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We look at the main accommodation types you'll find across Puglia, what each delivers day to day, and where the gap between the photographs and the reality tends to open up. From masserie, trulli, boutique hotel accommodation through to B&Bs, VRBO old town (and modern) apartments, we explain the advantages and drawbacks of each, to help you choose the right kind of accommodation for your stay in Puglia. Check out our Puglia Guys Where to Stay in Puglia Guide for our personal recommendations - where we stay on our travels around Puglia.

Visiting Puglia this Autumn (the Fall)? Expect a different version of Puglia.  A great deal of travel writing describes Puglia outside the summer peak as a place where you get all the same things, minus the crowds. That's only partly true. Puglia's tourism economy is heavily seasonal, and when the visitors leave, some of the businesses serving them leave with them: a restaurant that ran every night in August may shut for the winter; a beach bar may close outright; a lido may strip its sunbeds and shutter its kitchen. A small coastal town that was loud until midnight in July can feel genuinely sleepy by November. Don't assume an autumn Puglia town is simply its summer self with fewer people in it. October read as transitional, November suited far more naturally to cities, inland towns, food and culture, with tourist life scaled right back in some coastal spots. All of which means an autumn trip is worth planning differently from a summer one. Done well, this is where the season starts to feel less like a compromise and more like its own kind of trip. Plus our Puglia Guys Autumn Puglia itinerary for you: follow the season! For more information and links to the places we suggest in our Autumn itinerary guide, read our Autumn in Puglia feature.

Over the past year, we've had the opportunity to meet more and more first-time visitors to Puglia from the States. We've been asking them a simple question: what do you wish you'd known before you arrived that would have made your vacation better? The answers have been remarkably consistent. And many of them are not understood by US-based travel advisors, which doesn't help your expectations either! So, rather than simply telling you what we think you need to know, we've built this episode of the Puglia Podcast around what those travellers told us: the things they wished they'd understood before arriving, the expectations that didn't quite match reality, and the small pieces of local knowledge that would have made their trips easier and, ultimately, better. This is what nobody told them. Access the companion guide by the Puglia Guys here - Nobody Told Us: Puglia for Travellers from the USA.

Buying a house in Puglia and not sure how to go about it or what to expect? We're often contacted about buying property in Puglia — where to buy, how the process works, and what foreign buyers should know about buying a house or home here. But as travel writers, rather than property professionals, that's a little outside our comfort zone. So, we decided to speak to the experts at Engel & Völkers Salento known as a leader in high-end residential real estate here in Salento (the southern part of Puglia), and let them answer the questions we're most often asked.  This isn't legal advice. It isn't an investment guide. It's a conversation intended as a practical introduction for overseas buyers considering buying their first property in Puglia. Please take independent professional advice.

Ferragosto, Italy's national summer holiday, is upon us. In this episode, we're joined by Puglia travel planner Luca of Puglia With Locals to explain why August can be such a busy (and sometimes surprising) time to visit Puglia and Italy. At the centre of the month is Ferragosto on 15 August. For Italians, it's a time for family, barbecues and days at the beach. For visitors, however, it can come as a surprise. Some businesses close for their annual holidays, restaurants may operate reduced hours or be fully booked well in advance, and much of the country seems to pause as locals head to the coast. If you're visiting Puglia in August, planning ahead is essential, particularly around Ferragosto. For more information on the best time to visit Puglia, see our Puglia Guys Puglia by Season guide. Plus, we look at Puglia's official Top 20 destinations of 2025 and see how they are shaping up this year.

