Location: Apulia, arrival and departure from the APT of Bari or Brindisi.
Type of Tour: Free Autotour, customizable.
Activities: 8-day tour, with rental car, overnight stays in hotels or farms, cultural visits, panoramic and gastronomic.
Rhythm: Fast or slow according to your rhythm.
Best season: From April to November.
Puglia is a region for all tastes.
Not only seaside tourism in the height of summer, but also and above all routes and itineraries for curious, attentive and gluttonous travellers, with a refined palate, who love good food, music and entertainment.
Apulia is a puzzle of wonders that range from the Gargano to Salento for over 930 kilometers of breathtaking coastline.
The wild nature and a blue sea that invites you to dive into the water, but excursions among trulli, farms and historic villages should not be overlooked.
Then warm hospitality and confidential and mouth-watering cuisine make a truly memorable holiday in Puglia.
With the formula “Autour in libero” you can travel at your own pace by choosing your favorite destinations based on your interests, without stress and with our 24/24 assistance.
Arrival of customers at BARI or BRINDISI airport
Meeting and reception at the airport by our local assistant who will give you all the information you need. practical information for your stay in Puglia. Collection of your rental car for the entire tour.
Transfer to the Trani / Barletta area. Welcome dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Trani/Barletta.
(300km)
Suggested program:
Daily excursion to the promontory of Gargano, “the spur of the boot”: departure along the road that runs along the jagged Adriatic coast. Visit to Vieste, an ancient town dominated by a 13th century castle (also a fishing port). Photo stop at the Arco di Pizzomunno. On the way back, visit Monte Sant’Angelo, built on a pass at an altitude of 800 m, with a view of the Gargano promontory and the sea. Visit of the Sanctuary of San Michele (Romanesque-Gothic style, XIII century), famous for its magnificent bronze door and for the tomb of Rotari (king of the Lombards, VII century). Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight in hotel in Trani/Barletta
(270 km)
Suggested program:
Discover Bari walking along the Lungomare Nazario Sauro strong>, a splendid promenade along the Adriatic Sea. It will above all be the Old Bari that will capture your attention: a medieval city with its narrow streets and stairways that sometimes resemble a medina. It is not uncommon to still see women preparing pasta in front of their homes. You will also discover two very beautiful churches: St. Nicholas, a Romanesque basilica (a facade of rare nobility, an episcopal throne, a curious crypt housing the tomb of St. Nicholas, whose relics were brought from Asia Minor by sailors from Bari), and the cathedral, with a Byzantine layout, remodeled in Romanesque style with Baroque additions.
In the afternoon, continue to Castel del Monte. You will be fascinated by this medieval castle, perfectly harmonious from a geometric point of view, built on an octagonal plan for Frederick II.
Late afternoon we continue towards the south of Puglia. Overnight in hotel in Lecce.
Our suggestion for dinner: try the original typical dish “Ciceri e Tria” (homemade pasta with chickpeas).
(135 km)
Suggested program:
Departure for the eastern tip of Italy, towards Otranto , a fishing port where a dialect very close to Greek is still spoken. Visit of the historic center with the cathedral (remarkable floor mosaic from the 12th century), and the Aragonese castle (15th century).
In the afternoon, continue with a visit to Gallipoli built on a small peninsula, with its very characteristic whitewashed houses, its narrow streets, its “terraced” roofs which make it look like a real oriental city.
Visit of the castle and cathedral, then walk along the coast, on the ramparts that offer a splendid view of the Ionian Sea.
Return to the hotel in Lecce in the late afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.
(120 km)
Suggested program:
Visit of Lecce, “the Florence of the Baroque”, where sumptuous architecture frames a delightful decoration. The local stone, particularly soft, lent itself to all the whims of the sculptors’ chisels. You will discover the remains of the Roman amphitheater, the church of San Marco built by the Venetians; triumphal arches, obelisks, palaces, caryatids, fountains, everything is organized in a theatrical Baroque setting. Continue towards Piazza del Duomo, which features an astonishing bell tower, the cathedral, the seminary building, the bishop’s palace. Many other details of the city will capture your attention, bearing witness to the invention and exquisite sophistication of a civilization that one could venture to define as “Mozartian”.
Our suggestion: a stop at the pastry shop to taste the delicious “Pasticciotto Leccese”
Reach the Valle d’Itria in the evening. Dinner and overnight in the Alberobello / Martina Franca area.
(70 km)
Suggested program:
Day dedicated to the discovery of the Valley of the Trulli, tiny houses with cone-shaped roofs, scattered among the vineyards and gardens. Visit to Alberobello, to see these famous houses up close, which seem to have been made especially for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
For lunch, we recommend a stop in Cisternino in one of the typical butcher-restaurant for a tasting of the different types of “bombette”!
In the afternoon, visit Ostuni, the city Bianca. In the old town you will discover its picturesque aspects, its Baroque and Renaissance palaces, the 13th century cathedral, located on top of the hill, and the narrow streets worthy of a Cycladic village.
Then visit a traditional underground mill where you can also taste various typical products and the excellent extra virgin olive oil.
In the evening treat yourself to dinner in Martina Franca, located on the highest hill of the Murge, with its Baroque buildings and numerous Rococo palaces that give it a very suggestive appearance.
Overnight in hotel in Alberobello / Martina Franca.
(160km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Suggested program:
Today you move to Basilicata, to visit Matera, famous for the “Sassi”, troglodyte houses formed by white buildings superimposed in such a way that the roofs act as streets.
Gourmet suggestion: taste the famous cruschi peppers in one of the shops of Matera, accompanied by taralli and olive oil .
Then continue to discover the “Strada dei Sassi” which winds along the wild gorge and around the rock that supports the cathedral.
Return to Alberobello /Martina Franca for overnight stay
After breakfast, transfer to Bari airport (or BRINDISI), delivery of the rental car and departure with the return flight.
ACQUAFORTE TRAVEL DESIGNER DI ALICE S.R.L. | PIVA 03814960278 – N° REA VE340833 | CAP SOC IV € 50.000