The Puglia Podcast

Gallipoli has become a hotspot for travellers seeking both history and hedonism. The summer season sees a seismic shift as Gallipoli becomes synonymous with revelry and celebrations extending well beyond the old and new towns. Nearby beaches – especially those in and around Baia Verde – echo with the rhythms of music festivals, vibrant parties, and a diverse crowd.

Our insider tips on when best to visit the old town, where by day fishermen still meet to drink, chat and mend their nets. We recommend some fine seafood restaurants and tell you where we enjoy the best sunset in Salento.

Details of the locations on our walking tour of Gallipoli can be found in our companion Puglia Guys Gallipoli city guide.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

We walk you around Otranto, its city beaches and visit geologically stunning and popular nearby beaches along the coast, including the Grotta della Poesia, the Baia dei Turchi, the faraglioni of Sant'Andrea and Torre dell'Orso.

Otranto is packed with history. From the famous mosaic floor of its cathedral, the castle of Otranto that inspired the first Gothic novel, and the tragedy of the 1480 massacre of 800 martyrs, whose bones are still on display.

Plus those city beaches and where to eat the best seafood in Otranto!

Details of the locations of the spots visited, the recommended restaurants and parking for the nearby beaches can be found in our companion Puglia Guys Otranto guide.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Puglia is considered to be Italy's 2nd most visited foodie destination. With Andrea in his home city Bari, Puglia's regional capital, we eat out in the old town. Bari Vecchia is one of Puglia's culinary hubs. We talk about the typical must-eat traditional dishes of Bari, along with our favourite restaurants where we go to eat them.

For detailed information on our favourite Bari restaurants and more recommendations visit the Puglia Guys Eat Bari Guide.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your visit to Puglia.

We visit Ostuni, Puglia's città bianca - the White City. Because we live in Puglia all year round we keep our finger on the pulse. Insider tips and hacks (parking in Ostuni? We have it covered), plus our recommendations on where to eat = where we eat. Eat like a local. Avoid the tourist traps, recommended by one tourist to another, where no locals would go - because the food is just average, and overpriced. We eat better, for less.

We explain why Ostuni makes the perfect base for your Puglia vacation, help you plan the perfect Puglia itinerary from a base in Ostuni, and list the Valle d'Itria's best beaches (and tell you where to park).

All that plus a hack on saving money on booking accommodation in Ostuni. For links, addresses and detailed information on the places mentioned in this episode, check out our Puglia Guys Ostuni City Guide.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

We don't all travel equally. Some travel solo, in couples or groups, with families, and with different expectations and aspirations. That's why we don't think there's a "one size fits all" itinerary for visitors. We take a different approach. Instead of suggesting actual itineraries we break down Puglia into bite size pieces so you can mix and match destinations to plan an itinerary that suits your travel style and circumstances. Whether you're here for a quick getaway or a slow immersive experience.

For further information on the destinations with links, check-out our Puglia Guys Guide to Planning the Perfect Puglia Itinerary.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Spaghetti all'assassina is the iconic pasta dish of Bari, Puglia's regional capital. It's unlike any other pasta dish you might have tried. On his visit to Bari for the TV show Searching for Italy, actor and food writer Stanley Tucci was blown away.

"This goes against everything I know about pasta... Honestly, I've never seen anything like that before… And I've been around, too!"

We discover the origins of spaghetti assassina, aka spaghetti bruciati (burnt spaghetti), why there are three official academies to protect its heritage, where to eat the best spaghetti assassina in Bari and how to cook it at home. We include the official accademia assassina recipe plus our own adapted Puglia Guys spaghetti assassina recipe.

For more spaghetti assassina resources (including these plus more recipes) visit the Puglia Guys Spaghetti Assassina page.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories and reels (including our assassina cooking), photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Our insider travel guide to Lecce, Puglia. What to see and do, and our guide to traditional food, as well as our favourite places to eat. From a pasticciotto and caffe leccese for breakfast, to lunch, aperitivi and dinner.

We live in Puglia all year round and provide practical tips on getting around, cultural insights and unique local experiences – from pizzica dancing to wine tastings, cooking classes to road trips.

Follow us on Instagram for frequent video stories, reels, photos, ideas and other information to inspire your stay in Puglia.

Fuller details and links referenced in this episode can be found on the Puglia Guys Lecce guide.

Welcome to the rebooted Puglia Podcast by the Puglia Guys, Puglia ambassadors.

Puglia offers endless choices: where to go, when to visit, how to get here, and what to do. Our goal isn't to dictate your journey, after all, only you know what you want from your vacation in the heel of Italy's boot. Instead we give you the information to make informed choices based on your travel preferences and circumstances. Do you want to soak up the sun or a lively atmosphere, maybe both? Are you looking to experience the slow rhythm of a southern Italian summer in a small Salento town? Some mindful quiet solitude and off the beaten track wilderness? Or do you want to hop from destination to destination, packing your cases and changing accommodation every day or two, to fit-in as much as possible? In the rebooted Ep1 we give a brief overview of Puglia as Italy's favourite staycation holiday hotspot. We weigh up the pros and cons of some of Puglia's better known destinations and some more general considerations to factor in.

For links referred to in the episode and more resources, check out our Puglia Guys Guide to Finding the Best Base for your Vacation in Puglia.

Follow us on Instagram @PugliaGuys

LEGACY EPISODE. For reboot start at WELCOME TO PUGLIA.

We literally grabbed Regan and Allie off the street for this short episode. The sisters are from the US. Regan is a wheeler. She uses a wheelchair and has been navigating Ostuni while visiting for the Allora film festival.

We ask Regan how her visit has been, given the narrow cobbled streets of many of Puglia's old towns.

It was a delight to hear that Regan's experience had been very positive and much better than had been anticipated at the other end, before getting here.

She also praises the organisers of Ostuni's first Allora International Festival of Cinema Art and Music for their thought in presenting an inclusive and accessible festival.

Photo: Torre Guaceto, one of Puglia's accessible beaches.

LEGACY EPISODE. For reboot start at season 2 WELCOME TO PUGLIA.

Food is an integral part of Puglia's identity.

Puglia is Italy's biggest producer of olive oil - around 40% of Italian extra virgin olive oil comes from Puglia - and Italy's 2nd largest wine producing area, well known for rich, full bodied reds.

Our tradition of la cucina povera ("peasant food") serves up simple but inventive dishes using seasonal, locally produced, fresh and flavourful ingredients.

And we gave the world burrata.

Recorded at FoodExp 2022 we speak to Italian food writer and travel consultant Paolo Vizzari, Virginia Newton from Copenhagen's 3 Michelin-starred Geranium, currently the 2nd best restaurant in the world.

We find out about Quintessenza, Trani's only Michelin-starred restaurant from Michele Di Ceglie one of the chefs who support Stefano Di Gennaro and we finish off with some blow your mind carbonara from the Carbogang guys who came all the way from Trento in the north of Italy to cook for us - and we are very happy they did.

Read more about our visit to RebelExpFood including further links, photographs on our Eat Puglia 2022 podcast episode page.