7 Destinations in Puglia (+1 Gem) That Are Worth the Drive
Puglia is probably the most underrated region in Italy. It has beaches that rival the Amalfi Coast, food that rivals Emilia-Romagna, and towns that look like coming from a fairy tale. But here is the thing: almost none of the best spots are reachable by train. The Valle d’Itria, the Salento coves, the cave churches — they all require you to rent a car in Puglia.
Below are eight destinations I believe represent the region. For each one, I have noted which airport it sits closer to, plus a story you probably did not know. You can organise them in a road trip of Puglia, or you can simply visit them on day trips.
Lecce — The Florence Nobody Talks About
Lecce is the cultural capital of the Salento and, in my opinion, the most beautiful city in southern Italy that foreign tourists have barely heard of. The entire centro storico is a masterpiece of Lecce Baroque — an architectural style so layered with detail that it eventually becomes completely addictive.
The Roman amphitheatre sits half-submerged below street level in Piazza Sant’Oronzo, right next to the column that once marked the end of the Via Appia. Give it a full day minimum. Stay the night if you can, because the golden stone glows differently after the tour buses leave.
Closer to: Brindisi (35 minutes) than Bari (2 hours).
The anecdote: In the 19th century, Lecce was so poor that locals began selling their Baroque stone balconies to foreign collectors and museums. Walk through the old town today and you will still see buildings with empty stone brackets where a balcony once hung — a ghost of someone’s living room, sold off to pay the rent. The city eventually banned the practice, but the empty brackets remain.
Otranto — The First City to See the Sunrise
Otranto sits on the very tip of Italy’s heel, the easternmost city in the country. On a clear day, you can see Albania across the channel. The 15th-century Aragonese Castle is genuinely imposing, but the real reason you visit is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata — specifically the floor, which is entirely covered by a 12th-century mosaic of the Tree of Life that is one of the most remarkable pieces of medieval art in Europe.
Two kilometres south is the Laghetto Cave di Bauxite, a former quarry abandoned in 1976 that has filled with emerald water against deep red rock. It looks like the Australian outback after a flood.
Closer to: Brindisi (45 minutes) than Bari (2 hours 15 minutes).
You can visit most of these places also by public transportation; however, you will need more time – so much more that you will probably need twice as much time by bus and train, and you won’t be able to stop in the occasional villages along the route that will enhance your experience so much!
That’s why I always suggest renting a car in Puglia. You transform your holiday from a destination-to-destination trip into a real experience to remember forever.
You do not need any fancy car, but you do need to book early, especially for July and August when availability becomes an issue.
I personally always use DiscoverCars, the comparison platform that works as a sort of Airbnb for rentals, with real customer ratings from people who actually completed a trip. I filter above 8 or even 9 stars to shortlist the most trusted operators and lock in the rate. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before pickup, so there is no reason to wait.
Ostuni — The White City That Survived the Plague
Ostuni rises from the olive fields like nowhere else — a hilltop old town so consistently whitewashed that on a sunny day it is almost difficult to look at directly. The buildings climb in concentric rings toward the cathedral, and the view from the top terrace over the silver-green plain toward the sea is the reason people drive here.
Some of the olive trees around Ostuni are over a thousand years old. Puglia has more ancient olive trees than anywhere else on earth.
Closer to: Roughly equidistant — about 1 hour from Bari, 1 hour 15 minutes from Brindisi.
The anecdote: During the plague of 1773, Ostuni was surrounded by towns that were being devastated, yet it was largely spared. The locals noticed that their whitewashed walls — coated in lime — seemed to keep the disease away. They did not understand germ theory, but they understood results. The tradition of whitewashing every spring became almost religious after that, and it continues today. The White City is white partly because of aesthetics, and partly because 250 years ago it saved their lives.
Locorotondo
Locorotondo is exactly what the name promises: a round place. The historic centre was built in a perfect circle on top of a hill, with streets following concentric rings around a central point. It is one of the very few towns in Italy with this geometric layout, and walking it feels completely different from anywhere else in Puglia — no corners, no dead ends, just a slow spiral upward.
The white-washed houses and flower-filled balconies are beautiful in a quieter, less showy way than Ostuni. The views from the terrace of the Chiesa Madre over the Valle d’Itria are some of the best in the region.
Closer to: Bari (1 hour) than Brindisi (1 hour 20 minutes).
The anecdote: Locorotondo’s white wine was the first in Puglia to earn DOC status, back in 1969 — beating every red wine in the region. This was radical because Puglia was known as a red-wine powerhouse, producing heavy Primitivo and Negroamaro for export. The locals of Locorotondo insisted their light, crisp white was different, campaigned for years, and eventually convinced the authorities. It is still the region’s most underrated white wine, and you can drink it in the town that made it for about €3 a glass.
Alberobello — The Tax Evasion Village
Alberobello is the most architecturally unique town in Puglia and most probably Italy. The Rione Monti district is entirely covered in trulli — dry-stone huts with conical limestone roofs that look like they were designed by hobbits. It is a UNESCO site and, yes, it is touristy. But arrive before 9am, before the buses arrive, and walk the upper lanes with the light low and almost nobody around. It is genuinely magical.
