at the meat counter. Another plus: Best spot for peoplewatching. The bar is located on a busy street, so you're guaranteed not to get bored with this aperitif.
Other good restaurants in Torre dell'Orso:
Soulfood: unbeatable location and great ambience right by the sea. Lots of parking spaces, also suitable for large cars, vans and camper vans.
Mercato del Pesce: Seafood in every imaginable variety. From sea urchin to lobster and tuna tartar. Also available: seafood tastings.
Excursions from Torre dell'Orso
Grotte della Poesia
On the first day, we walked from our hotel along the rocky coast towards Roca. Although some parts of the coast are no longer accessible due to undercutting, this route is worthwhile and the panorama is impressive. A small path leads past the turquoise sea and steep cliffs. After a 20-minute walk, you reach the first ruins of Roca Vecchia, a fortified settlement from the time before Christ. The archaeologically important site extends over an area of more than 3 hectares.
In the midst of the ruins lies the real highlight of this excursion. The Grotte della Poesia. One of the most beautiful natural pools in the world. A hole about 15m by 30m, filled with the clearest turquoise sea water, accessible either by a brave jump from 5 metres or a rocky staircase. The cave has direct underground access to the sea, which means it is constantly fed with fresh water. It is advisable to visit the grotto early in the morning or late in the evening, as it is very busy during the day and is also a popular destination for tour groups of all kinds.
Trip to Lecce
From Otranto you can reach Lecce in about 30 minutes by car. The largest city in the south of Apulia offers a wide range of possibilities. If you are interested in history, for example, you will find an old amphitheatre at the Piazza Sant'Oronza and another Roman theatre including a museum on the Via del Teatro Romano. But shopping enthusiasts also get their money's worth in Lecce. The car-free Via Salvatore Trinchese is lined with shops such as Zara, Oysho, Tezenis and Calzedonia.
Eating in Lecce
There are several great restaraunts around the park in front of the Chiesa di Santa Chiara church. We went to Alibi and enjoyed the best pulpo bruschetta and a salad that was covered with so much bresoala that you couldn't see the greens for all the meat. But hey, Puglia is not for vegetarians. This should be noted at this point.Â
Parking in Lecce
There are various parking possibilities. We parked directly at the Piazza Mazzini. It is surrounded by several car parks. Cost: 3-4 euros per day.Â
By bike from Torre dell'Orso to Otranto
On the second day we rented bikes from a friendly German-speaking Italian with a past in Switzerland. For 12 euros a day we got relatively new, though not very high-quality (Rockrider from Decathlon) bikes. However, they were perfectly adequate for the one-hour ride to Otranto. We used the offline map app "maps.me" to enter the route, but chose the walking route instead of the bike route, as we did not want to take the direct route via the main road to Otranto. The decision turned out to be 90% correct. Most of the route leads through forests, often a bit rough and bumpy. Not recommended with a normal city bike, but easy to master with a mountain bike. A small section also leads along the beautiful Baia dei Turchi beach, where we had to push the bike for a short while. However, a refreshing dip in the turquoise blue sea compensates for the little exertions. On the way back, we followed the main road, except for a short stretch where an official bike route, the Pista 13, was signposted.
Bike rental in Torre dell'Orso
This small shop is located on Via Lenin and also offers scooter, citybike, motorbike, car and shuttle bus rental.Â
www.noleggioautotorredellorso.it
Otranto - the white castle town
When we arrived in Otranto, we first had a cool drink at the Maestrale. The cosy bar is located on a pier in the harbour and offers a good view of the imposing walls of the city as well as the sea. Afterwards, we dived into the cute little old town. We meandered through narrow alleys past small boutiques and market stalls. There is something to eat or drink on every corner. At the end of Via Immacolata, one restaurant follows the next.
Restaurant recommendations for Otranto:Â
Blu Bar Bistrot - famous for its huge antipasti platters.
Agli Angeli Ribello - Must try: Linguine ai frutti di Mare
SoFish - Best lobster roll in the world!
