Postcards from Puglia

Our postcards from Puglia are a random collection of images and travel notes that share the best of what we discovered and learnt during our own travels to the region. Not a guide but a first hand collection of experiences, practical information, thoughts and hindsight that hopefully inspire meaningful travel while at the same time staying respectful to the local culture, economy and environment.

Salento | The Ancient Land

In In the southern most part of Italy’s heel, you’ll find a flat region that is surrounded by the Adriatic sea on one side and the Ionian on the other. We love this part of Puglia for the many small towns clustered throughout the countryside and the incredible rocky coastline brimming with old school lidos and insanely beautiful grottos. This part of Puglia is mostly off the tourist trail and less busy than other regions. The area plays a big role in Italy’s agriculture economy and the countryside is carpeted with Olive trees as far as the eye can see. Things move slower here, time is not important. Here you might stop and have a café with the locals who were always appreciative of how far we’d travelled. The beauty of the region is unlike anywhere else, a collection of baroque and medieval towns and cities blend historical influences from the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Normans. Described as the ancient land, Salento has handed down it’s trades and traditions for centuries to the local inhabitants and still to this day it is the land of both country and coast. The ancient trades of fishing, herding sheep, making cheese and olive oil are ill the corner stones of industry and lifestyle.