Territory and Traditions

Ostuni

You cannot describe Ostuni, you simply have to be there and live it. The stunning white colour of its houses shines even in the darkest of the nights. Wander around and getting lost in its narrow alleys is a unique experience not to miss. Shopping around in the many little cosy shops and visiting its baroque churches is an absolute must. Known as the "White Town", because of the white lime of its houses, Ostuni is together with Taranto and Santa Maria di Leuca, one of the ideal destinations in Salento.

Renowned touristic destination, in 2009 Ostuni was awarded Bandiera blu (Blue Flag) and Five Sails by Legambiente for the cleanliness of its coast and its seawater and for the quality of the services it offers. In 2005, the Apulian Region acknowledged Ostuni as "touristic destination".

Valle D’Itria
La Valle d'Itria is a portion of the central region of Puglia, at the crossroad between Bari, Brindisi and Taranto.

It corresponds to the South part of Murge. The most peculiar feature of this region are the "trulli", typical local stone buildings with a conic shape. Also known as "Valle dei Trulli", it is delimited South from Monte Fellone and Monte Castello, it extends in the territory of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto and it includes many towns, such as Alberobello, Noci, Cisternino, Villa Castelli, Ceglie Messapica (BR), Locorotondo (BA) and Martina Franca (TA) and many others. It presents many caves formations, such as Castellana Caves, and underground caves ("gravine") in Villa Castelli and Castellaneta. In this area there is rich vegetation with extended areas of Mediterranean Maquis, vineyards and olive groves. Worth mentioning, this area is well known for its wines, such as Locorotondo DOC and Martina Franca DOC and olive oils, such as Villa Castelli EVO DOC. Fauna is also very rich with hares, foxes, hedgehogs, robins, hawks and different kinds of owls (horned owl, barn owl, and so on).

Castellana Caves

A worldwide renowed attraction, the Caves in Castellana are worth a visit in every period of the year. About one kilometer and half from the town, these mysterious caves are 3.348 meters long and 122 meters deep and are definitely one of the most famous Italian karstic formations. Located in the South-West Murge, they are a few kilometers away from Valle D'Itria and Alberobello. Guided visits bring travellers down to a 3 kilometres path, 70 meters underground, in a breathtaking spectacle with incredible colours, shapes and lights. Stalactites, stalagmites, abysses, fossils, caves and then columns, pillars and crystals make this natural landscape a constant surprise. These Caves never cease revealing their secrets: recent explorations and researches make us believe that there are still new branches and cavities to be discovered, new corners of mystery ready to make us keep dreaming.

Alberobello
Alberobello is the ideal destination for a day trip in Puglia on summer sunny weekends, when all you want is to relax and rest. Alberobello has a unique old town with its trulli, which have become UNESCO Heritage for their stunning beauty. In addition to its typical houses, Alberobello has several natural areas where to rest and to enjoy the day having fun. Trully were first built in the prehistoric age. The oldest trulli still in place date back to the 14th century. Trully were built dry stone, with no cement. Limestones were carved out of rocks and then they were laid one on top of the other to create concentric rings, which will become narrower and narrower until they created the conical sum. Pinnacles on the top have several different shapes: crosses, stars, spheres, and many other Christian or propitiatory symbols. The pavement was made of thin skilfully polished limestones, named "chianche".

Torre Guaceto Reserve
Located on the adriatic coastline in Salento, a few kilometers away from Carovigno and San Vito dei Normanni, the wonderful natural reserve named Torre Guaceto is a real oasis in between sea and land. This trait of the coastline, 6 kilometers long, includes a rich Mediterranean landscape which starts with sandy beaches and dunes and then it extends to the Mediterranean Maquis with its secular olive groves. With a fresh and clean air, this place inspires calm and inner peace. An enchanting place to enjoy a sunny day on the beach and to be in contact with wild nature.