Location

#WEAREINPUGLIA

The white city of Ostuni, in the heart of Puglia, land of wonderful villages, crystal clear sea and centuries-old olive trees

LOCATION

Ostuni can be considered the gateway to the Valle d’Itria: also known as the “Valley of the Trulli”, it extends between the villages of Locorotondo, Martina Franca and Cisternino, with portions that also fall within the villages of Alberobello, Ostuni, Fasano and Ceglie Messapica.

The Valle d’Itria is one of the most popular tourist areas in Italy. The natural, architectural and landscape beauties of this portion of the Murgia dei Trulli make it one of the main destinations of international tourism. All this justifies the high presence of accommodation and gastronomic structures, as well as numerous events throughout the year.

Our houses and villas are located in a strategic position in the Ostuni area:

  • Chianca Bianca and Chianca Antica are located in the historic center of the White City
  • Casetta Mare is located at the port of Villanova di Ostuni, literally 10 meters from the sea
  • Lammia Nova is located on the sp17 between Ostuni and Cisternino, in the heart of the Itria Valley

WHAT TO SEE

The main tourist attractions are:

  • Ostuni, unique in its kind, called the White City for its whitewashed walls and houses: a breathtaking landscape that stands out in the sky on a green sea of ​​centuries-old olive trees. The old town, like all the historic centers of the Valle d’Itria, is characterized by alleys and streets tangled and paved with the typical chianche, with white houses and characteristic flowered balconies, churches and monuments from various eras. If the narrow streets, the stone arches and the stairways of the historic center are wrapped in an ancient charm, the numerous small shops and clubs enliven the nightlife.
  • Martina Franca in which the typical elements of the historic centers of the Itria valley blend with the Baroque creating an elegant and artistic context with great masterpieces of art such as the Basilica of San Martino and its collegiate church, the finely worked arcades and arches. The small historic center of Cisternino, on the other hand, has a simpler and more rustic aspect and is included among the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy. The historic center of Locorotondo, on the other hand, is characterized by the characteristic houses with sloping roofs covered with chiancarelle, more common in this municipality than in the neighboring ones and the “waterfront” or the panoramic walk that overlooks the suggestive valley.
  • The large agglomerations of trulli, a typical conical construction in traditional dry stone of central-southern Puglia. Trulli were generally built as temporary shelters in the countryside or permanent homes for farmers. They are found throughout the Itria Valley but certainly to visit is Alberobello and its Monti district where more than a thousand are concentrated.
  • On the central Adriatic coast, south of Bari, there are some historic places absolutely to visit in Puglia: first of all Polignano a Mare, a village, which has always been considered one of the most beautiful in Italy, is also characterized by the white color of the its houses, built on the steep cliffs that stand out against the sea. Located a few kilometers further south, there is Monopoli, a city with a historic center of great artistic value, consisting of very narrow alleys and squares, which houses a large number of churches. But what is most striking is its extraordinary view from the city port, with the ancient medieval walls that protect this little Apulian jewel. Finally, a few kilometers from Monopoli you will find the amazing Grottoes of Castellana, an authentic natural wonder.
  • The Masserie, old typical farmhouses in Southern Italy. Many farms were abandoned in the late 19th century, but thanks to restoration projects, many of them have been recovered and transformed into wonderful hotels.
  • Typical food and wine of this area. Typical foods are taralli, friselle, olives, focaccia, pettole and panzerotti. Famous and valuable are the meats of the Itria valley among which the Gnummarieddi (also called marretti or turcinieddi), the Capocollo and the meat bombette stand out.
  • Protected natural areas: the natural reserves of Torre Guaceto and the Parco delle Dune Costiere, the cave of the Millenari, the Park of Santa Maria d’Agnano with the burial cave, where the skeleton was found, dating back to about 28,000 years ago, of a pregnant twenty-year-old woman, found with her right hand resting on her belly, as if to protect the fetus. The find is kept at the Museum of Preclassical Civilizations of Southern Murgia.
  • The Beaches of Ostuni: along the seventeen kilometers of coast of the territory of Ostuni, in a wonderful play of colors, there are long beaches with dunes covered by Mediterranean scrub and an alternation of sandy coves and rocky coast. The coast of Ostuni today represents one of the major seaside tourist attractions in Puglia, with five Blue Flag beaches for the quality of water and services (Creta Rossa, Lido Fontanelle, Pilone Viar Beach Club, Rosamarina and Lido Morelli):
    • Pilone and Lido Morelli: a stretch of sandy coast with high dunes covered with centuries-old junipers, dominated by the sixteenth-century Aragonese watchtower of San Leonardo. Due to its high environmental value due to the presence of habitats considered by the EU of Community importance, it has now become a regional nature reserve.
    • Monticelli: on the high dunes that give the place its name, it is possible to find a quiet and familiar atmosphere. Evidence of a Bronze Age village was found in the area.
    • Port of Villanova: where the ancient Petrolla stood, later renamed Villanova, there is a small port, a landing place for fishermen’s boats and pleasure craft; the 16th century tower-castle overlooking the port is striking.
    • Camerini and Creta Rossa: whose name derives from the particular color of the sand. Here there are several rocky inlets, which alternate with wide sandy expanses lapped by the crystalline waters of the Adriatic Sea. This is the ideal place for those looking for some tranquility.
    • Costa Merlata: so called for the extremely jagged coastline, with the sea that creeps between the ravines of a rocky coast forming singular and intimate sandy coves.
    • Torre Pozzelle: a coast of incomparable beauty for its wild and uncontaminated nature, a succession of inlets protected by high rocks, where the now rare centuries-old junipers lap the sea; so named for the presence of a watchtower dating back to the sixteenth century.