From Torre dell'Orso to Santa Maria di Leuca
On day 3 we continue from Torre dell'Orso to Santa Maria di Leuca. The journey takes about 1h 15min. When we arrive in the town, we immediately realise that we are going to love it here. The promenade is lined with huge palm trees and fairy lights and the town beach is small and cute. The rocky coast is well developed with various lidos made of wooden terraces. An active lighthouse shows ships the way at night and adds a certain something to the small harbour town. A huge drained waterfall, the end of an equaduct called Cascata monumentale, delights at night with its opulent illumination in Italy's national colours. There are over a hundred steps to climb, but the view over the town is well worth it.Â
Staying overnight in Santa Maria di Leuca
For our overnight stay in Leuca we chose the Hotel Terminal. It belongs to the Caroli Hotel Group and is located directly on the promenade. Although we didn't explicitly book a room with a sea view, we ended up in one of them. The view is indescribably beautiful and one tends to stay in the room longer than necessary. The huge pool behind the hotel looked very well kept, empty sun loungers as far as the eye could see. If you are looking for peace and quiet, you will find it here.Â
Just in front of the hotel is a small road subway leading to the hotel's own private beach. 22 mint-white sunshades with deckchairs make the stay extremely pleasant.
www.carolihotels.com/hotel-terminal
Dining in Santa Maria di Leuca
The promenade of Santa Maria di Leuca offers a variety of food options. One restaurant is lined up next to the next.Â
Recommendations:Â
Lido Azzurro Leuca - The catch of the day is waiting well chilled in the glass cabinet to be selected. Lobster, red snapper, mackerel, prawns and many more.
Samarinda Fine Beach - Speciality of the house: Carpaccio di Gamberi e Kiwi and many more creative creations. It's also a great place to spend the whole day. Beautiful lido with direct access to the sea.
Beach Clubs in Puglia
In my opinion, the most beautiful beach club in Puglia is the Blanc Luxury Beach Club in Santa Maria di Leuca. For me, it is the epitome of a perfect beach club. Comfortable double daybeds with white curtains, three small jetties directly into the sea, good music, cool drinks and delicious food. A waterfront daybed costs 40 euros in low season, 70 euros in high season. The only downer to the perfect ambience: the service leaves a lot to be desired. You could easily go the whole day without consuming anything. Not once did anyone come by to ask if we wanted to order something. But when you place your orders at the bar, they help you carry the wine cooler to the front. At least.
www.blancleuca.com
Other beach clubs:
G Beach Gallipoli - The Lido is located at the end of the Baia Verde south of Gallipoli. It was built on white wooden terraces and has three sea accesses. You pay 45 euros for an umbrella and two sunbeds. There are no daybeds. Opens as early as 9:00 am. Daily DJ sets from 5:30 p.m. www.gbeach.it
Rent a boat in Puglia
In Puglia, there is a harbour and one or more boat rental companies in almost every larger town. We chose Piccola Nautica in Santa Maria di Leuca. They offer three different boats between 40 and 120 hp, which can be driven with or without a boat licence. We decided on the "Lady" model, which can be driven without a licence. With it, we first went along the east coast to visit the Terrarico, Purraru, Vedusella, Soffio and Le Sciancagghie caves. Due to the rather strong swell, we then headed back towards the west coast. Here the waters are calmer and it is worth anchoring in front of the Grotte delle Tre Porte to explore the grotto by swimming. We spent the rest of the time in the beautiful bay off Marina di Felloniche.Â
Cost for a little more than 3 hours' sailing time: 90 euros. We booked the boat directly at the Piccola Nautica office on Via Doppia Croce, on the same day. In high season, it's worth booking early the day before.
