Tours of Puglia: No Sound Like the Sea
Even the ocean sounds different here.
It has a sweeter, almost melodious song. You are looking at the Adriatic Sea, and it unfurls itself along the coast of Puglia with such elegance and refined beauty that you might almost find it hard to believe that this place is real and not an elaborate, impossible fantasy.
When you find yourself on a beach in Puglia – perhaps in a sheltered cove by the ancient Roman settlement of Brindisi, where little yachts dot the azure water like tiny white birds against a brilliant sky – take the advice of the poet WH Auden: shut your eyes, calm your breathing, and fall silent, so
that through the channels of the ear
May wander like a river
The swaying sound of the sea.
Of course, tours of Puglia are best enjoyed with others, so open your eyes and turn to your family. You will find that they are as overwhelmed by the beauty as you are.
The Puglia coastline is a magical place
A place for all tastes
Puglia is the ancient port region of the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish, and now – of course – the Italians. Something that we love about the region is that it offers something for everyone.
On tours of Puglia, every family member or friend will find something captivating, something sublime, something … well, if we are honest, one runs out of words when describing the Adriatic Coast. It refuses to be merely described. It must be experienced.
So, what does Puglia offer?
1. Wonder for the curious.
No place feeds the imagination and meets our yearning for beauty like Puglia. In the morning, explore the intricate web of streets in Bari, a medieval city and the largest in the region. At the Il Succorpo della Cattedrale di Bari, journey down to the crypt; it is like entering the cool heart of some long-extinct beast. Or trade this for a tour of the cliffs of the region, which jut out into the sea like the bow of a boat. Watch as rock climbers make slow and steady progress, hemmed in by the sky above and the sea below, and count the birds nestled in the rocks. Later in your trip, see the world beneath the world at the Grotte di Castellana, a cave system where the stalactites and stalactites spin together in some ancient dance, and where each limestone corridor leads to another measureless cavern even more beautiful than the last.
2. Rest for the weary.
In Puglia, you and your family and friends can escape the crowds of Rome, Milan, and the Amalfi Coast. Here, travellers who take the road less travelled are rewarded handsomely. Catch your breath by the sea at the club at Torre Coccaro or in the spectre of one of the hamlets in Salento, or let the kids enjoy the beach, and trade the pristine white sand for the green of the golf course. Reconvene at lunch; enjoy a glass of Primitivo di Manduria. Or instead, sip on an Aperol spritz that tastes like the very essence of summer, its golden bubbles winking at you like tiny golden suns.
