PUGLIA – LECCE AND SURROUNDINGS

4 days
couples
spring, summer, fall

Purchase PDF of the route Show map Daily itinerary

A relaxing few days in beautiful Puglia. Ideal for relaxing or taking a break from everyday worries. Spend three nights in the beautiful city of Lecce, full of Baroque monuments. Make short excursions to the surrounding towns, cities or villages. See the shores of two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian. And taste lots of local food! You will visit many sights, especially beautiful churches and majestic cathedrals, but also several castles! You can take a short trip to the countryside along the seashore. Puglia is simply a place where you can slow down and let time pass. The ideal time to travel to Puglia is spring and autumn.

4.9 / 5

The programme of the first day depends on your arrival time in Bari. You'll have a slightly longer crossing to Lecce, but you can make some great stops along the way – like a tour of the Grotte di Castellana cave or a visit to the fairytale town of Alberobello with its typical trulli houses. In the evening, you'll have time for at least a basic tour of Lecce city centre.

On the second day, spend some time exploring the old town of Lecce and its mainly Baroque monuments, such as the Basilica di Santa Croce or the magnificent Duomo di Lecce. In the late afternoon, drive to the town of Gallipoli, where you'll find a beautiful historic centre as well as great views of the Ionian Sea. In the early evening, on the way back to Lecce, stop in Nardo, a small town with a lovely charm.

The next day, you'll set off for Otranto, a city on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. See the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata with its fascinating mosaics covering almost the entire floor, or visit the Aragonese Castle of Otranto. Either way, be sure to take a walking tour along the seafront. It's a beautiful place, perfect for a midday picnic. In the late afternoon, you'll cross over to Galatina, where you'll see the Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria with its incredible interior paintings.

On your last day, make the transfer to Bari airport a bit nicer by making a stop at the Riserva Naturale Torre Guaceto where there are the most beautiful beaches in the region, or take a tour of Polignano a Mare.

Author: Jirka Maleček

Ratings and reviews

Guides

For additional info click Travel Info Process

Travel Info

Plane tickets – Use your favourite flight search engine. If you don't have a favourite, try kiwi.com.

Restaurants – Puglia is not the richest part of Italy, which translates into the local prices. Prices in restaurants are not too high and the food is excellent!

Prices in the destination – As can be expected nice accommodation is not exactly cheap. On the other hand, it is not overpriced either and the choice is huge.

Calls and data – For EU citizens, everything is the same as at home. WiFi is common in hotels and restaurants and is free.

When to go – Pretty much any time of year except the winter months (unless you don't mind the colder weather and the occasional rain). In the summer months of July and August, it's very crowded and also very hot here. So it's best to come here in spring or autumn.

Process

Buy your plane tickets
Book your accommodation
Arrange your car rental
Make a timetable for the first and last day according to your arrival and departure time
Get your travel insurance
Download offline maps, for example in the Mapy.cz app, just in case

What will you see on the way?

						
Transfer to LecceLecce
Lecce is a beautiful city on the Salento Peninsula in southern Puglia. The old town is really beautiful and will surprise you at every corner. According to some theories, the city is more than 2,500 years old. Today, there are about 95,000 inhabitants.

Transfer to GallipoliGallipoli
Gallipoli is a small town in southern Puglia on the shores of the Ionian Sea. The old town can be found on a small island, which is connected to the mainland by a 16th century stone bridge. The main sights include the Basilica Concattedrale di Sant'Agata and Gallipoli Castle. In the old town you will find a typical tangle of small streets with shops, cafés, and bars.

Walk through the old town in Polignano a Mare Polignano a Mare
A pretty little town perched on a cliff above the sea. Beautiful tiny streets, beautiful views. Lots of little restaurants and cafés. Pebble beach.

Daily itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Bari, transfer to Lecce

Arrive in Bari, pick up the car and transfer to Lecce. On the way, stops at the Grotte di Castellana and the charming village of Alberobello. Accommodation and tip for dinner.

Detail of the day

Day 2

Tour Lecce and the Ionian Sea

Sightseeing in Lecce – Duomo di Lecce, Basilica di Santa Croce, the beautiful Chiesa di San Matteo, the excellent Jewish Museum Lecce, and possibly the Anfiteatro Romano. A trip to the town of Gallipoli on the shores of the Ionian Sea. Evening: town of Nardo.

Detail of the day

Day 3

Otranto and the Adriatic Sea

Tour the medieval town of Otranto, walk along the Adriatic coast. The beautiful Basilica di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria in Galatina. Tip for dinner in Lecce.

Detail of the day

Day 4

Transfer to the airport with a full day programme

A walk in the Riserva Naturale Torre Guaceto. Tour of the cave churches of the Parco rupestre Lama d'Antico and the Parco Archeologico di Egnazia. Sightseeing tour of the town of Polignano a Mare. Transfer to the airport.

Detail of the day