And if you are still asking yourself if it’s worth renting a car in Puglia, well, Alberobello in the early morning is almost impossible to visit with public transportation, and although it’s one of the best places to stay in Puglia, get ready for an expensive bill if you are planning a night there.
Closer to: Bari (1 hour) than Brindisi (1 hour 30 minutes).
The anecdote: The trulli were built without mortar for a very specific reason: tax evasion. In the 17th century, the Count of Conversano owned the land and owed property taxes to the Kingdom of Naples whenever a “permanent dwelling” existed on his estate. So he ordered peasants to build without mortar, making every house technically a pile of stones that could be knocked down in hours. When the tax inspector rode in from Naples, the count had his men dismantle a few roofs, prove there were no permanent structures, and send the inspector away empty-handed. The peasants got to keep their homes, the count kept his money, and one of the world’s strangest architectural styles was born out of bureaucratic spite.
Polignano a Mare
Polignano a Mare is built directly on a limestone cliff above the Adriatic — not near the sea, but literally on top of it. The buildings at the edge of the main square overhang the water.
You look down and there is nothing between you and the sea thirty metres below. The Grotta Piana beach sits in a cove at the base of the cliffs, reached by a staircase that descends from the town.
Closer to: Bari (40 minutes) than Brindisi (1 hour 40 minutes).
The anecdote: Polignano is the birthplace of Domenico Modugno, the man who wrote Volare in 1958. The town has a statue of him in the main square, and if you stand near it, you will notice something unusual: there are speakers hidden in the sculpture, and it plays Volare on a loop. It is probably the only singing statue in Italy. Modugno grew up looking at these same cliffs, and when he wrote one of the most famous Italian songs in history, he was essentially describing the light and the feeling of this exact coastline.
Matera
I know Matera is technically in Basilicata, not Puglia. But it borders Puglia completely, it is less than an hour from Bari, and it would be such a pity to miss it that I am including it here without apology.
The Sassi — cave dwellings carved into a ravine over thousands of years — are among the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on earth. People lived in these caves from the Palaeolithic era right through to the 1950s, when the Italian government forcibly relocated 15,000 residents, declaring the conditions a national disgrace.
Today, those same caves are hotels, restaurants, and churches. Matera was a European Capital of Culture in 2019. Spend at least one night — the Sassi illuminated after dark is one of the most beautiful things you can experience in Italy.
Closer to: Bari (1 hour) than Brindisi (2 hours).
The anecdote: In 2004, Mel Gibson filmed The Passion of the Christ in Matera because he said it was the only place on earth that still looked like Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. He was not wrong. The Sassi, with their stone faces and cave openings, required almost no set dressing. Locals were hired as extras, and many of them had actually lived in the caves before the 1950s relocation.
Gravina in Puglia — Matera Before the World Discovered It
If you have already been to Matera, or if you prefer to explore a similar town without the tour buses, drive to Gravina in Puglia. It offers something remarkably similar: a town built on the edge of a dramatic ravine, cave churches carved into the rock face, and an ancient settlement that goes back millennia — but with almost no international tourism.
The Ponte Acquedotto, a two-level bridge of arches spanning the gorge, was built in the 16th century and is still standing perfectly. The town is genuine, unpretentious, and the surrounding wheat fields feel like an older Italy.
Closer to: Bari (1 hour) than Brindisi (1 hour 30 minutes).
The anecdote: Gravina is the birthplace of Pope Benedict XIII, who was elected in 1724 at the age of 75 and immediately made one of the most bizarre decisions in papal history: he refused to live in the Papal Apartments in Rome, claiming they were too luxurious for a man of God. Instead, he stayed in a small, spartan room and continued eating the simple food of his Puglian childhood. The locals of Gravina still claim he was the only pope who truly never forgot where he came from.
Practical Notes for Driving in Puglia
Car size: Stick to a compact. The lanes in the Valle d’Itria are narrow, the old town parking is tight, and passing another car on a trulli-lined road requires genuine optimism. Automatics are available but cost roughly €15–€20 more per day.
ZTL zones: Most historic centres — Lecce, Bari, Martina Franca — have restricted traffic zones. Park outside and walk in. The fines are automatic and expensive.
Insurance: I always add full coverage through DiscoverCars for €8–€10 per day. The narrow lanes, tight parking, and occasional scratch from a stone wall make it a no-brainer. Your credit card may include car coverage but probably has a €700 excess, which makes it useless for the small dents that actually happen here.
Timing: Alberobello and Polignano reward an early start. Arrive before 9am, and you get the magic without the crowds. Midday in July means peak tourist time.
Final Word
Puglia is not a place to rush through on a checklist. It is a place to drive slowly, stop often, and let the landscape surprise you. These eight destinations — and Gravina, the hidden gem that still feels like a secret — are my starting point. But the real magic happens when you take the road that is not in the guidebook, find the masseria with no website, or sit down for lunch in a town you had never heard of until that morning.
Book the car early, pack a camera, and give yourself time. Puglia will do the rest.
