Coastal Puglia
/While the inland hill towns of Puglia are charming, it’s the 480 miles of coastline on the Adriatic and the Gulf of Taranto that should not be missed. In geographic terms, Puglia’s coast encompasses the spur of Italy in the north (Gargano Peninsula) to the heel of the boot in the south (Salento Peninsula). Like Sicily, the whitewashed houses remind one of Greece, which is understandable since the Greeks were here first, around 200 BC.
We had planned to stay for five or six days in Monopoli or Polignano a Mare, but my wife was doing research and found a hotel in Gallipoli that is a renovated abandoned villa and exclaimed: “We must stay here.” So we did.
I knew very little about Gallipoli, which doesn’t seem to receive as much attention as Monopoli or Polignano a Mare, but we fell in love with the old town - and the hotel, Palazzo Flora. Gallipoli is on the Ionian Sea on the western side of the Salento Peninsula. The old town is on a limestone island, accessible by a bridge built in the 16th century.
In October the waters were warm enough for swimming and the numerous bars and restaurants lining the walls of the historic center were perfect for long lunches and sunset cocktails. The hotel was delightful, with frescoed ceilings, walls filled with artwork and a peaceful pool (too cold for October!).
We finished our Puglia trip in Monopoli, but stopped in the hill town of Ostuni enroute from Gallipoli. The lovely hill town rises above ancient groves of gnarled and twisted olive trees.
The coastal towns of Monopoli and Polignano a Mare are both popular tourist towns with numerous restaurants, cafes and beaches. The water was not quite as warm nor did the towns capture our hearts like Gallipoli. As you can see from the photos, we ate a lot of fresh seafood, both tossed with pasta and as Frutti di Mare (a lightly-breaded flash-fried plate of anchovies, sardines, shrimp and langoustines).
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