National Geographic Traveler: Puglia

Description

For centuries, Puglia has acted as the bridge to the Mediterranean. To the north, it is crowned by the wild greenery of the Gargano promontory, the Daunian Mountains, and the sweet hills that roll down to the Tavoliere delle Puglie. With its infinite seafront and old city, medieval churches and genuine cuisine, Bari is the metropolitan capital of the region. Romanesque cathedrals line the Adriatic coast. Numerous beach resorts dot the shore as you wind from the Gargano coast to Salento. The water is always crystalline, perfect for a refreshing dip. Further inland, Salento offers little villages of white houses and historical, Baroque-decorated town centers with dry stone walls bordering long bike paths. Explore everything this oasis has to offer with the expert help of National Geographic writers and photographers who have created insider itineraries into off-the-beaten-path destinations and well-known must-sees. Along the way, practical information for where to go, what to do, where to stay, and what to eat make this comprehensive guide the only reference you need to plan a trip to magical Puglia.

MARIA GRAZIA FORTINO is an expert in communications and regional marketing and is a freelance journalist and television writer. She was born in Foggia, lives in Bari, and speaks the dialect of Gallipoli. She is an explorer by nature and an art buff. She knows almost all of Puglia's churches, beaches, and culinary specialties. SERENA ROLLO was born in Salento and moved to Bologna to study. In 2008, she returned to Puglia, to Bari, to get her Master's in Editorial Information and Systems. In 2018, she left the regional capital to move to Santa Maria di Leuca. ROBERTA COSIMO earned her degree in Medieval Art History at the University of Lecce. She was born in Puglia and lives in Milan, where she works in publishing and teaches History of Costumes at the Higher Institute of Religious Science. CATERINA PUCCI was born in Altamura and earned her degree in Foreign Languages at the University of Bari. She later moved to Milan to specialize in International Relations. Whenever she can, she goes home to her "rugged" Murgia to explore all the corners of Puglia that she has yet to discover.