Hi all, as I mentioned in another post, I'll be on a one-week Puglia tour in October and was planning on heading to Amalfi after that for about 5 days solo, and it occurred to me to just stay in Puglia. The tour will hit the highlights but any suggestion for towns to devote more time? I won't have a car. I love to wander through towns, but would also love to be in a place where I can take walk/hikes out of town. Thinking Ostuni? Locorotundo? Cisternino? Monopoli? Thanks so much!
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Yikes. Seeking suggestions for where to stay in Puglia instead of heading to Amalfi
- Thread starter mismirr
- Start date
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
My gut feel, is to save the walking focus for the Amalfi coast, and the various routes detailed in the Tippett guide (in the sunflower series). For me the landscapes around those Puglian towns are more barren, but the towns themselves wonderfully interesting. The landscapes on the Amalfi coast wonderful, as is the walking, on under-appreciated paths.
That said, https://www.google.com/maps/search/...9389232,16.3440523,9z/data=!3m1!4b1?entry=ttu looks interesting, and FWIW we enjoyed a brief visit to nearby Gravina in Puglia, a rather (pleasingly) humdrum town, with a gaping ravine cutting it in two. Also https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parco+Naturale+Regionale+Dune+Costiere+da+Torre…/@40.8024484,17.5076609,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x134645d74e6eac6d:0xc7a1ab5fff156c79!8m2!3d40.8018474!4d17.5210208?entry=ttu might be handily accessible.
Also Scavi D'Egnazia is quite a sprawling open air excavation of a roman era settlement.
Favourite towns of the region for me were Locorotondo (relaxed), Martina Franca (more substantial, and also with plenty of trulli, but without the tourists of Alberobello), Ostuni (more substantial again). Cisternino also looked nice, but we didn't stop there.
That said, https://www.google.com/maps/search/...9389232,16.3440523,9z/data=!3m1!4b1?entry=ttu looks interesting, and FWIW we enjoyed a brief visit to nearby Gravina in Puglia, a rather (pleasingly) humdrum town, with a gaping ravine cutting it in two. Also https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parco+Naturale+Regionale+Dune+Costiere+da+Torre…/@40.8024484,17.5076609,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x134645d74e6eac6d:0xc7a1ab5fff156c79!8m2!3d40.8018474!4d17.5210208?entry=ttu might be handily accessible.
Also Scavi D'Egnazia is quite a sprawling open air excavation of a roman era settlement.
Favourite towns of the region for me were Locorotondo (relaxed), Martina Franca (more substantial, and also with plenty of trulli, but without the tourists of Alberobello), Ostuni (more substantial again). Cisternino also looked nice, but we didn't stop there.
Tina
100+ Posts
I agree with Ian that Puglia is more for walking around towns than hiking, with the exception of the Mattinata/Monte Sant'Angelo area.
slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com
But these are lonely places in October and I wouldn't hike there alone myself, except for the ones along the coast. The same is true of the Gargano and Forest Umbra area which has good hikes but will be too quiet in October.
You could stay in Trani. Starting from the cathedral, right round the port past the villa communale (Park) and down the seafront as far as the beach (Lido Colonna and the promontory and monastery) makes a fantastic walk. From Trani it's easy to take the train and visit places along the main line on the eastern coast. (scroll down this post to point 10)
slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com
In the Valle d'itria area there's a good cycle path along the Aquedotto Pugliese but it doesn't link one town with another
www.aqp.it
A good option might be down in the Salento area - you could get some ideas here:
Hiking near Mattinata in Gargano in September
A blog about travel, vacations and holidays in Italy and Spain with advice, tips and trip reports
slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com
But these are lonely places in October and I wouldn't hike there alone myself, except for the ones along the coast. The same is true of the Gargano and Forest Umbra area which has good hikes but will be too quiet in October.
You could stay in Trani. Starting from the cathedral, right round the port past the villa communale (Park) and down the seafront as far as the beach (Lido Colonna and the promontory and monastery) makes a fantastic walk. From Trani it's easy to take the train and visit places along the main line on the eastern coast. (scroll down this post to point 10)
What to see and do in Trani
A blog about travel, vacations and holidays in Italy and Spain with advice, tips and trip reports
slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com
In the Valle d'itria area there's a good cycle path along the Aquedotto Pugliese but it doesn't link one town with another
La ciclovia di Acquedotto Pugliese | Acquedotto Pugliese
La ciclovia dell'acqua, finanziato da Regione Puglia e realizzato da AQP, propone un itinerario dedicato a passeggiate a piedi e in bicicletta.
A good option might be down in the Salento area - you could get some ideas here:
Coast of Salento, Otranto-Lecce easier version|
Easy walk in Puglia, from Otranto to Lecce I SloWays, Self-Guided Hiking Experts | Bag transfers, 24/7 Support, Finest Italian Trails. Talk to Us Today!
www.sloways.eu
Very good information provided by Ian and Tina.
I'm a walker/hiker (going hiking in Liguria at the end of September). I visited Puglia last year and spent eleven days exploring the area. I really enjoyed my visit. Great towns and cities. Lovely food. Lovely people. Good walking in the towns but the better hiking opportunities seemed to be in areas (mentioned by Tina) that generally weren't public transportation friendly.
I also traveled exclusively using public transportation. Of the towns you mentioned. I would pick Monopoli. It's a really nice town that has a central location for day-trips and a conveniently located train station. I also really liked Trani (that would also be a good option).
I loved Ostuni. It's worth noting that the train station is approximately 2km from the center (so not as conveniently located for day-trips).
Locorotondo was lovely. However, Locorotondo, Alberobello (very touristy but for good reason) and Cisternino are not the best base areas for day-trips as they're not on the main train line (Foggia to Lecce).
I did see more than a few biking groups while I was in Puglia. It did seem like they were part of touring groups who were traveling from one location to another (maybe with a van to carry their luggage).
Have fun planning your trip.
I'm a walker/hiker (going hiking in Liguria at the end of September). I visited Puglia last year and spent eleven days exploring the area. I really enjoyed my visit. Great towns and cities. Lovely food. Lovely people. Good walking in the towns but the better hiking opportunities seemed to be in areas (mentioned by Tina) that generally weren't public transportation friendly.
I also traveled exclusively using public transportation. Of the towns you mentioned. I would pick Monopoli. It's a really nice town that has a central location for day-trips and a conveniently located train station. I also really liked Trani (that would also be a good option).
I loved Ostuni. It's worth noting that the train station is approximately 2km from the center (so not as conveniently located for day-trips).
Locorotondo was lovely. However, Locorotondo, Alberobello (very touristy but for good reason) and Cisternino are not the best base areas for day-trips as they're not on the main train line (Foggia to Lecce).
I did see more than a few biking groups while I was in Puglia. It did seem like they were part of touring groups who were traveling from one location to another (maybe with a van to carry their luggage).
Have fun planning your trip.
I wouldn't want to discourage you from hiking from one town to the next. I just have no experience with that kind of hiking in Puglia. Places like Liguria are set up well for that.
I did a little searching and found this conversation (https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTop...06-Puglia_hiking_from_town_to_town-Italy.html) that points to town to town hiking in the Valle d'Itria.
Good luck!
I did a little searching and found this conversation (https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTop...06-Puglia_hiking_from_town_to_town-Italy.html) that points to town to town hiking in the Valle d'Itria.
Good luck!