How to Explore Puglia as a Solo Female Traveller in Italy

Cheerio! You have found the exquisite region of Italy. Puglia hanging down the map of Italy sidelined with the Adriatic sea is a magical coastal region to explore on your solo travel. To explore all the attractive locations of Puglia on your solo travel to Italy, you must start with its ten cities. 

Ten cities of Puglia

Visiting these ten cities is the key to fulfilling your travel as a solo female traveller in Puglia. The ten cities to solo travel in Puglia are

1. Bari
2. Alberobello
3. Polignano a mare
4. Ostuni
5. Lecce
6. Matera
7. Vieste
8. Foggia
9. Gallipoli
10. Otranto

A week guide in Puglia

The first step towards solo travel to Puglia is to plan a week’s stay there. A total of seven days will work nicely to visit Puglia leisurely. So, I am going to share the skeletal framework of my seven days of travel in Puglia as a solo female traveller.

PUGLIA TRAVEL PLAN

Arriving at Puglia

Before revealing the secret guide to exploring Puglia, let me tell you the best way to reach Puglia on solo travel to Italy. There are four routes and two options available for you to reach Puglia. 

1. If you choose plane travel. You have two international airports-the Karol Wojtyla Airport in Bari and the Brindisi Airport in Brindisi.

2. Otherwise, you have two highway roads connecting with Puglia. The A1 line route is linked to Bologna, whereas the A2 route is linked to Naples.

Day 1

The capital city of Puglia, Bari

On reaching Bari, take a quick nap and start your solo travel in Puglia. By afternoon wrap up Bari tour visiting,

• Basilica San Nicola, a pilgrimage destination of Christians with a captivating gold ceiling
• The photogenic spot, Ruota Panoramica, the Millennium Wheel of Bari
• Lungomare dal drone, the zone where lovely turquoise waves crash against the city of Bari
• Castello Svevo (also called Swabian or Houhenstaufen Castle), the Norman remains in Puglia built by the Norman king Roger II

The happy beach spot of Puglia

Polignano a Mare residing from Bari at a gap of 35 minutes is the ideal spot to solo travel next from Bari, Puglia. Polignano a Mare is a coastal town boosting you with serene beach scenes, limestone cliffs, and cliff jumping. Besides the beautiful beach called Cala Porta, you can explore Polignano a Mare visiting,

• Vicolo della Poesia, a tourist photo spot located a few minutes away from the Lama Monachile beach
• Grotta Palazzese, a cave-turned hi-fi restaurant (The expensive restaurant has a dress code and seat reservation. Even so, you must visit this place, not for food but its sea view ambience.)

Day 2

Trulli zone of Puglia

To begin with, the word ‘Trulli’ denotes the tiny prehistoric cottages in Puglia. Trulli has a conical top set up in limestone and the bottom with white bricks. You have only one thing to do in Alberobello, and that is to explore the wonderful Trulli buildings. You are the Alice in this wonderland. 

Hill spot view at Rione Monti

Rione Monti district is the main spot of Alberobello. Walk peacefully into its streets, looking at the Trulli houses. You can see the panoramic view of the conical copies laid before you from an aerial view, the Trulli zone.

Besides the signature Trulli houses, you can visit,

• Trullo Sovrano, only Trullo house with two floorings
• Saint Antonio Church, the only church built in a Trulli structure
• The cathedrals of Romanesque architecture, the San Giorgio, San Rocco, and Madonna della Greca in the town of Locorotondo

The white city of Puglia

Ostuni is the white city of Puglia—my favourite and fairytale-like place to travel solo in Puglia. Ostuni hid under the white blanket demands you discover her elegant beauty. The beauty of its simple house with narrow windows opening into a dreamy balcony decorated with vibrant flowers—a magical place! Ostuni Cathedral and Arco Scoppa are the two major places to visit on solo travel to Ostuni. The ancient arch of Scoppa will upscale your eyes with awe.

Day 3

The golden city of Puglia

One of my favourite places in Puglia is Lecce. And, I call this beauty the golden city. Want to know why? I feel the city is infiltrated with yellowish golden colour. You don’t even need to use the aesthetic filter on your photos as you are in the live aesthetic mode! A few places to relish the aesthetic wonder are,

• Piazza Sant’Oronzo. The city’s central arena. This public arena is inbuilt with a Roman column holding a bronze statue of Saint Oronzo. While you are there, visit the Roman Amphitheatre, a few minutes walk away. 
• Lecce Cathedral. The main church of Lecce with twelve side chapels and a bell tower.
• Basilica di Santa Croce. You will love the minute details and baroque decorations of the cathedral.

Day 4

The beautiful city of Puglia

Gallipoli means a beautiful city. Sure, Gallipoli still lives up to its name. You can’t escape the fish feast and tranquil time at its beaches. By the way, don’t mistake Puglia’s Gallipoli with a town in a similar name in Turkey. 

Apart from the coastal landmarks, you can visit,

• Castello Angioino di Gallipoli sitting on the water is a pure marvellous. The sea view wherever you turn enriches your experience.
• Basilica in Gallipoli, the cathedral patron is Saint Agatha of Sicily. If you want to escape the Romanesque architecture, put this baroque-style chapel on your list.

The castle city, Otranto 

Corigliano d’Otranto is a small city like Gallipoli. You shouldn’t leave out Otranto from your solo travel itinerary in Puglia because it is home to myriad castles. Hence, travel to Corigliano d’Otranto, after you cap off Gallipoli.

Castello di Corigliano d’Otranto, Castello Aragonese and Castellello del Monte are the top three historic castles in Otranto. If you walk into their terrace, you can see the horizon with the touch of heavy wind caressing you.

Yet another significant sightseeing location is Torre Dell’Orologio Civico. Torre Dell’Orologio Civico, the name may pacify your attention. It is nothing but a clock tower placed erected in the center of Otranto. 

Day 5

The cave town of Puglia

Travelling to Matera from Otranto itself gulps up a lot of your time of the day. So, head to the cave town called Sassi. Remember, Sassi is the single location pushing you to visit Matera on your solo travel to Puglia. Matera opens its wide bottom high ground, ascending into a pinnacle. You can’t miss this drone view of the beautiful city. It can also be your postcard picture of Puglia!

Day 6

The shore-side town, Vieste

You have covered up the southern part of Puglia. Now, you can travel from Matera to the north end, Vieste. On reaching the coastal town of Vieste, as your first choice, visit the Vieste harbour. Then spend some time in Pizzomunno beach. There is a specific area in Pizzomunno beach where an 87 feet tall limestone hits the coastline. It is a rare beauty to catch on your solo travel to Puglia.

Chianca Amara is an ordinary place with an extraordinary historic remark in Vieste. What appears to our eyes like a moderate-sized rock happens to be the location where hundreds of people were brutally slaughtered by the Turks during their invasion of Italy.

Day 7

The granary of Italy, Foggia

The city of Foggia is known as the granary of Italy. Santa Maria de Fovea, the Foggia cathedral, is a cliché thing to explore along with Chiesa delle Croci in Foggia. Chiesa delle Croci (the church of the crosses) truly is an unorthodox alluring church to visit on your solo travel to Puglia.

Finally, spend 10 dollars to buy a train ticket to Bari. Bari is just an hour train journey from Foggia. 

Did you realise you are back at Bari, the place where you landed in Puglia?

From here, you can either take a flight to your hometown or further continue your solo travel in Italy.

Incredibly effective! 

Now, that is how you plan a solo trip to Puglia. So, what are you blinking over now? Book your tickets. You are all set to travel solo to Puglia.