We visit Brindisi, one of Puglia's most underrated cities. Brindisi was once one of the great crossroads of the entire Mediterranean world. Julius Caesar blockaded its harbour. The Roman Empire's legions marched east from here. Crusader armies set sail from these waters for the Holy Land. Virgil, the greatest poet of the ancient world, died here. Shakespeare wrote about it. And in 1943, when Rome fell to German occupation, Brindisi became the capital city of Italy. Our Brindisi guide has details of all locations and restaurants recommended. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

We visit Locorotondo, one of the prettiest towns in Puglia's Valle d'Itria. We cover the old town's highlights and walking route, the remarkable churches — including what is probably the oldest in the Valle d'Itria — Locorotondo's own DOC white wine appellation, which is significantly underrated, the best places to eat and drink, and the Locus Festival, which brings some of Italy's most interesting music programming to a masseria just outside town every August.There's also a word on Christmas, which Locorotondo does beautifully.  You can find our complete guide to Locorotondo here. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

A little Italian goes a long way!  Italian is a beautiful language. It sings to you, and it's fun to try speaking it back. Even learning just a few simple words when visiting – ciao, buongiorno, grazie – brings a small sense of achievement. It's polite, and shows respect. Most travellers quickly discover that even a handful of basic phrases can lead to warmer interactions and more enjoyable everyday moments during a trip. In this episode Teresa from Punto e virgola Italian language school in Grottaglie coaches Scott Maxwell, the Puglia Guys perpetual Italian language learner, with some helpful words and phrases. At 16:20 she goes over the correct pronunciation of all your favourite Puglia destinations! No more tripping up over Alberobello, Ceglie, Cisternino, Otranto, Polignano and Taranto... To see the words and phrases in print, head to our Parli Italiano? website resource. For information on face to face or online Italian courses, as well as immersive Italian language experiences on offer at Punto e virgola, contact Teresa or follow them on Instagram.

We visit Kayla Savino, a Puglia based American luxury travel designer and founder of Storia Travel Club. Although Kayla works with clients traveling globally, her speciality is curating the perfect Puglia and Italy itinerary. We discover what brought Kayla to Puglia, the cultural challenges that she had to navigate as an American coming to live in Puglia, and the joys of sharing her lived-in experience with travelers coming to vacation in Italy, and Puglia in particular. We talk food, the Italian language and Puglia's best bits. Plus there's some insider travel tips from Kayla for visitors coming to Puglia. You can contact Kayla via the Storia Travel Club website or email her directly at [email protected] - be sure to let her know you heard her on the Puglia Podcast! For frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia follow the Puglia Guys on Instagram.

