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Puglia & Matera: Route Guide
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Whitewashed hill towns, trulli cones, a cave city two continents old and the baroque exuberance of Lecce: Italy's heel at its own pace.
Puglia & Matera is a 260 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as 5–7 days; the plan below is the 6-day version for May, built from 141 verified places, with real road-routed transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.
5–7
days
260km
distance
6
Stops
141
curated stops
Plan your own version → 5-day plan · 6-day plan · 7-day plan · best time to go
The route
Bari→ 55 kmAlberobello→ 65 kmMatera→ 55 kmOstuni→ 50 kmLecce→ 35 kmOtranto
What you'll see
Bari Cathedral
Admire the baroque refurbishment of this ancient Roman church.
Bari
Church Matrice
You will find the Saints Cosmas and Damian Church, the parish church of Alberobello, with historic architecture and art.
Alberobello
Sassi di Matera
Explore ancient cave dwellings carved into limestone, offering a glimpse into millennia of human habitation.
Matera
Ostuni Cathedral
Admire intricate Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture.
Ostuni
Church of the Holy Cross
Admire the intricate Lecce baroque architecture and detailed stone carvings.
Lecce
Otranto Cathedral
Marvel at ancient stonework beneath soaring vaulted ceilings.
Otranto
Basilica of Saint Nicholas
Gaze at the gold ceiling and medieval cathedra in this Romanic church.
Bari
Trullo Sovrano
You will see a distinctive conical stone dwelling with a circular door, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Alberobello
Choose your length
5-day plan5.8 stops/day · 2.1 h transit/daySee the full plan →6-day plan5.8 stops/day · 1.8 h transit/daySee the full plan →7-day plan5.4 stops/day · 1.5 h transit/daySee the full plan →
When to go
Best months: April, May, June
Olive groves green, sassi cool enough to climb all day, and the sagre calendar starting up.
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