Fonti: Wikipedia, Sito istituzionale del Comune di Ostuni, Siviaggia.it

DISTANCES FROM THE MAIN TOURIST LOCATIONS

The city of Ostuni is located in a central position within the Puglia region, therefore it will be convenient and easy to visit the main places of interest and tourist attractions..

ITINERARIES

All the itineraries last one day, are briefly described and optimized based on the distance between the places to visit.

  • Ostuni: getting lost in the streets of the Old Town is an unforgettable experience and is the best way to visit the White City; It is also worth taking a walk along the walls to admire the whiteness on one side and the other, getting lost with the gaze between the green of the plain of olive trees and the blue of the sea. Finally, we recommend a walk from the Sant’Oronzo obelisk along Corso Vittorio Emanuele to get to the belvedere from which to enjoy a breathtaking view. Also, if it is Saturday, it is worth taking a trip to the weekly market where you can find local food and products, shoes, clothes and handicrafts.
  • Tour of the Valle d’Itria: it starts from Ostuni for Martina Franca, on the SP 14 it takes about half an hour; the road is full of curves but is surrounded by a wonderful landscape made of olive trees and trulli. After visiting Martina Franca in a couple of hours we leave for Locorotondo, on the SS 172, it takes about 10 minutes and the road is straight: in Locorotondo it is recommended to spend more time getting lost in the alleys and along the walls and stop for the lunch among the numerous restaurants in the village. From Locorotondo then continue along the SS 172 to Alberobello in about 10 minutes: the visit to the city of trulli takes about a couple of hours enough to take a tour in the Monti district, the monumental district where more than a thousand trulli are concentrated. Finally from Alberobello, passing again from Locorotondo, continue to Cisternino where you arrive in about 15 minutes: it is worth visiting this village and admiring the sunset over the Valle d’Itria from one of the terraces along the city walls and in the evening have dinner among the alleys near one of the many roast meat stoves, typical of this area. Finally, return to Ostuni on the SP 17 in about 20 minutes.
  • Martina Franca and Grottaglie: if the tour of the Valle d’Itria is too stressing, you can still visit the three villages of Locorotondo, Alberobello and Cisternino and reserve Martina Franca for another day together with the visit of Grottaglie and the district of artistic ceramics and its numerous workshops. young and innovative artists as well as classic Apulian artisans. Martina Franca is about 25 km from Grottaglie to be traveled in half an hour on the SP 66 and SP 72.
  • Monopoli and Polignano a Mare: the two towns can be visited in a single day by reserving the visit of Monopoli in the morning with a lunch break at one of the numerous restaurants and trattorias in the alleys of the historic center. Monopoli is about 40 km away but it is convenient and easy to get there along the SS 379; continuing towards Bari, always on the SS 379, you can reach Polignano a Mare in about 10 minutes, whose historic center is located on a cliff overlooking the sea: the city is very romantic so it is worth having dinner at one of the restaurants overlooking the sea ​​or on Lama Monachile. If you want to divide the itinerary into two days, you can integrate the visit of Monopoli with a stop at one of the beaches of the Capitolo, which are located along the SS 379 or given the proximity to the visit to the Grottoes of Castellana, an authentic spectacle of nature: in this case it is necessary to visit them in the morning and then continue towards Monopoli. Also very close is the ZOO Safari, the second largest wildlife park in Europe and the adjoining large amusement park. Instead, the visit of Polignano a Mare can always be integrated with a stop at one of the numerous beaches in the area or with a visit to the village of San Vito with the abbey of the same name, slightly further north of Polignano a Mare..
  • Bari, Lecce, Matera: the visit of these cities can be done each on a different day because Bari is about 80 km, Lecce is 75 km and Matera 100 km and it is worth visiting them all.
  • Other renowned places are Trani, Barletta, Molfetta, Giovinazzo, Castel del Monte, Gallipoli, Otranto, Nardò, the Gargano with Vieste, Peschici, Mattinata and Monte Sant’Angelo, Gravina in Puglia, Altamura but we do not recommend visiting these places because they are relatively far away. from Ostuni: the holiday at this point would no longer be relaxing. Instead, it would be more appropriate to book the next holiday in the vicinity of one of these places and visit the area: so much so that many speak of Puglie in the plural, due to the many landscapes, together with architecture, customs and dialects, which change radically within a few kilometers. 
The perfect night (summer)

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The perfect night (winter)

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Ostuni by Bus

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