A Family Trip to Puglia and Some Shopping for the Shop
This summer (2025) my family and I visited Puglia. Initially the inspiration to visit this Southern part of Italy (the heal of the boot) came from the TV food show starring Stanley Tucci, who's visits to local restaurants and food producers in the region made our mouths water sufficiently to book flights to Brindisi from London's Heathrow.
As a family we tend to like to travel around a bit on holiday, stating in a few different spots in a local area or going further afield.
On this trip to Puglia we covered:
The medieval town of Ostuni (30 minutes from Brindisi Airport) and from here explored the coast and local town of Grottaglie;
Further North from Ostuni we stayed in a local Masseria among miles of Vineyard and a few minutes from the town of Rutagliani;
from here we could explore Alberbello and the beautiful Trulli houses which are unique to this area of Puglia as well as Matera one of the oldest inhabited towns;
we then travelled further towards the South and the coastal town of Otranto where we spent time swimming in the natural cliff caves;
we just had time to visit the stunning city of Lecce at the end of the trip.
This is such a beautiful part of Italy and if you are planning a trip to Puglia and wondering where to go, stay and eat I would love to share my recommendations for hotels, restaurants and trips that we did, especially in Ostuni and Otranto. Puglia is not a huge area but there are distances between the towns and little public transport. We hired a care for the duration which made it very easy and most distances we covered were around 40 minutes maximum between towns and much shorter journeys for day trips and beaches. The roads are very easy - some narrow ones in towns but mostly quiet dual carriageway type things. I found that loads of Italians in this area not only speak English but are also happy to try and converse in English - some of the younger servers in restaurants told me that they are studying English at school and many Italians seem to have spent time time in the UK. This makes it much easier if you have no Italian. If you are planning a trip to Italy, I highly recomend Puglia as a friendly and welcoming destination I hope you find some inspiration from this blog post.
Where to Stay in Ostuni
Ostuni is a beautiful medieval town built on a hillside approximately 8 km from the coast. We stayed at the simple B&B Palazzo Alta Villa owned by Luisa, who we all loved, and who served us our home-made breakfast every day by the pool. The B&B is right next to Ostuni's old town but has a pool for relaxing after exploring Ostuni and the surrounding areas. This was a highlight for us as it meant the kids could cool off and relax after a day of exploring.
Luisa's place was a dream, very traditional decor - I loved all the charming details and in truth she (and her place) reminded me of my Polish Granny and Great Aunt Hilda a non-English speaking Polish woman who lived in Germany most of her life. But even if you don't have that bias, Luisa gets lots of excellent reviews on Trip Advisor which I have linked so it can't be just me who was charmed!
If you don't stay in Ostuni you can easily take a day trip there, it has lots of easy parking, and the streets are fun to explore, winding up the hill to the Cathedral. There are plenty of amazing restaurants - Italians eat late so it's easy to get a table at around 7.30 or 7.45pm without a reservation, which is closer to our normal eating time. We ate at Asso di Spade for a delicious fried pizza lunch and had evening meals at Pinzimonio, Bistro Ostuni on the main Square and had gelato every day from Gelateria Borgo Antico
If you like to shop when you are away (I do) there are lots of beautiful ceramics shops in Ostuni and on the weekends you can catch food and produce markets as well as an antique and craft market. If you are visiting Puglia, Ostuni is definitely worth a visit. We didn't even touch on the history of the town - a beautiful Cathedral, churches and museums. Our children are 11 and 16 so although we explored some history and culture in other parts of Puglia, we gave it a miss here.
Beaches around Ostuni
With a tween and a teen just having sat her GCSEs, we needed some R and R and chose to visit the coast near Ostuni by using a couple of beach clubs. If you know Italy's beach culture you will be aware of the beach clubs where stretches of the coast are operated by private business renting out beds and umbrellas, maybe with a restaurant and toilet and shower facilities too. You pay for the privilege of course but it does mean that overseas tourists don't need a ton of stuff. There are also areas of beach which are public where you need your own towels and umbrellas. These are usually busy as the Italians are professional beach goers and in August a lot of the country is on holiday. We opted for Le Palme Beach club (expensive but very, very good with bar service to your sun bed on the beach and a great restaurant) and another day at Lido Cala Maka. We were comfortable, shaded, had food and drink easily available, easy parking, beautiful sea and great shower and toilet facilities. We also used their beach towels.
Ceramics in Grottaglie - Heaven on Earth for a Homeware Shop Owner
"Quatiere Delle Ceramiche"
As a complete ceramics obsessive I was looking forward to going to Puglia for ceramics and I was absolutely delighted to find the Quartiere Della Ceramiche in Grottaglie, Puglia. In the centre of the town of Grottaglie near the market, there are a few streets of beautiful shops and workshops packed with locally made traditional Puglian ceramics. I came across the workshop that supplies the dinnerware to the River Cafe. From stunning splatterware which is local to Puglia to the beautiful Pumo di Fiore (egg shaped good luck charms) usually made of ceramic, representing the bud of the Acanthus flower and a symbol of prosperity and fertility, there is a lot to see. Yes I did find some beautiful new collections for the shop....it'll take a little time but will be worth the wait I promise. Photo-dump of Grottaglie incoming:
A Traditional Masseria
Puglia is traditionally, and still, an agricultural area, rich in vineyards and agricultural land but with a history of poverty. The food is simple and heavier than other parts of Italy - local dishes include flava beans (broad beans) pureed and served with chicory and also Orricchiette pasta (small discs) served with turnip tops. Among the farmlands you can find accommodation in Masserias - traditional farms or estates which were fortified against invaders and largely self sufficient to protect and preserve those who lived and worked in them. Now many have been converted into hotels blending rustic charm with modern and often luxury accommodation.
After moving on from Ostuni, we stayed in Masseria Agriturista Lama San Georgio near Rutigliano. The Masseria was surrounded by vineyards and we loved the pool for relaxing after a day of exploring the area. We had stopped at Albebello on the way, and could easily access the coast and the small, pretty town of Rutigliano for pizza or gelato at night. W could eat in the restaurant at the Masseria if we didn't want to go out in the evening, they make their own wine and olive oil. We went to a nearby beach club while we were there it was handy for visiting the town of Matera too. The Masseria has a separate annex but our rooms were in the main building with terraces and lots of beautiful, traditional details.
Stay tuned for Part 2: Albebello, Matera, Otranto and Lecce.