www.piccolanautica.it
From Santa Maria di Leuca to Pescoluse (Maldive del Salento)
In the southwest of Puglia, between Santa Maria di Leuca and Gallipoli, lies the village of Pescoluse. The village's beach, the Spiaggia di Pescoluse, is known by the nickname Maldive del Salento. The kilometre-long white sandy beach is the pride of the south and is therefore often compared to the Maldives. It may be that this comparison was appropriate in the past, but today, unfortunately, there is not much left of it. One lido follows the next, sun loungers and parasols as far as the eye can see and countless locals, tourists, beach vendors and water sport offers.Â
A small oasis of peace in the midst of all the hustle and bustle is the Cinque Vele Beach Resort. It consists of three beach sections, which are divided into a family area with children, a child-free relaxation area with extra-wide sun loungers, and a VIP area with luxurious beach pavilions.Â
Prices vary depending on the day of the week, the season and the row of beaches. Approx. 60 euros in the relaxation area, approx. 300 euros in the VIP area. You can easily choose and book your berth online via the website.
www.lecinquevele.com
From Pescoluse to Gallipoli
An absolute must on any trip to Puglia is the harbour town of Gallipoli. It is famous for its old town, which is completely surrounded by water, culinary highlights and vibrant nightlife. A special jewel is the old town beach Spiagga della Purità . Few visitors, no sun loungers or parasols and the clearest turquoise water anywhere.Â
Eating and drinking in the old town of Gallipoli
Just above the Spiagga della Purità is the Café del Mar on a platform in front of the city wall. Thanks to the fantastic view, it's a good place to linger for a while. We start with a cappuccino and Shakerato con Baileys, followed by Prosecco and Aperol Spritz, which are generously served with chips, olives and taralli.
A particularly nice location for dinner is the Ristorante Terrazza sul Mare of the Hotel Il Bastione at 28 Riviera Nazario Sauro. It is nestled in a terrace slightly below the city walls and offers mainly seafood dishes.
Fish market in Gallipoli
If you visit the old town of Gallipoli, you can't miss the fish market. Every morning, the fishermen loudly advertise their fresh catches. In the evening, various restaurants around the fish market invite you to a seafood aperitif of the highest order. You can have your aperitif platter put together from baskets and display cases. Sea urchins, calamari, langoustines, oysters, mussels and much more can be tasted freshly caught here, of course always combined with a good glass of wine. The Pescheria La Lampara, which runs another restaurant inside the old town, is highly recommended.Â
La Lampara Pescheria, at the fish market near the entrance to the old town. Daily 7:30-24:00
La Lampara Fish Lab Restaurant, Via Incrociata 10/12, Lunch 11:00-16:00, Dinner 19:00-24:00
www.lalamparagallipoli.it
Staying overnight in Gallipoli
As we were travelling with a rental car, we decided to stay outside the old town, which had limited traffic. In the Spuma di Mare Residence we had a beautiful room on the 4th floor with a sea view and a spacious terrace. An unforgettably beautiful awakening every morning. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to the old town. If that's too far, you can rent a city bike from Blurent around the corner or order a tuktuk from the Residence Office.
Residence Spuma di Mare. Superior Room, from 70 euros per night.
www.spumadimare.com
From Gallipoli to Ostuni
From Gallipoli we continue our journey to Ostuni, the white town in the north-east of Apulia. The journey takes about 1h 20min. Majestically built on a hill, the Città Bianca is visible from far away. Parking is outside the old town, with extra parking spaces available. Then we walk up the steep steps to the historic centre of the city. Here you treat yourself to a coffee or a gelati and then set off to explore the rest of the city through the narrow alleyways. In between, you can always see the sea from afar.Â
From Ostuni to Polignano a Mare
We spend the last 4 days of our trip in the coastal town of Polignano a Mare, or more precisely, in the suburb of San Vito. Here we put up at the beautiful apartment complex of the Hotel Cala Ponte. An oversized pool invites you to linger.Â
Cala Ponte Hotel, from 70 euros per night www.calapontehotel.com
Dining in Polignano a Mare
Most restaurants in Polignano a Mare are located on Via Roma and in the Centro Storico Polignano around Piazza F. Miani Perotti.Â
Our favourites:
Il Grottino, Via Roma. Here we experienced the best service in all of Puglia. Nowhere else were we served so well, quickly and attentively. Although the restaurant offers a wide range of dishes, from seafood to pasta and pizza, none of the courses disappointed. For starters, we had a 1A Crudo Mare (raw seafood) platter of oysters, langoustines, prawns, mussels and calamari at a fair price of 20Euros. Primi Piatti Orichiette Bolognese, Secondi grilled octopus with homemade chips and for dessert delicious Tiramisu and Panna Cotta.
