Southern Puglia Road Trip, Part 1 of 3: Small Towns, Coastal Gems, Senic Drives from Lecce

We photographed Italy's famous Lovers Arch before it collapsed into the sea on Valentine's Day this year. The natural limestone arch, a beloved landmark on the Adriatic coast, was frequently used for proposals and photos, collapsed into the sea during severe storms associated with "Storm Oriana".

Editor's Note: We begin a three-part series on the wonders of Puglia, flying into Bari, the capital of southern Italy, renting a car, heading south to Lecce, our base for daytrips, and on to the wonders at "the tip of the boot."

Story By Christene Meyers

Photos By Bruce Keller

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

If you've been reluctant to rent a car in Italy, a perfect way to conquer your fear is to fly to Bari, rent a car and drive south to Puglia -- to Lecce and beyond.

The colors of Bari are particularly bold at holidays, but the town lights up year round, here with Keller & Cookie

Puglia is a relatively undiscovered gem, an appealing landscape of olive groves, stone walls, stunning coastal views and well preserved wonders. Lecce is a perfect base for exploring Puglia and the southern Salento peninsula by car.

• Bari is easy to reach from other European cities to start your Southern Puglia Road Trip.

• We flew from Brussels in just over two hours, rented our car and headed south. Driving here is nothing like navigating the frenzy of Roman streets.

Keller and Cookie, "The Carpe Diem Kids," pose by a Carpe Diem sign

Cookie sings with a busker on a recent road trip through southern Italyiadtripin

Framed by a sandstone arch in Lecce are Keller and Cookie

In Lecce, Matera and the villages of Puglia, Americans seldom visit. Speak even a few words of Italian and you'll be welcomed with a relaxed vibe, friendly people, authentic villages and a charming pace, the opposite of Rome's hustle and bustle .

• I'd been to Italy 20 times so I figured I knew what to expect here. But Puglia is another world, and should be on a well traveled person's radar.

In scenic Puglia, Manuella, right, greets friends "Cookie and Keller" at Santa Cesarea Terme, for an afternoon tour.

We thank our friend Manuella for encouraging us. We met her on a cruise a couple years ago. She is from that alluring corner of southern Italy and convinced us that a visit to Puglia, its villages and the Sassi of Matera should be on our must-see list. In fact, she lobbied that a Southern Puglia Road Trip is essential to our knowledge of southern Europe.

So we spent two weeks of wonder and delight, taking an Italian road trip which included a visit with Manuella and her family and a rewarding venture into this lesser known but truly corner of her country.

The coastline of Puglia is a mix of ancient sea walls, welcoming resorts and cafes and water views at every turn: -- the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Otranto and Ionian Sea to the southeast and Gulf of Taranto to the south.

Gorgeous views abound as you leave Bari and head south.

• The cliff-side drama of Polignano a Mare can be enjoyed as you sample a panino col polpo (octopus sandwich) and watch cliff jumpers.

• It's famous for its tiny beach tucked into a cove. The distance is 152 kilometers Bari to Lecce, so get an early start so you can linger along the way.

Lecce -- the 'Florence of the South,' a Baroque Jewel

• We arrived in Lecce in time to explore the Old Town, whose history spans ancient Messapian settlements to a flourishing Baroque period reflecting Roman infrastructure, Norman rule, and eventual Spanish control.

  

  Lecce's Old Town is a charming mix of narrow streets, ornate facades, hidden squares, casual eateries and elegant shops. Here, Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers view the options for lunch and gelato.

• After Roman times, the city endured invasions before the Normans revitalized it, leading to a prosperous county and eventually its integration into the Kingdom of Naples. The most significant transformation was under Charles V, which ushered in the 17th-century Baroque era, defining its unique architecture.

  
  

• Lecce's Baroque architecture is mesmerizing. We strolled from one piazza to another, enjoying shops and restaurants and talented buskers. By day, it's sunny and welcoming. At night, there are lights and couples strolling after a late meal. It's scene after scene of golden lights on a modern day nativity setting.

