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Puglia (Polignano a Mare & Alberobello)
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Puglia (Polignano a Mare & Alberobello)

Clifftop Swims and the Trulli Houses of Alberobello

Plan this trip
3 daysIdeal stay₹9,590From / night₹2,660Food / dayFreeEntry

Italy's heel: Polignano a Mare on the cliffs with the Lama Monachile cove, the cone-roofed trulli of Alberobello (UNESCO), whitewashed Ostuni, Monopoli's harbour, and Lecce's baroque further south. Polignano is 35 minutes by train from Bari airport and station; Alberobello an hour by the Sud Est line. A car helps for the Itria valley masserie (farm stays). Orecchiette and burrata; cheaper than the Amalfi Coast.

Highlights

  • Swim at Lama Monachile
  • Alberobello's trulli
  • Whitewashed Ostuni
  • Night in a trullo or masseria
  • Grotte di Castellana caves
  • Orecchiette-making in Bari Vecchia
  • Boat to the sea caves

Things to do

  • Alberobello trulli and LocorotondoMorning · 5h
  • Swim and sea-cave boat trip at PolignanoAfternoon · 3h
  • Ostuni and MonopoliAfternoon · 5h
  • Grotte di Castellana cavesMorning · 2h 30m
  • Bari Vecchia orecchiette street and seafoodEvening · 3h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: May – June, September – October

Worth knowing

August Peak: Italians on Holiday

August, and the week of Ferragosto (15 August) above all, is the busiest time on the coasts, lakes and islands: rooms cost the most of the year and sell out, beaches and beach clubs fill, ferries and trains to the coast are booked solid, and roads jam. Book rooms, ferries and trains months ahead, or come in June or September.

Heads up

Summer Heat

July and August regularly bring heatwaves of 35-40 °C to Rome, Florence, the south and Sicily. Sightsee early and late, rest in the afternoon, carry water (Rome's street fountains are drinkable), and book rooms with air-conditioning. Churches still require covered shoulders and knees, so carry a light scarf.

  • Ferragosto — The Assumption holiday and the peak of the Italian summer holiday: beaches, lakes and islands are at their fullest and dearest, many city shops and restaurants close for the week either side, and there are fireworks and beach parties on the coast. Book everything well ahead.