Nobody Told Us: Puglia — What Travellers from the USA Need to Know

Over the past year, we've had the opportunity to meet more and more first-time visitors to Puglia from the States. We've been asking them a simple question: what do you wish you'd known before you arrived that would have made your vacation better? The answers have been remarkably consistent. And many of them are not understood by US-based travel advisors, which doesn't help your expectations either! So, rather than simply telling you what we think you need to know, we've built this episode of the Puglia Podcast around what those travellers told us: the things they wished they'd understood before arriving, the expectations that didn't quite match reality, and the small pieces of local knowledge that would have made their trips easier and, ultimately, better. This is what nobody told them. Access the companion guide by the Puglia Guys here - Nobody Told Us: Puglia for Travellers from the USA.  

Buying a house in Puglia and not sure how to go about it or what to expect? We're often contacted about buying property in Puglia — where to buy, how the process works, and what foreign buyers should know about buying a house or home here. But as travel writers, rather than property professionals, that's a little outside our comfort zone. So, we decided to speak to the experts at Engel & Völkers Salento known as a leader in high-end residential real estate here in Salento (the southern part of Puglia), and let them answer the questions we're most often asked.  This isn't legal advice. It isn't an investment guide. It's a conversation intended as a practical introduction for overseas buyers considering buying their first property in Puglia. Please take independent professional advice.

Ferragosto, Italy's national summer holiday, is upon us. In this episode, we're joined by Puglia travel planner Luca of Puglia With Locals to explain why August can be such a busy (and sometimes surprising) time to visit Puglia and Italy. At the centre of the month is Ferragosto on 15 August. For Italians, it's a time for family, barbecues and days at the beach. For visitors, however, it can come as a surprise. Some businesses close for their annual holidays, restaurants may operate reduced hours or be fully booked well in advance, and much of the country seems to pause as locals head to the coast. If you're visiting Puglia in August, planning ahead is essential, particularly around Ferragosto. For more information on the best time to visit Puglia, see our Puglia Guys Puglia by Season guide. Plus, we look at Puglia's official Top 20 destinations of 2025 and see how they are shaping up this year.

We visit Brindisi, one of Puglia's most underrated cities. Brindisi was once one of the great crossroads of the entire Mediterranean world. Julius Caesar blockaded its harbour. The Roman Empire's legions marched east from here. Crusader armies set sail from these waters for the Holy Land. Virgil, the greatest poet of the ancient world, died here. Shakespeare wrote about it. And in 1943, when Rome fell to German occupation, Brindisi became the capital city of Italy. Our Brindisi guide has details of all locations and restaurants recommended. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

We visit Locorotondo, one of the prettiest towns in Puglia's Valle d'Itria. We cover the old town's highlights and walking route, the remarkable churches — including what is probably the oldest in the Valle d'Itria — Locorotondo's own DOC white wine appellation, which is significantly underrated, the best places to eat and drink, and the Locus Festival, which brings some of Italy's most interesting music programming to a masseria just outside town every August.There's also a word on Christmas, which Locorotondo does beautifully.  You can find our complete guide to Locorotondo here. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.  

A little Italian goes a long way!  Italian is a beautiful language. It sings to you, and it's fun to try speaking it back. Even learning just a few simple words when visiting – ciao, buongiorno, grazie – brings a small sense of achievement. It's polite, and shows respect. Most travellers quickly discover that even a handful of basic phrases can lead to warmer interactions and more enjoyable everyday moments during a trip. In this episode Teresa from Punto e virgola Italian language school in Grottaglie coaches Scott Maxwell, the Puglia Guys perpetual Italian language learner, with some helpful words and phrases. At 16:20 she goes over the correct pronunciation of all your favourite Puglia destinations! No more tripping up over Alberobello, Ceglie, Cisternino, Otranto, Polignano and Taranto... To see the words and phrases in print, head to our Parli Italiano? website resource. For information on face to face or online Italian courses, as well as immersive Italian language experiences on offer at Punto e virgola, contact Teresa or follow them on Instagram. 

