Where to stay in Puglia
These pages will help you find where to stay in Puglia, from the best rated hotels, to accommodation that will fit your budget.
I've listed hotels and villas across Puglia, from Bari, Brindisi, and Ostuni, to Valle d'Itria and Salento (and Matera, even though that's technically not in Puglia, but in Basilicata).
Where to stay in Puglia as a base
Puglia is a pretty large place (and stands at 7th out of 20 in terms of total geographical size, out of all the Italian regions). There's a lot to see and do in Puglia, and in my experience it's probably going to make your holiday feel rushed if you try and do it all in one trip.
Ideally, a holiday to Puglia would last around two weeks - but don't worry, it's still possible to see a fair bit of the region if you're only there for one!
So where's the best place to stay in Puglia as a base for your trip? I suggest somewhere around the halfway mark of the region - it'll allow you to use either Bari or Brindisi airport easily, and you'll be able to explore decent chunks of Puglia without doing too much driving.
My personal choice for the best place to stay in Puglia as a base would be somewhere like Ostuni, Polignano a Mare (or Monopoli, which is pretty much next to Polignano). They're all near the coast, so you'll have easy access to loads of beaches and Puglia's amazing beach clubs. Both Ostuni and Polignano a Mare are lovely destinations in and of themselves, and you could easily stay in each for a whole week or more.
Staying in Polignano, Monopoli or Ostuni as a base means that you'll have a relatively easy drive to many of the beautiful places in Puglia, like Alberobello, Cisternino, Martina Franca, Ceglie Messapica, and Carovigno. To the west, it's a nice easy drive to good day trips like Grottaglie, and Matera (in Basilicata); and to the north, you'll have good access to Bari, Trani - and, if you can stomach a bit of a drive - the stunning Gargano National Park.
The south of Puglia, around Lecce, has a lot to offer on a trip, and it would definitely be worth using Lecce as a base for at least 3-4 days (on a two week trip) to explore the area. The drive from somewhere like Ostuni (90 minutes or so) is fine, but you'd not want to be doing it on a daily basis as it would become tiresome.
Staying in the historic university town of Lecce as a base for southern Puglia would make it easy to visit Porto Cesareo with its cute beachside town, Gallipoli (great for fresh seafood, and views from the old town), Galatina (I like it for its size and good food), and then one of Puglia's most revered beaches, the absolutely stunning Santa Maria di Leuca.
Where to stay in Puglia
Where to stay in Puglia is such a great question. The answer? Well, it's simple - anywhere! The region of Puglia is just so beautiful, that you can't really go wrong wherever you decide to stay.
Part of your decision will come down to how you're getting there. If you're flying into Bari airport, then places like Trani, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Alberobello are definitely worth considering. It's just a little bit further south to the magnificent Valle d'Itria - that's the area extending from Putignano and Alberobello down to Ostuni, Martina Franca, Cisternino and Ceglie Messapica.
Valle d'Itria is well known not just for its millions of little conical-shaped buildings ('trulli'), but for its rolling countryside with olive trees as far as the eye can see. If you're a foodie, that's even better - the cuisine here is a well-kept secret amongst Italians. You'll want to check out the Little 3: Cisternino, Martina Franca and Ceglie Messapica. All of these towns offer some of the best food you'll ever eat.
If you're flying into Brindisi, then you should consider Valle d'Itria and Salento - an absolutely stunning area which encompasses everything south of Brindisi. That includes place like the vibrant university town, Lecce, and coastal towns like Santa Maria di Leuca, Gallipoli and Porto Cesareo.
Puglia holidays: town or countryside?
Every town in Puglia has a 'centro storico' (an historical centre'), in which you'll find legions of whitewashed, picture-perfect buildings. They are typically the cutest areas to stay in, as they exude local charm - and there are usually plenty of trattorias and ristorantes there too. Parking could be slightly trickier if you're bringing a car, but they're a great option if you're going by public transport.
If you are in a car, you could also decide to rent a villa in the beautiful Pugliese countryside. There are quite literally thousands of villas to rent for your Puglia holidays, many of which come with a pool, and all of which come with a decent amount of land - so you get private space to wander around. The bonus of this is that you'll probably have plenty of fruit trees there too, and there's nothing quite like being able to eat apricots, peaches or figs straight from the tree.
On the downside, you can only really stay in the countryside if you do rent a car, because you'll need one to get practically everywhere, from the supermercato to the beach to the restaurants. Plus, someone will have to pull the short straw and be the designated driver when you go out for dinner!
As Puglia is literally surrounded by hundreds of miles of coast, it would also be an option to look at staying somewhere near the sea. There doesn't tend to be loads of beach-side hotels like you might find further north, so the best bet would be to look for a villa within 5-10 minutes drive, or even a bike ride away.