Wine tasting in Puglia comes in many forms. Across the region, there are countless opportunities to visit local cantine, where tastings are typically centred on that producer's own wines, a great way to understand a single estate, its vineyards, and its production methods. An alternative approach is to experience a broader cross-section of Puglian wine in one sitting. That's why we chose a tasting in Locorotondo at Pavì Wine Restaurant. Here, Ignazio curates a selection of wines drawn from multiple producers across the region, offering a more comparative and panoramic introduction to Puglia's wine landscape. The experience is informal and immersive. Glasses clink, wine is poured generously, and it's all accompanied by excellent local food. Ignazio's enthusiasm shapes the tasting, guiding it beyond a standard format into something more personal and engaging. The wines we tasted in this episode were from a wider selection curated by Ignazio: Locorotondo Tagaro (white), Costiero Giustini (rose) and Ritunno Nero di Troia Puglia I.G.P. (red).  For more information on Puglia's wine producing credentials, and pictures of the wine we tasted with Ignazio, visit our Puglia Guys Puglia Wine Guide. For information on visiting Pavì Wine Restaurant and Locorotondo, see our Puglia Guys Locorotondo City Guide. To arrange a wine tasting at Pavì Wine Restaurant in Locorotondo contact them via their Instagram - pavi_51 (be sure to tell them you heard the podcast). Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Continuing our Bari Vecchia guide, we shift perspective.  We move away from ticking off sights, and focus on what to notice. Because what defines Bari Vecchia is not only its basilicas and castles, but the cultural details woven into its fabric: the food rituals, the ground-floor homes, the arches and shrines, the defensive towers hidden in plain sight, the way private life spills into public space. As you explore Bari Vecchia we encourage you to take in its everyday architecture. The street food traditions. The devotional details. The way space is shared. For detailed information on our route, locations and places to stop for refreshments along the way, see our companion Puglia Guys guide to Bari Vecchia. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Brilliant Bari Vecchia — Bari's historic old town — is one of the most compelling parts of our regional capital. Once a city most people passed through, Bari has become Puglia's most visited destination: a place of pilgrimage, welcoming those devoted to the cult of Saint Nicholas alongside visitors drawn by Bari Vecchia's extraordinary food scene. With its 4,000-year history, the old town doesn't reveal itself all at once. Much of what defines Bari Vecchia lies between the monuments: front doors opening onto cool, shaded alleyways; the sounds of food being prepared and families eating together; laundry hanging from balconies, drying slowly in the afternoon heat. Everyday life continues here in full view. Its streets are irregular, defensive and intentionally disorienting — a medieval urban maze built to slow intruders. It's easy to lose your bearings in Bari Vecchia. We still do. So, join us on our walking tour of Bari Vecchia, approaching the old city by neighbourhood: overlapping zones anchored by piazzas, churches and historic institutions. Discover the character and rhythm of each quarter as we explore Bari Vecchia and its history. For more information on our route, precise locations and places to stop for refreshments along the way, see our companion Puglia Guys guide to Bari Vecchia. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Puglia is one of Italy's most surprising destinations. Many travellers arrive expecting the familiar rhythms of "Italian tourism", only to discover that Puglia follows its own patterns: slower, more local, more traditional, and far more community-shaped than you might expect. For many travellers from the USA, Puglia feels both new and authentic — a place that hasn't been shaped around international tourism. But with this enthusiasm comes a learning curve. Puglia is not Tuscany. It is not Rome. It is not the Amalfi Coast. It has its own rhythms, its own cultural logic, and its own deeply-rooted way of life. Understanding those rhythms is the key to a richer, smoother, more meaningful trip. Welcome to Puglia 101: Essential Tips for First-Time Visitors. Everything you wish you'd known before your trip to the heel of Italy's boot. Follow us on Instagram for reels, stories, and daily inspiration. Use our Puglia Guide to plan your trip with confidence.

Knowing the best time to visit Puglia helps you plan realistically. Three factors really matter: weather, tourist numbers, and whether your chosen destination will be open for business. It's not just about avoiding the August crowds. From November to Easter, life in Puglia shifts indoors. The weather turns cold and damp — the kind of chill that seeps through stone walls and straight into your bones. Humidity makes it feel far colder. Rain is frequent, skies stay grey, and daylight is short. Life in much of Puglia slows right down. Away from the main cities our region slips into hibernation mode. For visitors, that means the experience changes dramatically outside the extended summer season. There may be fewer tourists, but there's less open and less happening: fewer dining options, fewer outdoor experiences — even fewer accommodation options.  In this seasonal guide to Puglia, we highlight what to expect month by month in terms of weather and tourist numbers, and suggest where to go and what to do during Puglia's "not-summer" season.  For more information, with weather snapshots over a year in Puglia, see our companion Puglia Guys guide on the best time to visit Puglia: a seasonal guide to Puglia. We live in Puglia all year round and provide practical tips on getting around, cultural insights and unique local experiences. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Not everyone visiting Puglia wants to go it alone. Some travellers prefer the security and structure of a guided experience. It allows for connection — with the people, places, and traditions that make Puglia so special. And sometimes, having someone local by your side can open doors you'd never find alone. For travellers who don't want to drive around Puglia but also don't want the challenge of using public transport to reach harder-to-access corners of the region, guided travel offers the perfect solution. We speak with Luca Oliva of Puglia With Locals, a specialist travel designer and certified tour leader from Taranto, Puglia.  For more information, check out our recommendations for guided travel in Puglia page.  Remember to follow us on Instagram for reels, stories, and daily inspiration.