May's ultimate vacation

Her 6 very secret spots in Puglia

As I type this, I'm sitting between a lemon and a fig tree with a rosemary bush to my left so big you could climb in it. I smell a faint burning scent from a cottage nearby, where a farmer is burning his waste, and I've just downed a box of fresh strawberries. Tonight we are dining at La Terra del Gusto, where newborn kittens are the attraction for our girls, and tomorrow we will have lunch at Da Michele, the best fish restaurant in the area, where, with a bit of luck, there will also be a carousel in front, allowing us to stretch lunch for an hour and finish a bottle of Falanghina. Ecco: life in Puglia, my favorite region in Italy.

If you want to know; this is what you need to know.

1. How do you get there?

Flying is easy. You fly to Bari or Brindisi (if you want to go to ‘my’ Puglia, at least) and rent a car there. Driving is also an option, but since it's more than 2000 kilometers, I do recommend reserving about three days for it. You fly for 2.5 hours to the heel of the boot, because that's where we are.

2. Where do you sleep?

I'm not on team hostel, so forgive me if my choices aren't extremely cheap, although Hotel Victoria in Torre Santa Sabina is one of the best family hotels I've ever stayed at for a reasonable price. There's great food and the sweetest people work there. Just watch out for the cacti on the terrace.

Masseria Montenapoleone is one of those places where you immediately want to get married. The only downside is that many people do that too, and then I lose interest, but okay. It's a beautiful old building, some parts date back to the year 500. The pool has a wave-like structure that allows you to sit comfortably in the shallow end that gradually merges with the ‘real’ pool. The rooms are unique, sturdy, and beautifully decorated, and the loungers around the pool have canopies, so you can enjoy reading a book in subtle seclusion.

Torre Coccaro is five-star deluxe. I find it a bit too pricey myself, but oh, how I love going to their beach tent (with large vases full of freshly picked lemons against the mosquitoes in the restroom) and how I indulge in all the kimonos and beach dresses in their shop. Torre Coccaro is located in Fasano, a chic little town near the coast.

I haven't been there myself, but a friend with exceptionally good taste just stayed at Hotel Canne Bianche, a luxury spa by the sea.

3. Where do you eat?.

Lunch at the beach tent of Torre Coccaro or at Da Michele Miramare in Torre Santa Sabina (my beloved is now saying, 'Are you going to give away all our secret spots?') or at Lido Bizarro in Torre Canne. The latter is my husband's regular hangout and, for example, Henk Spaan (remember him?) and Roberto Donadoni, who I believe has also had a bite there with Marco van Basten before they kicked a ball around at one of the golf clubs here.

4. What do you eat?.

If you don't like fish, you might want to take a detour, because it's fish, fish, fish all the time here. Puglia is especially known for pesce crudo, or raw fish. Order a piatto misto and you'll get the most photogenic and delicious plate. I love a sautè di cozze (mussels) and finish it off with a spaghetti alle vongole, which my kids also love. Furthermore, you have delicious buffalo mozzarella here, and the vegetables are from another planet, so pure and tasty.

5. What do you drink?.

In the morning, of course, un caffè or a latte macchiato. I fly through a lot of aqua frizzante towards a caffè freddo or a frappé (cold coffee with a bit of milk, sugar, and Tamoil ice that turns it into a sticky mass). The best one I had at a tiny Tamoil gas station on the road from Bari to Ostuni. There it was perfect. It's a kind of Russian roulette with those frappés; you never know when you'll get the best one according to your ideal recipe.

’For wine, the Falanghina for white and the Primitivo for red (can also be for white, by the way) is a very good choice. Finish it off with a glass of Averna and you'll have a flat belly again the next morning.

6. When do you go?.

Puglia has seasons, so in the fall it's really beautiful here, but cool. In May, it's usually lovely (around 24 degrees), but it cools down in the evening (great for your wardrobe: jackets are allowed), but keep in mind that the pool water is quite cool (18 to 19 degrees) and that many beach tents only open in June. Nevertheless, there is plenty to do. Alberobello for the trulli (the typical 'smurf houses' in Puglia), Locorotondo for the perfect steak and the most beautiful view.

Beach tent Guna Beach is in my international top 3. Who knows, I might see you, because I am a Puglia recidivist. Ciao!

Tip

Tips for when you go to Puglia