First stop of our Puglian adventure - Itria Valley is famous for its picturesque towns, landscapes, stunning seaside and of course Trullo buildings. It is almost obligatory for a tourist to stay in one of those charming and curious houses at least for a few nights. There is a Trullo for every taste and pocket size.
After many hours of extensive research, our choice fell on the Trulleria Tagliente, conveniently located approximately 4 km from UNESCO World Heritage site - Alberobello, and within a short driving distance from other delightful little towns.
Beautifully and tastefully decorated, surrounded by boundless, perfectly trimmed gardens and olive trees orchards, Trulleria was perfect place to relax and recharge energy after day full of adventures. Cherry on the top was incredibly friendly and hospitable owner who took us around his home city - Bari, on his own time, and without any compensation. Once again, people in Puglia are amazing.
Alberobello
In our age of technological advances, when you can google absolutely everything, there is not much space for surprise left. After dozens of pictures on Pintrest and Instagram I knew what to expect. Or I thought I knew. There is a reason why Alberobello is one of the most visited towns in Puglia - it leaves you speechless. Undoubtedly one of its kind, this charming little town carries you away to some magical fairytale land. White, carefully crafted trullo houses "sprout" on the hills of the city like some mysterious mushrooms. Steep and curvy roads lead you to beautifully decorated shops, little art galleries and wine tasting rooms. Perfect place for a few hours long afternoon stroll, especially breathtaking after in golden hour.
Unfortunately fame comes with its price - many shops are becoming tourist traps with ridiculously overpriced wine assortment and mediocre quality "local" delicacies. If you want some real Puglia souvenirs - leave shopping for later.
For our first dinner in Puglia we chose L'Aratro restaurant in the center of Alberobello. Famous for its traditional rustic cuisine it is perfect example of regions hospitality. The portions are undeniably not for individuals with weak appetite. "L'Aratro" starter selection consist of lots of little plates with local specialties that keep coming even when you are very satisfied. And this was just a starter...Hearty and homy dishes served us as a perfect introduction to Apulian cuisine and taught us to be more careful with our orders in the future.
http://www.ristorantearatro.it/it/
Locorotondo
Listed as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy, with population of approximately 14,000 people, Locorotondo, or "Round Place" meets visitors with lay back, relaxed atmosphere and impresses with stunningly clean white streets, that contrasts beautifully with a deep blue sky. Located on the hill, town provides stunning views on Itria Valley. Care for a delicious cup of coffee? One of the most memorable coffee experiences for us - cappuccino served in local Caffe della Villa.
Pogliano a Mare
Apulia is definitely a place of contrasting colors. Seems like people and nature agreed on this one and decided to create a breathtaking masterpiece. Nature provided deep blue sky and turquoise sea, yellow sand beaches and green fields. Humans took charge in building spectacular cities on the most unique locations. One of the most remarkable results of this bizarre collaboration is Pogliano a Mare - town literally hanging on the cliffs above the crystal clear waters of Adriatic. Town is perfect for a half day visit. There is a newly remodeled marina, covered with colorful flowers, and tiny downtown with narrow washed out streets, coffee shops that offer delicious mid day snacks and refreshments, and even little white sand beach squeezed between two parts of the city.
To calm the hunger after extensive walking session we chose to have lunch in Cantina Pescaria - simple, but lovely decorated place with affordable prices. To say it was good is to say nothing. One bite of this uncomplicated tuna tartar sandwich blew my mind. Even though Apulia trip was full of great culinary experiences this lunch stayed in my memory as one of the most remarkable. The combination of freshly caught tuna, burrata cheese and homemade basil pesto produces an explosion of tastes that is really hard to describe with words.
http://www.pescaria.it/landing/landing.html
Monopoli
Though many of the towns of this area have similar architecture and color pallet, each of them has some unique features. The narrow, labyrinth like streets and passages of fortified Monopoli lead visitors to the walled old port filled with colorful fishing boats. The jewel of the crown is the Castle of Carlo V, built to protect the town from numerous enemies in turbulent times.
Though there were so many places in Itria Valley we wanted to visit, it was time to move to our next destination - Lecce province...