Trullidea, albergo diffuso in the trulli
Why we like it: Apulia's first albergo diffuso, opened in 1997: seven trulli in Alberobello's Rione Monti for 2 to 4 people, with breakfast; from €160 a night.
From €160
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Duration2 nights
Getting thereDirect flight to Bari and hire car
Getting aroundBy car
Best timeApril – June · September – October
BudgetFrom about €350 pp without flights
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for Friday to Sunday, so that the I Pàstini tasting falls on Saturday morning, when it is open, and Sunday lunch is in Ostuni. The first night, in an Alberobello trullo; the second, in a masseria in the Ostuni countryside. Il Poeta Contadino is closed on Mondays, and Bina on Sunday evening and Monday.
Friday
- 110:00Grotte di Castellana
You land in Bari, pick up the car and in about 45 minutes you are at Castellana Grotte. Full 3 km route with a guide to the Grotta Bianca: €25 at the ticket office; buy online the day before.
- 215:30Alberobello and the Trullo Sovrano
Half an hour by car. Leave your luggage at Trullidea, in the Rione Monti, and stroll through the two trulli districts. At 15:30 the Trullo Sovrano opens for the afternoon: €2.50.
- 318:00Night at Trullidea
Check-in until 20:30 at the reception on Via Monte Sabotino. Go out again at dusk, when the district empties.
- 420:30Dinner at Il Poeta Contadino
High Puglian cooking since 1977 on Via Indipendenza, a few minutes' walk away. Book.
Saturday
- 110:00Tasting at I Pàstini
About 20 minutes by car to the winery, between Locorotondo and Martina Franca. Vineyards, cellar and a tasting of verdeca, bianco d'Alessano and minutolo whites in an hour: €15, by reservation. On Saturday there are only morning visits.
- 211:30Locorotondo
Ten minutes by car. White lanes, cummerse houses and the viewpoint over the valley.
- 313:00Lunch at Bina
Fresh pasta of the day under eighteenth-century vaults, inside the old town of Locorotondo. Book.
- 416:30Martina Franca
Ten minutes by car. Piazza Roma, the Palazzo Ducale and the basilica of San Martino. Then about half an hour to the masseria.
- 519:30Masseria Il Frantoio
A night in the Ostuni countryside, among thousand-year-old olive trees. The house has a restaurant: ask about dinner when you book. If you are interested in the farm's oil tasting, an hour with a sommelier, request it in advance.
Sunday
- 110:00Ostuni, the white city
A few minutes by car. Park below and climb the whitewashed lanes to the cathedral.
- 213:00Lunch at Osteria del Tempo Perso
Ostuni cooking in a sixteenth-century oven beside the cathedral. Book. Afterwards, a little over an hour by car to Bari airport.
The Itria Valley fits into two nights if you take it in order: the Castellana caves and the trulli of Alberobello on the first day, the white villages at the heart of the valley and its wine on the second, and Ostuni, already looking out to sea, on the last. You arrive with a direct flight to Bari, hire the car at the airport and never drive more than an hour at a stretch.
How do you get there from Spain?
Fly to Bari Karol Wojtyła (BRI), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville. Hire the car at the airport: the Grotte di Castellana are about 45 minutes away and Alberobello a little over an hour. Brindisi (BDS) is closer to Ostuni, but from Spain you reach it with a connection. Without a car you can reach Alberobello, Locorotondo and Martina Franca by Ferrovie del Sud Est trains from Bari, but the tasting, the masseria and the caves need a car.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Trullidea | Rione Monti, Alberobello | To sleep inside a trullo in the World Heritage district, from €160 a night |
| Masseria Il Frantoio | Ostuni countryside | Sixteenth-century farm with thousand-year-old olive trees, pool and restaurant |
| Park Hotel San Michele | Martina Franca | Alternative with free parking and a summer pool, within walking distance of the old town |
With children
The caves are the part they like most: under-5s do not pay and with little ones the partial route of 50 minutes is enough. Trullidea has trulli for four people, and the masseria has family rooms, a pool and a playground. Note that Osteria del Tempo Perso only admits children from age 6 and that the I Pàstini tasting is for adults, although ages 6 to 17 pay €7.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Itria Valley, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Itria Valley
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Bari and hire a car to the valley
The Itria Valley lies between two airports, Bari and Brindisi. The more practical one from Spain is Bari: there are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville, and from the airport you reach Alberobello in a little over an hour by car and the Grotte di Castellana in about 45 minutes. Brindisi is closer to Ostuni, about 25 km. The practical thing is to hire a car at the airport: the villages are a few kilometres from one another, but the countryside and the masserie can only be reached by car. Without a car, Ferrovie del Sud Est trains link Bari with Alberobello, Locorotondo and Martina Franca.
