Itineraries for Your Trip to Puglia
3 Days in Puglia for Foodies
I had lived in Italy for many years before I finally made it to the southern region of Puglia, and its unique local cuisine quickly became one of my favorites in Italy. There was the aromatic olive oil and bold red and white wines found in much of the Italian south, but there was also rich artisan cheeses, hand-rolled orecchiette pasta, and fresh fish and seafood plucked directly from the waters off the Adriatic and Ionian coastlines.
I have feasted my way through most of the region during my many visits and discovered that the hyper-local dishes and specialties change as you move through the inland hills in the northern reaches of Puglia to the sun-washed Salento Peninsula in the south. Here’s how to sample a bit of everything over three days.
Temperatures soar in Puglia between June and September, so do as the locals do and dine late when the heat abates.
If you only have time for one thing, head to Bari’s tiny alleyways to marvel at the ladies turning out orecchiette pasta at lightning speed.
Kick off your culinary adventure in Puglia’s largest city of Bari. Though its busy port can be daunting, the charming old town is home to a lively food scene where handmade pasta and other culinary traditions blend with new trends like gourmet street food and a buzzy aperitivo hour.
After watching the famed “pasta ladies” of Bari shape hundreds of tiny cup-shaped orecchiette, you’ll want to try making this traditional local pasta yourself. Join a home cook for a hands-on lesson followed by a family-style dinner to sample the dishes you’ve prepared from scratch.
Today, head to Puglia’s culinary heart: the Itria Valley. This rolling countryside is covered in olive trees and vineyards where some of Italy’s top extra-virgin olive oil and boutique wines are produced. The hills are also dotted with walled masserie, historic farming estates that still make burrata and caciocavallo cheese, artisan cold cuts, and the region’s famed preserved vegetables.
Puglia’s fishing communities are another pillar of the regional cuisine. This afternoon, visit the hamlet of Polignano a Mare to soak in its charm and relax over an almond milk-laced espresso, a local favorite. Stay for dinner to sample some of the freshest fish and seafood dishes in Italy.
The Salento plains surrounding Lecce are home to some of Puglia’s most prestigious cellars, so toast to your time in the region with a glass of red Primitivo di Manduria or white Fiano. Connect with a local winemaker to learn more about the area’s winemaking history and culture and sample DOC and IGT labels.
