Help me decide: Sicily or Puglia/Basilicata for 2 - 2.5 weeks October 2022

[milgreen2]

trying to flex our travel muscles again, and are looking ahead to early/mid October 2022. the soonest we can leave the US is the 9th or so.
we loved our trip to Sicily a couple of years ago, and were thinking of returning to visit Western Sicily and the Egadi islands, then to Cefalu, northern Etna region, Messina for a museum drive-by and Ortigia (sigh) for a few days. we'd fly into Palermo, home from Catania
BUT
Puglia has been on our minds for several years and it feels like we should visit before it gets way too crowded -- I'm sure some would say that ship has sailed :~) -- and Matera beckons. Not sure what our entry and departure airports would be.
would love feedback, ideas, more inspiration!

 

[Ian Sutton]

Both good options IMO and not a bad time of year to visit either.

Bari or Brindisi likely to be the airport options for Puglia; Catania and Palermo as you say for Sicily. I tend to see quite early on in planning if that's likely to be a factor in the decision making, as getting sensibly timed flights from a more local home airport does make for a less disruptive travel experience. FWIW we found the roads out of Bari airport pleasingly quiet when hiring a car there.

Will Puglia get too crowded? If focused on Alberobello, then yes it's arguably already a bit touristy, but outside of that, I think you'll be fine.

We certainly enjoyed sampling the different small towns such as Locorotondo, Martina Franca, etc. and such day tripping is easy to do. We didn't venture into Bari or Brindisi (nor indeed sadly Lecce), except for arriving in Bari on the overnight train from Ferrara - so our brief observations would be too fuzzy!

 

[Kathy]

I spent three+ weeks in Puglia (based in Ostuni) in October 2021 and was also there for two+ weeks in October/early November in 2018 when I stayed in several different places. I think it's a good time of year to visit. I haven't spent any time in Bari or Brindisi, but I love Lecce and the smaller towns are also very interesting. I also really enjoy the coast down near Otranto. And if you're in Puglia, yes... definitely go to neighboring Basilicata and spend some time in Matera.

 

[milgreen2]

thanks so much for your replies! Kathy, were there any wonderful hotels/apts you stayed in that you would recommend? the travel books I requested from the library are in, so I look forward to settling in with a cup of tea this afternoon and starting to dig in more deeply. we prefer to be where we want in the morning, so don't mind moving around every few days, rather than having a hour's drive for a day trip. so many of the masseria and small hotels and air bnb apartments look charming that it's hard to choose! not to mention the possibility of staying in a trullo.
we love to walk on beaches, but don't really care about swimming or spending the whole day -- for that we head to the Caribbean or Cape Cod :~).

 

[Kathy]

If you have a car, there are some beautiful masserias. Some are full-fledged resorts, others more of an agriturismo. Maybe stay somewhere near Polignano a Mare, close to the coast. Near Locorotondo and Martina Franca, you could stay in a truili hotel. You just want to be reasonably close to options for dinner.

There are many options in Lecce, for hotels, B&Bs and rentals... excellent restaurants too.

I visited this lovely B&B in Ostuni. https://www.ilsognodellebenedettine.it/en/ This is my home base in Ostuni: https://www.laterrahotel.it/en/home-en/

In Otranto, I loved this small hotel: https://www.hotelpalazzopapaleo.com/

Parking is a challenge when you stay inside these historic towns, as you'll need to park at some distance to the pedestrian center. In Ostuni and Otranto, the hotel picked us (and our luggage) at the parking to take us to the hotel in a small car or golf cart.

 

[Rdice]

Looking to spend two weeks in Puglia in Sept/Oct 2023 like to be near water and coast but not interested in beach days. We enjoy wandering around small old towns, scenic drives and visiting villages. Trying to find one good base or maybe to to experience the area. Help please with any recommendation…we will have a car and enjoy quaint small hotels and masserias. Like to have nice a few of simple trattorias for a nice dinner after touring all day. Appreciate any help!

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Rdice
It sounds like a good choice of destination based on those aims.
Places like Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Alberobello, Ostuni, Cisternino etc. all should give you the small old town vibe, albeit with more modern parts as well. Locorotondo especially appealed to us - probably our favourite of the towns there.

The driving is typically scenic and pleasant between the towns... but do be prepared for going into them and through them to be a little stressful, as old streets aren't so great for traffic and I don't recall a single 'bypass' to avoid going through them.

We didn't do much coastal driving, and I'd say that's likely to be a mixed bag, of some uninspiring resorts, some lovely stretches and the odd big town. A strong recommendation for Trani though, as it's a gem of Venetian architecture, complete with castle, yet also is on the coast and didn't feel spoiled by tourism / development. There will be other good places - just that we didn't go looking for them.

The accommodation at https://www.masserianarducci.it/it/ (in a small village towards the northern end of those towns) was a bit basic (not helped by it being November and my partner having a dreadful cold), but it looks nice in the pictures, so perhaps they've upgraded it. Definitely consider the food if you're in the area, good local stuff, with plenty they grow themselves. I'll even excuse them serving tripe as one of the dishes!

My gut feel though, is it's nice to stay in a location where you can walk to a different restaurant each evening, so you can safely have a couple of drinks, and not have to stress about driving in the dark. If that's less of a concern for you, then it opens up even more places, but somewhere like Martina Franca (or indeed Locorotondo) is where I'd think about staying if we returned.