- Getting thereBari Karol Wojtyła (BRI), with…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to sleepTrullidea, in the Rione Monti…
- ServicesThe Grotte di Castellana are…
Getting there
- Bari Karol Wojtyła (BRI), with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville
- Brindisi (BDS), about 25 km from Ostuni, with a stopover from Spain
- Ferrovie del Sud Est train from Bari to Alberobello, Locorotondo and Martina Franca
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: Castellana, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca and Ostuni in one or two days
- The old towns are pedestrianised: park outside and go in on foot
- Trullidea offers a free shuttle to Alberobello station
Where to sleep
- Trullidea, in the Rione Monti of Alberobello, for the first night inside a trullo
- Park Hotel San Michele, in Martina Franca, with free parking and a station nearby
- Masseria Il Frantoio, in the Ostuni countryside, closer to Brindisi airport
Services
- The Grotte di Castellana are on the way between Bari airport and the valley
By car, from village to village
The car is the natural way to explore the Itria Valley: Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Cisternino and Ostuni are a few kilometres from one another, along narrow roads between dry-stone walls, vines and trulli. The old towns are pedestrianised, so the routine is to park outside the wall and go in on foot. The practical approach is to sleep somewhere with parking and visit two or three villages a day.
110–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepPark Hotel San Michele, in…
- Getting aroundFrom Bari, an hour to…
- Where to eatBina, in Locorotondo, open Sunday…
- ServicesIf you taste wine at…
Where to sleep
- Park Hotel San Michele, in Martina Franca, with free indoor parking and a walk to the old town
- Masseria Il Frantoio, in the Ostuni countryside, with free parking and a pool
- Trullidea, in Alberobello, if you prefer to sleep in a trullo
Getting around
- From Bari, an hour to Alberobello and a little more to Martina Franca and Ostuni
- Park outside the old towns and go in on foot; in Ostuni, the old town is above and you walk up
- The Grotte di Castellana have three paid car parks, one with a shuttle
Where to eat
- Bina, in Locorotondo, open Sunday lunchtime
- Il Poeta Contadino, in Alberobello, for the special dinner
- Osteria del Tempo Perso, at the top of Ostuni: leave the car below and walk up
Services
- If you taste wine at I Pàstini, have someone else drive
How much does it cost?
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Where to stay
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Masseria Il Frantoio
Why we like it: 16th-century masseria among ancient olive trees, near Ostuni and a few minutes from the sea: 16 rooms, a 72-hectare organic estate, a pool and a restaurant.
Park Hotel San Michele
Why we like it: 83-room hotel in an Art Nouveau villa with a 5,000 m² park and a pool, a few minutes' walk from Martina Franca's old town.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Itria Valley
Bina, ristorante di Puglia
What to order: a fresh pasta made that day and a Locorotondo DOC white.
Osteria del Tempo Perso
What to order: the tegamino of cardoncelli mushrooms in a bread crust and some orecchiette with turnip tops.
Il Poeta Contadino
What to order: the broad bean purée with cavatelli and seafood, and a wine from its cellar on the dining room's advice.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If you arrive on an afternoon flight, reverse Friday: Alberobello at sunset and the caves on Sunday morning, on the way to the airport.
We'd skip it
Do not do the getaway from Sunday to Tuesday: on Monday Il Poeta Contadino, Bina and Osteria del Tempo Perso are closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Without flights, with the two nights, car, caves, tasting and meals, from about €350 per person.
Do you need a car?
Yes, for the caves, the winery and the masseria. The Ferrovie del Sud Est trains only link Bari with Alberobello, Locorotondo and Martina Franca.
Can you do it in winter?
In part: the caves are open all year, but the trulli are cold and damp and the countryside is duller.
What is the best day for the tasting?
Tuesday to Friday, or Saturday morning. On Sunday there are no visits.