A Taste of Puglia: Sightseeing in the Salento

So as I alluded in the intro to this series about my time in Puglia, my aim is to share the best bits of my time there as well as highlight some Pugliese treats I’ve come across here in London. But where to start? I suppose at the source is as good a place as any, especially when it’s as beautiful as the Salento, the very bottom of the country’s so called boot heel.

Lecce

While visiting Puglia I stayed in Lecce. Known as the “Florence of the South,” the city is famous for its many over-the-top Baroque palaces and churches jam packed into remarkably close proximity. Most of these lavish buildings are constructed of the local sandstone, which appears to be almost illuminated at sunset. Beyond the Baroque sights, there’s a fairly well preserved Roman amphitheatre in the heart of Lecce as well as ancient villages and archaeological sites nearby. A fairly compact city where (like just about anywhere you go in Italy) easy access to amazing restaurants, cafes, bars and food shops is all but a given and history oozes from virtually every cobblestone, timber beam or brick.

Gallipoli

The other city I managed to have a look at during my trip was the seaside town of Gallipoli. A humbler destination than Lecce in a lot of ways, Gallipoli was a blend of ancient fishing village and contemporary beach resort: narrow lanes and tourist tat. The waters round the town were as crystal clear as any I’ve ever spied. The seafood I devoured over lunch as gorgeous as I could have hoped for. Plenty of recs on food and drink, including a great suggestion for dining in Gallipoli, are coming soon in future posts.

Getting Around

Heading out, I flew EasyJet via Stansted to Brindisi Salento Airport. Coming back, I hopped an Alitalia flight to Heathrow with a short layover at Milan Linate. On the ground in Puglia as part of a small delegation of UK journos, our Italian Trade Commission hosts had prearranged the transportation. So I can’t offer much advice on what’s best for individual travel needs, except to say you definitely need a car to make the most of even a short ‘stay put’ visit to the region. Distances between sights worth seeing weren’t too far from each other; roads were in good condition and appeared to be well marked; and we never seemed to be too far from the sea.

Addison Lee

Yet again, the good ole Addison Lee app (actually it’s really rather new) came to the rescue. I used it to get me to Stansted for my redeye flight out and again for my transfer back home from Heathrow. I’ve relied on the app a number of times before and have yet to encounter issues or less than exemplary service.