Photo by flickr user paparugaruga
Puglia is dotted with fascinating towns and villages, many of which make good bases for exploring the region. While some visitors like the idea of a country hotel with pool, gardens and rural views to come home to after a hard day's sightseeing, others prefer being in the thick of things. It's a bonus to be able to stroll to the local bar or restaurant in the evening and not to have to worry about driving back to some remote masseria, several miles down a dark, winding lane. A town stay is the most practical choice if you don't have a car and public transport in the area is reasonably good.
Puglia is long and relatively narrow, stretching more than 300 kilometers from north to south, and there is a great deal to see in its towns. If you're keen to take in the whole region and don't want to spend most of your holiday on the road, a multi-base trip makes sense. Or mix town and country (take a look at our list of country hotels in Puglia). Highlights include glorious Baroque Lecce (known as the 'Florence of the South'), Martina Franca, Ostuni, Locorotondo, Otranto, Gallipoli, Trani, Polignano a Mare and Galatina. Even if we don't list a hotel in these places, there is never one too far away. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.
Written by Nicky Swallow
