Empty beaches, unspoilt views, rustic feasts, friendly locals: Puglia is that rare thing, an undiscovered corner of Italy, writes Victoria Lambert.
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Why go?
Despite being conquered by the Ancient Greeks, settled by the Romans and held variously by Goths, Lombards, Byzantines, Turks and even the French, Puglia, the “heel” of Italy, feels remarkably undiscovered. The beaches are far from crowded, the towns and villages mostly unspoilt, and the locals - or Apulians - relaxed and easygoing.
After a three-hour flight from London, you’ll find yourself among the huge olive groves (Puglia produces almost half of all Italy’s olive oil) that cover low, fertile hills rolling down into the sparkling blue-green Adriatic Sea. On a clear day you can see across to Albania.
Wine lovers will enjoy tasting the local grapes - the region was once known as “the wine cellar of Europe”. Castel del Monte is produced in the north, and in the south, full-bodied reds such as Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera are popular. The local whites are lighter and include those from Locorotondo and Martina Franca.
The region is also becoming popular with golfers, as the climate is warm and sunny all year round. There are plenty of good courses to choose
For everybody else, the empty beaches provide serious chilling space. There is shale rather than sand underfoot, but the water is clear and warm. Private beach clubs abound along the coast, and some will let you join for a day to take advantage of their sunbeds, cafés and showers.
Puglian cuisine is a happy revelation: dig into the simply cooked fresh produce - including an abundance of seafood - and try the local pasta, orecchiette (which means little ears).
Wander around...
The trulli, which were built to avoid paying tax in the Middle Ages. Only homeowners could be charged tax, and trullis could be easily dismantled if the revenue collector was believed to be en route. See them in the pretty village of Alberobello (above), which has been declared a site of International Human Resource by UNESCO. Many are marked with pagan and Christian symbols, giving the village a mysterious and sometimes eerie appearance. Trulli are compulsively photogenic, so take plenty of film or a spare memory card for the digital camera.
Buy...
Local cheeses – look out for scarmoza, buffalo mozzarella, and boscaiola del Gargano, a cheese stuffed with chilli. Olio santo – local olive oil with added chilli – is also worth taking home.
At all costs avoid...
The tacky tourist shops in Alberobello. Filled with all things trulli-shaped, from tea-towels and key-rings to incredibly heavy toy houses made from solid rock, they are a wearisome blot on an otherwise charming and genuinely quirky landscape.
Fonte: www.telegraph.co.uk