Part of our Italy guide.
2 places and guides from our Puglia coverage, gathered into one page.
Related travel guides: Where To Stay In Italy, Hiking And The Outdoors In Italy, Salento Travel Guide, and A Short Guide To Modica - The Beautiful Home Of Sicily's Best Chocolate.
15 Must-Try Foods In Puglia, Italy
Puglia, in southeastern Italy, is known for its landscapes, history, and towns. Its cuisine centers on fresh seafood, rustic dishes, and local staples like orecchiette pasta, burrata, and olive oil from centuries-old groves. Start with raw or grilled sea urchins and mussels along the coast, then try tiella (a rice, potato, and mussel casserole) in Lecce. For a street-food classic, seek out panzerotti—fried dough stuffed with tomato and mozzarella—from bakeries in Bari. The region’s cime di rapa (turnip tops) appear in pasta dishes year-round, while summer brings fichi mandorlati, dried figs stuffed with almonds. A a month-by-month guide to the weather in Italy helps plan around peak harvests: spring for artichokes and asparagus, autumn for grapes and olives. Save room for pasticciotto, a custard-filled pastry from Lecce, and finish with a glass of Primitivo wine from the Salento peninsula.
A Short Guide To Bari - Your Gateway To Puglia
Bari, the capital of Puglia, sits on the Adriatic Sea and serves as the main transport hub for the region. Its international airport connects to major European cities, and direct trains run from Rome (4 hours) and Milan (6 hours). The historic old town, Bari Vecchia, is a maze of narrow lanes where you’ll find the Basilica of San Nicola (a key pilgrimage site) and the Swabian Castle. For local life, visit the morning fish market near the port, open daily except Sunday. From Bari, regional trains reach Alberobello’s trulli houses in 90 minutes and the whitewashed town of Ostuni in one hour. The city itself offers Romanesque churches, seafront promenades, and a food scene centered on the Mercato del Pesce. For a day trip, the coastal town of Monopoli is 45 minutes by train and provides a quieter base with sandy coves and a historic harbor.
