7-Days Itinerary in Apulia: Salento, Valle d'Itria and Matera

In this 7-day itinerary in Puglia we will take you around the main areas of Salento and the Itria Valley and we will conclude by dedicating a day to visiting nearby Matera, the city of Sassi, a UNESCO heritage site since 2007.

For this itinerary, those arriving by plane can consider Brindisi airport, the closest to the areas we will touch, or alternatively Bari airport, further away but still reachable. Once you arrive at the airport, you will need to move to Lecce, the first stop on your trip to Puglia. You can reach Lecce by train or opt for a convenient transfer service. Depending on your choice, we still recommend renting a car or a rental with driver service to move around the small villages and reach the seaside resorts along the coast that would be difficult to reach by public transport.

For this itinerary, we recommend staying in Lecce for the first part of the trip, then moving to the Ostuni/Fasano area for the second part of the trip and finally spending a last night in Matera. In this article we recommend some excellent accommodations.

Day 1: Lecce and the Baroque

The first day of our itinerary is dedicated to Lecce, known as “the Florence of the South” due to its Baroque buildings. To visit Lecce in one day, it is definitely essential to start from the Obelisk and Porta Napoli, one of the three gates that were in the historic center. After crossing Porta Napoli you will enter an area closed to traffic: the real old city.

Here you can visit the Duomo with the bell tower, Piazza Sant’Oronzo, and the famous Roman Amphitheater. The emblem of the Baroque style is certainly the Basilica of Santa Croce with its fascinating rose windows.

During your visit to Lecce, you cannot avoid tasting the rustico leccese, a traditional “walking” food, and the pasticciotto, a typical shortcrust pastry filled with custard.

Many of the best clubs, bars and pastry shops in the city are concentrated in the historic center where, among other things, the famous shopping street is located: via Trinchese. We tell you more about Lecce in this article.

Day 2: the Adriatic coast (Santa Cesarea Terme and Castro)

The second day of our itinerary is dedicated to the discovery of some villages overlooking the Adriatic Sea. We are talking about Castro and Santa Cesarea Terme. From Lecce, just continue south. From here, the first place you will reach will be Santa Cesarea Terme, famous for its thermal springs, to which you can dedicate a short visit in the historic center. The second place is Castro. Here you can dive into clear, blue waters and visit the suggestive Grotta della Zinzulusa, one of the largest karst phenomena in Salento. You can also book a boat tour of the sea caves in this area of ​​the Adriatic coast, and then end the day by returning to Lecce, the first base of your trip.

Day 3: the Ionian coast (Porto Cesareo and Punta Prosciutto)

On the third day of your itinerary, we will focus on the Ionian coast. In particular, we will head southwest and reach the town of Porto Cesareo. Here there is a series of beaches and bathing establishments, which have become very popular in the summer and frequented by tourists and non-tourists. A little more “uncomfortable” as it is “wilder” is the area of ​​Punta Prosciutto, one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Salento. Here you can book boat tours to discover the Ionian coast and Porto Selvaggio, snorkeling activities, a sunset boat trip with an aperitif, happy hour and much more. Enjoy the evening in Porto Cesareo, in one of its famous waterfront venues and enjoy a dinner based on fresh fish, before returning to Lecce.

Day 4: Ostuni, the “white city”

For the fourth day of your tour in Puglia, we will change area and consequently also accommodation and we will head north towards Valle d’Itria, precisely to Ostuni. This village is known as the “white city” because of its characteristic historical center, which in times gone by was completely painted with white lime. Your visit to Ostuni cannot fail to include the Aragonese Walls, the Cathedral, the Museum of pre-classical civilizations of the southern Murgia and Piazza della Libertà, the main square of Ostuni. Object of admiration by tourists is certainly the Obelisk of Sant’Oronzo, also called La Guglia, characterized by the fact that it was carved in local stone in Baroque style. Do not miss some typical dishes such as broad beans and chicory and the focaccia ostunese, which differs from the one from Bari for the addition of mozzarella.

At the end of your day, you will spend the night in Ostuni, the new base of your trip to Puglia.

Day 5: Alberobello and Martina Franca

During the fourth day of your itinerary in Puglia we will move slightly north until we reach Alberobello, the city of Trulli, a UNESCO heritage site.

In the main districts of Aja Piccola and Monti you can admire the Trulli Siamese and the Trullo Sovrano, characteristic because the first are two attached trulli while the second is built on two floors. During your visit you can also appreciate the Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova, particular for its trullo shape.

The second part of the day is instead dedicated to the visit of a village characteristic for its wine. We are talking about Martina Franca and its Primitivo. In addition to the beauty of its baroque buildings such as the Basilica of San Martino in Piazza Plebiscito, the Valle d’Itria area is famous for its vineyards. Martina Franca is the ideal place to live a typical Apulian experience: tasting local wines through a tour of the best wineries in the area. In this article we recommend some of them. You can’t leave without tasting the capocollo of Martina Franca and its tasty meat bombs.

At the end of this day, return to Ostuni.

Day 6: Polignano a Mare and Monopoli

For the fifth and final day of your itinerary, we will move to the coast to visit two towns that offer a beautiful view of the sea. We are talking about Polignano a Mare, the birthplace of Domenico Modugno and Monopoli.

One of the major attractions of Polignano a Mare is Lama Monachile, a single-span Roman construction dating back to the 2nd century AD. Cala Paura beach is a small corner of paradise composed of two inlets and a small dock for traditional boats. The coast of Polignano a Mare also offers a large number of sea caves that can be visited by booking a boat tour.

The second half of the day is dedicated to Monopoli, one of the most active and populous ports in Puglia. Its historic center is a triumph of stately buildings and churches such as the Cathedral of Maria Santissima della Madia, with its Baroque facade and bell tower. Not to be missed in Monopoli is the Castle of Charles V and the Castle of Santo Stefano. But Monopoli is famous above all for its beaches and coves with clear waters. Among the most famous and visited bays are Cala Porta Vecchia, Porto Nero, Porto Verde and Copacabana. End the day with a dinner in a typical restaurant in the historic center of Monopoli, before returning to Ostuni for your penultimate night.

Day 7: Matera, the city of Sassi

The last day of your trip will be dedicated to visiting Matera, the famous city of Sassi, in Basilicata. From Ostuni the journey is less than 2 hours, which makes it an unmissable stop for those coming to Puglia, given its notable proximity. In Matera you cannot miss a visit to the two neighborhoods: Sasso Barisano, the largest district, full of shops, restaurants and hotels, and Sasso Caveoso, the oldest part of the city. But that’s not all: the city is also full of rock churches and natural areas with truly extraordinary landscapes and there is no shortage of unmissable museums or events to attend.

A building to visit is Casa Noha, an ancient residence that belonged to a noble family and which today is a tourist information center, or the Cathedral of Matera, from which you can admire the landscape of Sasso Barisano and the “cave-house”. Continue your visit by walking through the alleys of Matera where you can find local artisan products and buy beautiful souvenirs as a memento of the city.

Not to be missed are the delicacies of the culinary tradition of Matera, based on legumes, vegetables, cheeses (caciocavallo podolico, cacioricotta, salted pecorino and many others), meats, homemade pasta and the delicious IGP bread of Matera, a bread made exclusively with durum wheat semolina.

At the end of your day, we recommend spending the night right here to enjoy the unique atmosphere of this village at night.

Your 7-day itinerary in Puglia has come to an end. If you have more days available, you can enrich your itinerary by visiting the area of ​​Bari or Gargano. You can find our itinerary ideas here.