Apulia

Apulia – What you should know

Apulia, the heel of the Italian boot, is one of the sunniest regions in Europe. With over 2,800 sunshine hours a year and one of Italy's driest summers, the region around Bari, Lecce and the Salento Peninsula means business with its summer heat. Temperatures rise typically to 30°C from July to August; the Adriatic and Ionian coasts benefit, however, from constant sea breezes that keep the heat bearable on the coast.

Spring is Apulia's hidden glory: in April and May the flat limestone plains of the Murge transform into a sea of blossom with poppies, chamomile and wild orchids. Temperatures sit at 18–22°C — ideal for walks through the trulli landscape of the Alberobello region or through the white lanes of Ostuni. The sea is still too cool for swimming, but immaculately clear.

September and October are Apulia's best swimming season for the temperature-conscious: the water is well-warmed, the oppressive high-summer heat has gone, and the region shows its most culinary side with the grape harvest, olive harvest and colourful markets. The Tramontane — a dry northerly wind — provides long-distance views as far as the Albanian coast on clear autumn days.