Polignano to Mare on the cliffs of the Adriatic

PASETTI VIAGENS

The character of Puglia

Nine days in the heel of Italy: Ostuni, the trulli of Alberobello, baroque Lecce, the sea at Otranto and the caves of Matera. Olive oil, wine and home cooking.

About this journey

Puglia is the Italy Italians choose for their holidays. Three nights in Ostuni, the white city; three in Lecce, the Florence of the south; and two in Matera, with its rock-cut homes. Along the way: Cisternino, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, Gallipoli and Otranto.

A masseria with an old olive press and a tasting of five olive oils, an organic winery in Nardò, a pottery workshop in Grottaglie and a morning by boat on the Mediterranean. Travel between cities by private minivan, with Portuguese- or English-speaking guides on tours.

Price on request, depending on the season and available masserias. Flights are not included; we can quote them alongside the trip. It combines well with Rome or the Amalfi Coast before or afterwards.

The itinerary

Day 1: Bari – Ostuni
Arrival in Bari and private transfer to the hotel, on a journey of about 1 hour (80km).
During the journey, stop for a typical Italian lunch. Opportunity to taste Puglia's famous cucina contadina (home-cooked food).
Arrival in Ostuni and accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
Ostuni is, a medieval city on top of a hill overlooking the sea and which was nicknamed "white city\" by its sun-shade buildings.
2nd day: Ostuni – Cisternino – Alberobello – Polignano a Mare – Ostuni
Breakfast at the hotel and exit for a full day tour, with a guide in Portuguese or English.
In the morning, visit the city of Cisternino. Walked through the narrow streets of the village, passing white-coated buildings in the medieval center.
Continuation of the tour to the city of Alberobello. Along the way, opportunity to observe the fields and olive groves. Declared UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello is famous for the houses in cone forms called trulli. They are stone-to-stone houses, without using mortar and which are found only in this valley.
Lunch stop at a local restaurant (not included) and trip to Polignano to Mare, known for its Mediterranean landscapes and the villas built on top of the sea cliffs. Walk to the historic center and free time to take photos by the sea.
Day 3: Ostuni
Breakfast at the hotel. Half-day private tour, with a guide in Portuguese or English, to visit Masseria Brancati, a historic farm that houses an old mill mill of olive oil in its stone cellars.
Walked by the ancient olive groves, followed by lessons on how olives are grown and harvested. It includes a tasting of five different types of olive oil, produced locally, with traditional techniques.
After the visit, return to Ostuni for lunch in a traditional restaurant (not included).
Free afternoon for independent activities.
Day 4: Ostuni – Gallipoli – Lecce
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Departure for a full day private tour, with a guide in Portuguese or English in Gallipoli, a seaside fishing town.
Lunch stop at a local restaurant in Gallipoli (not included).
In the afternoon, he visits the Schola Sarmenti winery, located in Nardò, followed by tasting his award-winning organic wines.
Continuing the tour to Santa Maria al Bagno, to visit the "Museo della memoria e dell'accoglienza\", dedicated to the memory and reception of migrants in the region that lived in Pugllia between 1943 and 1947, addressing issues related to migration, identity and tolerance.
In the evening, transfer to Lecce for accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
Known as the "Florence of the South", Lecce is famous for its rich Baroque architecture and its well-preserved historical centre.
Day 5: Lecce
After breakfast, a half-day private tour with a guide in Portuguese or English.
Walk to the historic center.and visit the main points with Basilica di Santa Croce, and the public square Piazza Sant'Oronzo, where is located the old city hall, known as \"Sedile\".
During the tour, the opportunity to taste the best of local cuisine, such as a pastry stuffed with mozzarella, tomato and bechamel, the famous local cheese, the \"taralli\" a very popular type of salty biscuit and the \"pasticciotto\", a traditional Italian dessert, stuffed with pastry cream.
Day 6: Lecce
Breakfast at the hotel and exit for walk half a day. In the morning, departure by boat for diving in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Lunch in the coastal town of Otranto (not included), which was named as one of the "Borghi piu'belli d'Italia\" - one of the most beautiful villages in the country.
Free afternoon for independent activities.
Then trip to Tricase with the night off to enjoy the city before returning to Lecce.
Day 7: Lecce – Grottaglie – Matera
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Private transfer to Matera with stop in Grottaglie and visit the workshop of the potters of the region.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Matera is different from any other city in the country, through winding streets and rocky caves that fill the city at the top of the mountain.
Lunch stop (not included).
Continuation to Matera. Accommodation for two nights, with breakfast.
Day 8: Matera
Breakfast at the hotel and free day to enjoy the city Matera.
9th day: Matera – Bari or Brindisi
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Private transfer to Bari or Brindisi airport.

What's included

Accommodation for 3 nights in Ostuni, with breakfast
Accommodation for 3 nights in Lecce, with breakfast
Accommodation for 2 nights in Matera, with breakfast
Private transfers between airport/hotel/airport
Private land transfers between cities, in minivan with English speaking driver
Private tours, entrances to museums/archaeological sites indicated on the itinerary
Entry fees for the sights and museums/archaeological sites indicated on the itinerary
Local guides in Portuguese or English (by availability and confirmation), during the tours

What's not included

International flights between Brazil and Italy
Departure taxes
Tourism taxes
Bank transfer fees for payment to the overseas supplier
Travel document and consular visa expenses
Travel insurance
Cancellation insurance
Excess baggage
Early check-in
Late check-out
Meals not listed as included
Drinks not listed as included
Tips
Porterage
Suggested and/or optional tours and excursions
Admission to sites on suggested and/or optional tours and excursions
Restaurant reservations subject to a fee of EUR 10 to EUR 30
Personal extras such as laundry, phone calls, alcoholic drinks, extra meals, tips, minibar consumption and anything not listed as included in the itinerary

Onde você vai ficar

Masseria ou hotel boutique · Ostuni · 3 nights, set in booking confirmation
Hotel boutique no centro histórico · Lecce · 3 nights, set in booking confirmation
Hotel nos Sassi · Matera · 2 nights, set in booking confirmation

Good to know

Private minivan with English driver between cities; guides in Portuguese or English on tours.
Lunches not included, on purpose: Puglia is eaten in the trattorias.
Value under consultation: depends on the time and the masseries available.