Antiche Mura, Via Roma. For friends of fresh fishing. An aquarium and the "catch of the day" platter are ready and waiting at the entrance for diners to choose their dinner. The restaurant is very well booked, so it's worth making a reservation.Â
Road Bike/Race Bike Hire in Puglia
We found out pretty quickly that it's not that easy to rent a road bike in Puglia. Bikes, e-bikes and scooters are available on every corner. Classic road bikes, however, are nowhere to be found. Finally, however, we found one in Polignano a Mare. There, the agency Southern Visions Travel rents racing bikes under the name Puglia Cycling. The bikes can be reserved online, but we went in person because the booking system didn't really work. A friendly lady took our contact details and promised that someone would get back to us by phone. This actually happened a few hours later. Via phone and email, we were able to give all the details about our height, type of pedals and other rental items such as helmets.Â
The next day we were able to pick up the two racing bikes. We received a relatively new Scott Addict and a somewhat older Bianchi. In good condition. Plus a Scott helmet. All this for a price of 170Euros for 2 days. The pick-up day (pick-up time at 13:00) was not included, so it was actually 3 days.
From Polignano a Mare to Alberobello by road bike
We set off in the morning at 10:00 towards Alberobello. Overland to Castellana Grotte, up to Alberobello. Most of the roads are in bad condition and you have to concentrate not to hit any potholes. Luckily we found a route that didn't permanently follow the main road, but there were still a few stretches that couldn't be avoided. But the route was still fun and after about 30km and a time of 1h 50min we arrived in Alberobello. After visiting the town, we returned to Polignano a Mare via Monopoli. It took us a total of 3h 12min to cover the 64 kilometres, climbing 676 metres in altitude and enjoying a great descent from Monte San Nicola. I would choose the same route again. It is worth mentioning that this was my very first tour with a road bike (average speed of 20km/h). Experienced riders will therefore complete the route in much less time.
The Trulli Houses of Alberobello
Alberobello presents itself like a cute white and grey dwarf village with its world-famous Trulli houses. I think it's really worth seeing because the sight is quite extraordinary. Nevertheless, after a short walk through the little town, one has seen enough relatively quickly. An ideal stopover for a short excursion.Â
Interestingly, when we visited a restaurant in Alberobello, we paid noticeably tourist prices for the first time during our trip to Puglia. For a Coke and an Icetea we paid 5.80Euro. Normally, a soft drink doesn't cost more than 2 euros anywhere. But the historic town doesn't entertain itself, after all.Â
Monopli
On the last day of our trip we visited the harbour town of Monopoli. We strolled through the old town, along the city wall to the old harbour with its colourful fishing boats and the red and white striped lighthouse. We stopped at CarloQuinto on Via Santa Maria, a restaurant with a wonderful view of the sea and the most delicious bruschette ever (Bruschettone Carlo Quinto with burrata, bresoala, tomatoes, rocket and grilled courgettes).Â
General information about Puglia
Cash is trumps. It is best to have lots of small notes with you.Â
Italian is an advantage. Many speak little or no English.Â
We did not feel the Italian hospitality in many places. We don't know if it was because we were there at the end of the season and they simply didn't want any more tourists. Or whether they generally don't like tourists from countries other than Italy. Or whether it's just their way and they don't mean it as unfriendly as it sometimes comes across.Â
The service is anything but obliging. In restaurants, bars and beach clubs, you always have to make an effort to be served. The waiters rarely come to your table of their own accord to ask if you would like anything else. They also very rarely try to sell you something extra (coffee, dessert, etc.). We would not describe the southern Italians we met as having a sales flair.Â