Southern Italy Travel Puglia Part I

  Southern Italy Travel

       The big 3, Roma, Firenze and Venezia, are the most visited cities in Italy but exciting alternatives await you in less know Southern Italy    Having never traveled south of Naples it was a new adventure to explore the Salento  the past two years. 


        Puglia does not receive much, if any coverage in tour books.   Cities in Puglia are smaller, towns along the coast cling to the edge of cliffs, and thousands of olive trees stand like soldiers along the country roadways.         What cannot be captured by a camera is the impossible

blue color of the sky early in the mornings and the glow of the honey colored stone that is intricately carved to embellish the countless churches
in Lecce.  

                                                                              
      You may need to consult a map to find the towns of Puglia:  Lecce, Gallipoli, Oltrano, Bari, and Brindisi, the Unesco World Heritage sites of Alberobello or Castel del Monte.  These are only a few of the many unique and welcoming towns and villages throughout Puglia.    
Closer to northern Africa than Europe, the history of Puglia may reflect this in the architecture and the cooking traditions.  The food of Puglia is based on the Mediterranean diet:  fresh produce, wonderful olive oil and wine.                                                                           


Cooking classes or entire cooking holidays incorporate the products of the local wineries, olive oil farms and local farmers.
This is not an area of only art and museums.   Travelers seeking an active adventure can dive in the Adriatic on the coast of Puglia, bike on the roads along the sea or into the interior or hike in the national park.   

                                           Photo courtesy of Yltour

I found Puglia to be a part of Italy where meeting the local tradesmen, master pastry chef, artisans, wine growers and olive oil producers to be the captivating part of a visit. 

Consider exploring Puglia with the help of a local expert who has spent many years creating ‘travel adventures for her guests’.   Yle Sambati established yltour.com to offer visitors to her native region  a complete exposure to The Salento.     A specialized tour will be created based on your special interests, budget, group size, dates or itinerary.

Contact Yle for your special travel 'wish'...

ylenia (info@yltourcongressi.com)