Apulia, Italy
Apulia, Italy
Apulia, in the heel of the boot of Italy, packs in everything you could wish for from a holiday destination: a warm and sunny climate, long sandy beaches, medieval hilltop towns, historic palaces and churches, endless olive groves and delectable culinary traditions.
Strung along its 800 km of sun-baked coast are pretty seaside villages, beaches, coves and bustling port towns, as well as the singular fortified island town of Galipoli, making it a firm favourite among both Italian and foreign holiday makers.
Away from the coast there are wonderful historic towns and cities to explore, from the beautiful Baroque architecture of Lecce, dubbed the Florence of the South, to the unique ‘trulli’ – the stone huts with conical roofs peculiar to the region – that line the streets in Alberobello, a UNSECO World Heritage Site, and the Egnazia Archaeological Park that dates back 3000 years.
Travel inland and you find yourself in the midst of acres of bucolic farmland, vineyards and olive groves. Indeed, Apulia is one of the main olive oil producing regions in Italy – just one of its culinary offerings. Dining out is a highlight in Apulia: this is the birthplace of the rich and creamy buratta, of the curiously shaped orechiette pasta and of ‘fave e cicoria’ a broad bean pate served with chicory – all of which pair perfectly with the region’s distinctive red wines.
| Languages spoken | Italian |
|---|---|
| Currency used | Euro |
| Area (km2) | 19,345 |
| Country name | Italy |
Activities for kids
Fasano Zoo Safari & Fasanolandia
The Zoo Safari is one of Europe’s largest Safari Parks and a fun combination of drive-around safari, walk-around zoo, and an amusement park. Fasanolandia is the name of the amusement park right next to the Safari with rides and attractions for all ages. Entrance is included in your ticket for the zoo.
Ice Cream
We all know taking out the kids for some ice-cream is always a good plan and Polignano a Mare has some of the best ice-cream places in the region!
Beach
There are many beautiful beaches in the region so why not pack a picnic and some beach gear and spend the day building sandcastles, jumping in the waves and relaxing in the sun?
Water park
Acquapark Egnazia is southern Italy’s largest water park and offers endless fun for sure for the little ones. Open every day from 17th June until 10th September. (Try to avoid the weekends as it gets quite busy.)
The Caves of Castellana
The famous Grotte di Castellana began to form about 90 million years ago and is without doubt one of the main tourist attractions when visiting Puglia. It’s a truly magical experience for both kids and adults.
There are two different tours: The first is suitable for children and stretches over about 1 km lasting approximately 50 minutes and the second tour is 3 km long and lasts about 2 hours. We advise you to bring along a sweater as the air in the caves is very humid and it might get a bit chilly.
Adventure Park Castellana Grotte
Here you can find several climbing trails for kids from age 2 years (there is a “Baby Park”) until adult age. There is a very nice picnic area as well!
Open every day from March 10 - November 10.