Italy's Secret Gem: Puglia

Known by Italians as "Apuglia", this is the most Southern tip of Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea. With architecture mirroring Greece's all white stone next to crystal water, this untouched gem is one of my absolute favorite destinations in Italy. 

So...why go to Puglia? If you enjoy an adventure filled with surprises such as private coves, turquoise water and extremely friendly locals, then you will love this location. Unlike most of Italy, Puglia is still very unknown to travelers. Most of the tourists we came in contact with were Italians themselves or from other cities in Europe. We were actually the only Americans and most of the locals spoke no English at all, which, to me, made everything that much more fun because we were able to learn the language and feel completely immersed in the culture. 

While in Puglia, we were fortunate enough to meet locals who suggested most of the locations we visited, which you can read more about the specifics in my general guide to Puglia article COMING SOON! However my favorite and biggest suggestion I can make to anyone traveling to Puglia is waking up for SUNRISE on the beach!

The sunrise in Puglia is like nothing I have ever seen before. Every morning I would wake up around 4:30am as the sky began to turn to a golden haze and the water turned pink creating the perfect contrast to the white stone that lined the buildings. You felt like you were still dreaming with the silence of the ocean and the birds being the only reminder you were still on earth and not in some fairytale land. To make these mornings even more memorable, my family and I would hike to a local cove to take a dip in the ocean before the locals claimed their spots on the rocks. 

It is simple for me to say there are more than a hundred reasons a person should go to Puglia, it is a hidden gem of Italy.