PUGLIA, white villages, ancient olive trees, sparkling coastline | SEPTEMBER 10-21 2024| sold out
Imagine a land where olive groves whisper tales of centuries past, and each vineyard bears witness to a lineage of winemaking that transcends time. Welcome to Puglia, a sun-drenched haven in southern Italy where the very essence of life is distilled into the finest olive oils, wines, cheeses, seafood, and pasta—a journey for your senses that unfolds from the embrace of the soil and the caress of the sea.
As we embark on this gastronomic pilgrimage, the places where we stay become not just accommodations but storytellers. Picture the rustic charm of traditional masserie. Feel the opulence of palaces in Lecce, where the air is infused with tales of a bygone era. Within these stone walls and vogueish interiors, you’ll find not just shelter but narratives etched by time.
Puglia’s architecture, a living canvas painted by the hands of Greeks and Romans, comes alive in the fairytale trulli that dot the Valle d’Itria. Lecce, a city that has stood the test of time since Roman days, unfolds its honey-colored limestone in a Baroque extravaganza, earning it the title ‘Florence of the South.’ Each structure, each stone, narrates a story that resonates with the ebb and flow of history.
The sea, an eternal companion, has shaped Puglia’s identity. Coastal panoramas, scalloped with fishing villages and crowned by watchtowers, beckon you. Venture inland, and Matera, with its cave dwellings etched into the river gorge, transports you to ancient tales. Twilight unveils Matera’s secrets, with lights illuminating passageways leading to a church that stands as a silent witness to the ages.
In Puglia, every plate is a chapter, every stone a page, and every winding path an invitation to immerse ourselves in a narrative that is as authentic as it is timeless. Puglia is waiting, ready to share its stories with you.
Taste
Olive oils, wines, cheeses, seafood and pasta – the Pugliese table is a journey for the senses, born from the soil and the sea, evolving over the centuries into a cuisine found nowhere else in Italy
Stay
A traditional masseria in glorious countryside, a gorgeous palace in Lecce, a cave hotel in Matera – in rough stone walls and vogueish interiors, the places where we stay have stories to tell
Tradition
The vernacular architecture of Puglia dates to the days of the Greeks and the Romans times, seen at its best in the trulli, the white fairytale houses that dot the countryside of the Valle d’Itria.
IL Mare
Puglia has been shaped by the sea. To this day much of its coastline is scalloped with fishing villages, its headlands set with fortified watchtowers while its beaches draw sun-lovers from the rest of Europe
Explore
Lecce has been a major settlement since Roman times, and the honey-coloured limestone quarried nearby was perfectly suited to the giddy extravagance of the Baroque that earned Lecce the subtitle ‘Florence of the South’
Wonder
Lining the sides of a river gorge where most of the population once lived in caves, Matera transports you back to the Old Testament. At its best at twilight, when lights anoint the dim passageways that lead to the church crowning the town
COST
Cost: $8950 Per person, twin-share, Single Supplement $1,750 Non-refundable deposit $500 dollars when you book
What’s included
• Transfers from Bari Airport or train station to our hotel, and another transfer to the airport or city of Bari at the end of the tour
• Safe and comfortable air-conditioned vehicle
• English speaking professional driver
• Guided tours in all cities/towns
• 11 nights’ accommodation in a double/twin room with breakfast
• Admission to all historic monuments
• Breakfast daily
• Lunches on 3 days
• Dinners on 8 nights
• Gratuities (driver/guide, city guides, servers etc)
• Still water with meals, on the bus and on day tours
• Wine: One bottle of red and one bottle of white for the table for each included dinner
FITNESS
Generally any reasonably fit person should be able to participate & fully enjoy all that the tours have to offer.
You should be comfortable walking around towns and countryside. The tour will include some optional walks (typically 1-2hrs).
Be able to walk and negotiate stairs and pedestrian thoroughfares
Be able to stand for 30-60 minutes in galleries and museums at a time without a break
Be able to get on and off a coach with stairs, unassisted
Use a combined shower/bath (please note that we cannot guarantee walk-in shower facilities at all hotels)