We visit Kayla Savino, a Puglia based American luxury travel designer and founder of Storia Travel Club. Although Kayla works with clients traveling globally, her speciality is curating the perfect Puglia and Italy itinerary. We discover what brought Kayla to Puglia, the cultural challenges that she had to navigate as an American coming to live in Puglia, and the joys of sharing her lived-in experience with travelers coming to vacation in Italy, and Puglia in particular. We talk food, the Italian language and Puglia's best bits. Plus there's some insider travel tips from Kayla for visitors coming to Puglia. You can contact Kayla via the Storia Travel Club website or email her directly at [email protected] - be sure to let her know you heard her on the Puglia Podcast! For frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia follow the Puglia Guys on Instagram.

Wine tasting in Puglia comes in many forms. Across the region, there are countless opportunities to visit local cantine, where tastings are typically centred on that producer's own wines, a great way to understand a single estate, its vineyards, and its production methods. An alternative approach is to experience a broader cross-section of Puglian wine in one sitting. That's why we chose a tasting in Locorotondo at Pavì Wine Restaurant. Here, Ignazio curates a selection of wines drawn from multiple producers across the region, offering a more comparative and panoramic introduction to Puglia's wine landscape. The experience is informal and immersive. Glasses clink, wine is poured generously, and it's all accompanied by excellent local food. Ignazio's enthusiasm shapes the tasting, guiding it beyond a standard format into something more personal and engaging. The wines we tasted in this episode were from a wider selection curated by Ignazio: Locorotondo Tagaro (white), Costiero Giustini (rose) and Ritunno Nero di Troia Puglia I.G.P. (red).  For more information on Puglia's wine producing credentials, and pictures of the wine we tasted with Ignazio, visit our Puglia Guys Puglia Wine Guide. For information on visiting Pavì Wine Restaurant and Locorotondo, see our Puglia Guys Locorotondo City Guide. To arrange a wine tasting at Pavì Wine Restaurant in Locorotondo contact them via their Instagram - pavi_51 (be sure to tell them you heard the podcast). Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Continuing our Bari Vecchia guide, we shift perspective.  We move away from ticking off sights, and focus on what to notice. Because what defines Bari Vecchia is not only its basilicas and castles, but the cultural details woven into its fabric: the food rituals, the ground-floor homes, the arches and shrines, the defensive towers hidden in plain sight, the way private life spills into public space. As you explore Bari Vecchia we encourage you to take in its everyday architecture. The street food traditions. The devotional details. The way space is shared. For detailed information on our route, locations and places to stop for refreshments along the way, see our companion Puglia Guys guide to Bari Vecchia. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Brilliant Bari Vecchia — Bari's historic old town — is one of the most compelling parts of our regional capital. Once a city most people passed through, Bari has become Puglia's most visited destination: a place of pilgrimage, welcoming those devoted to the cult of Saint Nicholas alongside visitors drawn by Bari Vecchia's extraordinary food scene. With its 4,000-year history, the old town doesn't reveal itself all at once. Much of what defines Bari Vecchia lies between the monuments: front doors opening onto cool, shaded alleyways; the sounds of food being prepared and families eating together; laundry hanging from balconies, drying slowly in the afternoon heat. Everyday life continues here in full view. Its streets are irregular, defensive and intentionally disorienting — a medieval urban maze built to slow intruders. It's easy to lose your bearings in Bari Vecchia. We still do. So, join us on our walking tour of Bari Vecchia, approaching the old city by neighbourhood: overlapping zones anchored by piazzas, churches and historic institutions. Discover the character and rhythm of each quarter as we explore Bari Vecchia and its history. For more information on our route, precise locations and places to stop for refreshments along the way, see our companion Puglia Guys guide to Bari Vecchia. Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.