Itinerary
From the sea at Bari to the white villages of the Itria Valley: six stops among cliffs, Baroque architecture, trulli and local flavours, all a short distance from our homes.
The starting point
Bari Vecchia, the old town, is a maze of pale-stone alleys, arches and courtyards, where local women still make orecchiette pasta by hand on their doorsteps. At its heart, the Basilica of San Nicola – a masterpiece of Apulian Romanesque – has guarded the saint's relics since 1087. And then there's the seemingly endless seafront, perfect for a sunset stroll.
Bari Vecchia is about 20 minutes' walk from Bareasy
The village perched above the sea
Polignano's white houses cling to cliffs that drop sheer into the Adriatic, hollowed out by sea caves. At its heart lies Lama Monachile, a small pebble cove enclosed by rocks and spanned by a bridge – one of Apulia's most famous views. This is the birthplace of Domenico Modugno, remembered by the town with a statue looking out to sea.
About 35 km from Bari, 40 minutes by car (or by train)
The White City
Perched on a hill overlooking the sea, Ostuni is the White City: its lime-washed houses gleam in the sun. Climb the stairways and alleys up to the Gothic cathedral with its great rose window, then look out over the sea of centuries-old olive trees stretching all the way to the coast.
About 35 km from Martina Franca, 40 minutes by car
The Baroque jewel of the Itria Valley
Martina Franca's old town is a Baroque triumph: wrought-iron balconies, elegant palazzi and the theatrical Basilica of San Martino overlooking Piazza Plebiscito. Every summer the Palazzo Ducale hosts the Valle d'Itria Festival, devoted to opera. Don't miss the local capocollo, Martina Franca's famous cured meat.
Almartina is in the old town, about 150 m from the Basilica of San Martino
The round village
The name says it all: Locorotondo's old town curls in a circle on a hilltop, with white alleys and the typical "cummerse", houses with steep pitched roofs. From the viewpoint you can gaze across the Itria Valley, dotted with trulli and vineyards that produce Locorotondo DOC, a fresh, fragrant white wine.
About 8 km from Martina Franca, 15 minutes by car
The "fornelli pronti" grills
Listed among "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy", Cisternino is a tangle of white alleys, stairways and little squares clustered around its Norman-Swabian tower. In the evening the butcher's shops turn into "fornelli pronti": choose your meat at the counter and they'll grill it for you on the spot – starting with the famous bombette.
About 13 km from Martina Franca, 20 minutes by car
Bareasy in Bari for the sea and the city, Almartina in Martina Franca's old town for the Itria Valley. And soon Pietralma, in the countryside of the trulli.
