December 6, 2018
Spotlight: Puglia, Italy
By Annie Chambers
Puglia is well known to many Europeans, but is just popping up as a hot spot for Americans. Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s “boot,” is known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland and hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline. Its coastal towns, baroque architecture, and trulli (stone huts with cone roofs) make it unique. There are two airports you can fly into, Bari and Brindisi, and they connect well to most other Italian cities. Puglia is a nice option for the colder months in Italy when Amalfi Coast is pretty much shut down.
Lauren and her aunt, Susan, spend five days here. Their home base is the stunning Borgo Egnazia. They enjoy coastal bike rides, visits to traditional Apulian villages, and wine and olive tasting with locals.
Coastal Bike Adventure
Borgo Egnazia has the most adorable bikes you can borrow for the day. There are trails on the property you can ride around on or you can go off the property and explore on your own. They did a combo of both, riding all over the property and to the town close by for lunch. Polignano a Mare is the cutest coastal town in Puglia. Go here for lunch with a view or just to dip in the ocean!
Olive Oil & Wine Tasting
They enjoy a private tour at Terre di San Vito. This olive vineyard is thousands of years old, and there are even olive trees on the property that are 2000-3000 years old that are STILL PRODUCING! They take a tour of the grounds and a receive a brief history lesson before they’re taken underground to see where olive oil was made in the Roman ages. At the end, they sample several varieties of olive oil and learn about why they have different colors and tastes.
The owner, Giovanni, puts so much love into this place you can feel it as soon as you arrive. The vineyard is family run, but he is the only one who lives on the property. He shows them all the different grapes they grow, as well as other produce, and of course ancient olive trees. After touring the property, they sit down on a beautiful patio for wine tasting. The patio has bunches and bunches of tomatoes hanging from the ceiling. They are all hung one by one and are preserved this way. Along with the wine tasting Giovanni provides a massive spread of snacks and treats, most of which were made by his mother. The wine is delicious and so are the snacks, but what really makes this place special is all the love that goes into it.
Visit an Apulian Village
They spend the day exploring Alberobello guided by a local named Francesco. The town is filled with trullos, traditional Apulian dry stone huts with a conical roof, dating back to the 14th century! They go to the local market and are able to go inside one of the old trullos that has been preserved so you can see what they looked like hundreds of years ago. After exploring the town, they stop by a local wine shop where Francesco knew the owner. In true Italian fashion, he invites them in for wine tasting and of course they oblige. Lastly, they have lunch at a literal farm to table restaurant – you can see some of their farm from your table! What a cool experience!
Enjoying the Day at Borgo Egnazia
Borgo Egnazia is a beautiful resort that is set up like a village. It has farms, a town square, walking trails, etc. It feels like you’ve been transported centuries back in time, but you still get air conditioning and room service! Watching the sunrise over the hills from our balcony was my favorite thing to do each morning. The hotel is beautiful; it even smells heavenly. We spent one evening exploring the grounds and the place is so huge we got lost.
