Where to Stay in Puglia

Accommodation in Puglia

Puglia (also known as Apulia) is a region in Southern Italy forming the “heel” of Italy’s boot shape peninsula. It’s a picturesque area of Italy known for its sweeping coastline, historic towns and Baroque architecture. Flights from Stansted to Brindisi or Bari with Ryan Air in October were only ￡28 (without luggage) which is such a bargain. This blog post gives you ideas of where to stay in Puglia – we split our trip between two cities to explore more of the region.

There is public transport in the main cities and towns in Puglia but the general consensus seems to be that it is best to drive to allow more freedom. Car hire for the week in October was around ￡150.

Brindisi and Bari airports are only 1.5 hours apart with the former being north and the latter being more south. We flew into Brindisi and travelled 50 minutes north to Polignano a Mare which is a stunning coastal town with dramatic cliffs and scenic views.

Apartment in Polignano a Mare

We stayed at Don Leonardo Private Pool Villas which was a 10 minute drive from the centre of Polignano a Mare. It is a small and friendly bed and breakfast with four apartments with a shared pool. The rooms are spacious with a large bedroom and living area (where you can have a sofa bed).

The heated private pool was the attraction to the apartment as it was very child friendly. There are bean bags and sunbeds dotted around the pool for relaxation. The property also offers a jacuzzi and sauna area for all guests.

The breakfast area was situated right by the pool with a retractable room allowing the morning sun to shine through. Breakfast was plentiful and included:

• Fresh pastries
• Cheese and Meat
• Rolls
• Eggs
• Yoghurt

The bed and breakfast was within walking distance of a beach and a few restaurants. You can drive to town in 10 minutes or get a tuk tuk for around 15Euros. The hosts were always available to answer questions and were friendly.

Apartment in Lecce with roof terrace

Lecce is a historic city in Puglia often referred to as The “Florence of the South” due to its stunning Baroque architecture. It’s a great base for exploring the Salento Peninsula with its gorgeous beaches.

We stayed at B&B Il Palazzotto Luxury Suites a boutique guesthouse located in Lecce, just 5 minutes outside the city walls. It offers elegantly designed rooms featuring modern amenities, some of which have balconies overlooking the streets of Lecce.

The guesthouse provides a shared lounge and rooftop terrace for relaxation which was one of the main attractions. We stayed in October and every time we visited the rooftop in the afternoon we were the only people there.

Breakfast is inclusive in the price and is served on the rooftop with a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. There is plenty of variety include fresh fruit, yogurt, filled croissants (the nutella is AMAZING!), eggs, brerad, meat and cheese.

Thoroughly recommend this accommodation in Lecce which was reasonably priced for the location, spacious room and rooftop.

Other places to base yourself could be Ostuni, Monopoli or Gallipoli but Puglia is fairly compact to get around so day trips are easy.