  
  

• Lecce Duomo. We walked the town in an easy half-day, returning two other days to admire the Piazza del Duomo with its intricate baroque design, and Basilica di Santa Croce, Lecce's crown jewel, in various light. To truly soak up the atmosphere of this beautiful city, you'll want to stay several days and be sure to visit the Old Town for dinner one evening to enjoy the dazzling lights as they come on.

Otranto Castle made a fun day trip, here Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers pose in front of the 11th Century Castle, built between 1485-1498 to protect from sea invasions by the Ottoman Empire.

Fun Day Trip, a Coastal Escape to Otranto

• We took a day trip to Otranto, less than an hour from Lecce. It's a jewel of Puglia on the Adriatic coast, renowned for its 11th-century Cathedral with stunning mosaics, the imposing Aragonese Castle, and a charming, whitewashed historic center. Great place to stop for lunch and a leisurely walk.

Otranto lighthouse is an active facility in Capo d'Otranto, the easternmost point in Italy and narrowest point of Strait of Otranto. It was abandoned for years, but reopened for tourists after historians realized its importance and began renovation efforts. It is now a beloved and often visited landmark for locals and tourists.

• Highlights include the breathtaking Baia dei Turchi

• the unique Cava di Bauxite

• the Lungomare promenade, offering a perfect blend of history, culture, and coastal beauty.

• The Adriatic views and harbor are picturesque, the seaside walls impressive and the mosaics are well preserved. We suggest lunch overlooking the harbor.

Lecce is known as "the Florence of the south" for its beautiful arches and golden hued limestone which was carved into elaborate patterns. The Triumphal Arch is one of three gates to Lecce, here behind Keller and Cookie.

Italy's Gallipoli -- The Ionian Coast Surprise

Another day trip is a visit to Gallipoli, not the more famous Turkish site of World War II battles, but another Gallipoli, a laid back fishing village with beautiful sunsets along the Ionian Sea. Italy's Gallipoli is famous for its seafood markets and an island old town connected by a bridge. Another great place to park the car, stroll, grab lunch or gelato.

The Southern Tip of the Heel

Capo Santa Maria di Leuca Lighthouse

• We drove to Santa Maria di Leuca, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet.

• The coastline is dramatic and its lighthouse has a fairy tale allure. Our friends insisted we take the time to get there, past olive groves and estates nicely shrouded by the landscape. Italy has more than 400 lighthouses, many in southern Italy where they were necessary navigational tools.

  
  

Why a Car Makes Puglia Special

• A road trip through the sun-washed towns of Puglia reveals a side of Italy where centuries-old traditions, whitewashed villages, century-old olive groves and unforgettable cuisine come together around every bend in the road.

For travelers seeking authentic culture beyond the crowded icons, exploring southern Italy by car unlocks the hidden beauty of Puglia’s historic towns and Adriatic coast.

• We quickly learned the parking rules.

• Look for blue lines meaning you pay, white lines meaning free and red meaning don't park here.

We took a photo of our rental car license so we could easily find it.

For us, the magic of our Puglia road trip was discovering that the most memorable moments are often found in the smallest villages.

We recommend a road trip here for several reasons:

• Easy drives between villages

• Hidden countryside where you can take your time and not worry about being lost

• Olive groves, villages to explore, reasonably priced lodging and splendid food -- pasta the pastries. We recommend the pasticciotto, a delicious cream-filled pastry. There are picture book olive groves, too, and whitewashed villages all around Puglia.

Surrounded by Matera's stunning hillsides and cave houses are Cookie and Keller, exploring.

If it looks like a scene from a James Bond movie, it is. Matera was the scene of "No Time To Die." The cast and crew spent several weeks filming in the world's oldest continuously inhabited city, above and below.

UP NEXT: Matera beckons. It deserves its own separate story with its unique cave hotels and restaurants, its fascinating pedestrian only areas, its stone churches, bridges and distinction as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the oldest continuously inhabited city on Earth. We explore the city with two guides, one in a jeep and one on foot.