Puglia Walking Tour

We meet in Bari, the main city of Puglia, and from here we start our discovery of the region. Our first stop is Polignano a Mare on the coast nearby, an impressive town clinging to a promontory suspended above the Adriatic’s turquoise waters.  With a history spanning back to the 4th century BC as a Greek settlement, Polignano a Mare is a charming town centred around the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Polignano a Mare encircles a pebble beach, nestled in a cove between rocky cliffs. We advise keeping your camera at the ready! Towards evening we reach the towns that we stay in for the next six nights, either Monopoli or Alberobello. We stay in the historic centre of town, where the piazzas have the traditional ‘passeggiata’ in full swing each evening. Over the next few days you'll have plenty of time to explore the town at your own pace.  Tonight we dine together, having our first introduction to the cuisine of Puglia.   Meals: Dinner 

In the morning on our first walk we start to explore the fascinating area that you are based in. Starting out in an area of oak forest, the walk opens out to an area that has many working agricultural enterprises, vineyards, and the numerous small-holdings of the local community.  We start to see the trulli, unique to this area and a taste for what is to come this afternoon in Alberobello.  We see evidences of how people have lived here in times past, such as ‘cisterna’ underground tanks for water collection, and ‘aia’ raised platforms for the drying of grain. As we walk through the countryside you will have the history of the area explained to you, while seeing first hand the combination of age-old practices along with more modern technology used to work this land today. In the afternoon we visit the picturesque Alberobello. First we have lunch in what used to be an olive oil mill, from back when this town was a simple agricultural centre. After lunch we explore Alberobello. This  UNESCO World Heritage site is a unique town with streets lined with 'trulli'. In fact it is known in Italy as the “Capital of trulli”. Trulli are small stone houses with a distinctive conical roof, built 300-400 years ago.  By walking along its narrow streets, you will be fascinated by the magical and fairytale atmosphere of this place.  We explore this town together, and learn about why and how these dwellings were built, and about the cryptic symbols painted on the roof-cones.  You’ll also have some free time to browse the shops of Alberobello and to wander around. WALKING DETAILS:  The walk is fully guided. Total Distance: 5 miles / 8 km Duration of walking: 3 hrs  Terrain: Well formed track, slight inclines. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

After a short drive toward the coast, we begin today’s walks and start to really get an understanding of the depth of history that we are surrounded by. Walking first through open plains, we come across abandoned dwellings – in this area evidence has been found of inhabitation since Neolithic times.  Part of the route we walk today follows the route of the ancient Roman road called Trajan’s Way. This was built to connect Rome with the port of Brindisi further south in Puglia, and the trade routes that extended out from there. For lunch we visit Ostuni, known as “la città bianca” (the white town). Ostuni is a cluster of whitewashed buildings perched on a hilltop overlooking the coast. Walking through the narrow streets of Ostuni is like being in a forgotten time, evocative and ancient, looking out over an expanse of olive trees. We arrive at our lunch venue, enjoying the time to recharge and relax. After lunch we visit a 'masseria'. A masseria is a historic farm centre, originally with all the estate's workers living in the fortified buildings. Nowadays some of these estates are still agricultural enterprises, while others have been converted into boutique lodges. The masseria that we visit still produces organic extra virgin olive oil from trees that are many centuries old.  This land has been worked for thousands of years - we are shown the remnants of the ancient Roman agricultural production here, along with items from habitation from the middle ages through until modern times. After seeing the ancient trees, we enjoy a degustation of a range of olive oils. This allows us to compare the different tastes from the olive varieties grown here. WALKING DETAILS:  The walk is fully guided. Total Distance: 7.5 miles / 12 km Duration of walking: 4 hrs  Terrain: Well formed track, some country roads, flat. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch