Puglia

[EdnaK]

Planning on 2 weeks here. Thinking about renting a place near Lecce and then Matera. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks.
Edna K

 

[Kportgrl]

Hi Edna. We just got back from 2 weeks in Puglia. And Lecce was our FAVE spot. So much to see and do there, and it’s a great base for Day trips. We actually had other bases too including Trani, Ostuni and Otranto. We spent 3 days in Matera as well. Although it was like no place we had ever seen, it was a disappointment to us in that we were not at all prepared for the CROWDS and non-stop large tours of people going through there. We assumed because it was undiscovered to North America, that it would be the same for Europe. We don’t regret going but wished we had limited it to an overnight. Just my two cents..,

 

[EdnaK]

Thanks so much for your reply. Can’t Matera be used as a base as well?

 

[Kportgrl]

Matera is kind of off on its own and it’s actually part of a different region called Basicalata. Most people we met there (including us) were not using it as a base, but rather just staying there. If you wanted to explore other parts of Basicalata, you could I guess base yourself in Matera. I’m no expert, perhaps others who are more familiar with these areas will way in.

 

[Pauline]

We’ve done one trip to Puglia, based for a week in Ostuni, followed by a night in Matera. While I liked Ostuni if I were doing it again I would look at staying in the countryside near Ostuni or Martina Franca.

I agree with Kportgrl, spend a couple of nights in Matera but don’t use it as a base. And I agree with her recommendation of Lecce too.

 

[EdnaK]

Thanks for the advice. Since I’m now planning for only 3-4 days in Matera how much time should we allot in Lecce using it as our base? We don’t need our days totally filled with sightseeing. We like to spend the mornings sightseeing and then a nice lunch wherever we happen to be. We plan on renting a house with a pool so there’s the afternoon. Dinner is usually eaten in from purchases made at farmers market. Perhaps a local stroll afterwards!

 

[Kportgrl]

Matera is kind of off on its own and it’s actually part of a different region called Basicalata. Most people we met there (including us) were not using it as a base, but rather just staying there. If you wanted to explore other parts of Basicalata, you could I guess base yourself in Matera. I’m no expert, perhaps others who are more familiar with these areas will way in.

Planning on 2 weeks here. Thinking about renting a place near Lecce and then Matera. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks.
Edna K

Thanks for the advice. Since I’m now planning for only 3-4 days in Matera how much time should we allot in Lecce using it as our base? We don’t need our days totally filled with sightseeing. We like to spend the mornings sightseeing and then a nice lunch wherever we happen to be. We plan on renting a house with a pool so there’s the afternoon. Dinner is usually eaten in from purchases made at farmers market. Perhaps a local stroll afterwards!

When we were in Lecce for 4 nights, we stayed in the Old Town and walked everywhere. We did not day trip from there at all ( largely because I was battling a nasty bug). But we loved the Old Town and our hosts told us that most of their guests did the same. I’m not sure that you would be able to find a house with pool in Old Lecce. And I don’t have much of a feel for Lecce outside the walls. In terms of daytrips, what is your ideal length of a daytrip. When we get past the 90 minute mark ( one way), we consider how much we want to see the sight. Trani, Poligno al Mare or Monopoli are other spots you might consider staying if you prefer “shorter” day trips. We did all our Day trips from Ostuni but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it above the other places I mentioned. Many people like to stay in one of the Val d’itrea towns as well.

 

[Ian Sutton]

At the risk of blowing my 'slow' credentials entirely, I'd say it's feasible to have a 3 base holiday here spread across 2 weeks. Say 4 days Lecce, 3-4 days Matera and the rest exploring the area around Martina Franca, Alberobello, Locorotondo etc. Of course the days could be switched around to suit.

The thinking is that each of the 3 bases could give you something distinctively different, yet the transfer time between bases is modest, such that you're not losing great chunks from your holiday.

That said, with a joy in really exploring places, rather than superficial visits, there is no reason that 2x1 week bases can't work brilliantly.

 

[Kportgrl]

I agree Ian. I think its also about how far afield one wishes to venture. We usually don’t like to rush out in the mornings so that doesn’t get us too far before the “lunch break”. I would favour the 3 stop approach. And we’ll be doing that next year during our France 2 weeks.

 

[EdnaK]

Thanks for all of your thoughts. We’ve found 2 rentals just outside of Lecce that each have a pool. Neither are more than 15 minutes from Lecce. In terms of sightseeing we are morning people. The longest we’d like to drive are 90 minutes but that is the exception. On a 2 week adventure we would prefer 2 stays, not 3.