Puglia is the heel of Italy's boot, and it looks nothing like the postcard version of the country most people picture. Here you'll find cone-roofed stone houses that look like something out of a storybook, a restaurant tucked inside a sea cave, and a coastline that swaps Amalfi's cliffs for wide limestone beaches and water the colour of blue Curaçao. Add in the food. Burrata, the creamy cheese you'll now see on menus everywhere, was invented in the Puglian town of Andria, and a plate of orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) with bitter greens is about as local as it gets. Put it all together and you've got a region that rewards slowing down. Whatever kind of trip you're planning, Puglia has a stay to match. Trulli cottages in the countryside, whitewashed boutique hotels in the old towns, seaside resorts along the Adriatic and Ionian coasts and centuries-old farmhouses turned into five-star retreats are all on the table.

Where to stay in Puglia

• Alberobello: home to the trulli, Puglia's famous conical-roofed stone houses. Stay here for the UNESCO-listed Rione Monti district right on your doorstep, and mornings with no tour buses yet.
• Ostuni: the "White City," a hill town where every building is lime-washed to keep the summer heat out. Good base for day trips into the Itria Valley.
• Polignano a Mare: perched on limestone cliffs above the Adriatic, with a beach that sits at the bottom of a narrow ravine right in the old town. This is where Grotta Palazzese, the cave restaurant, calls home.
• Lecce: known as the "Florence of the South" for its ornate baroque stonework. A good pick if you want city energy, restaurants and nightlife alongside the sightseeing.
• Gallipoli: on the Ionian side of the Salento peninsula, with some of the clearest water in Puglia and a pace that's built for beach days, not sightseeing checklists.

How much is Puglia accommodation?

Rooms in Puglia open from around AU$46 a night, so there's plenty of room to move whatever your budget looks like.

• Backpackers/Hostels: from around AU$45 per night. Shared or basic private rooms, usually in Bari or Lecce's old towns, close to trains and buses.
• Budget hotels/Guesthouses: from around AU$80 per night. Simple, clean rooms, often family-run, a short walk from a town's main sights.
• Mid-range/Apartments: from around AU$150 per night. Self-contained apartments or three-star hotels, a solid choice if you're travelling with family or staying more than a few nights.
• Boutique: from around AU$250 per night. Converted trulli, restored palazzi and small design hotels with real character, especially around Alberobello and Salento.
• Luxury/Resorts: from around AU$500 a night, climbing well into four figures for the top masserie resorts with their own spas, pools and private beach clubs.

Top-rated hotels in Puglia

• Grotta Palazzese, Polignano a Mare: rooms carved into the cliff face above the Adriatic, next door to the hotel's own cave restaurant.
• Borgo Egnazia, Savelletri: a resort built like a whole trullo village, complete with its own golf course and a spa modelled on an old Roman bathhouse.
• Il Melograno, Monopoli: a 16th-century masseria wrapped in centuries-old olive groves, with a kitchen garden that supplies the restaurant.
• Palazzo Daniele, Gagliano del Capo: a 19th-century aristocratic palazzo turned art-filled boutique stay, with original frescoed ceilings in some of the suites.
• Masseria Torre Coccaro, near Savelletri: a fortified farmhouse dating back centuries, now with a cave spa and its own beach club down the road.

Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Puglia

• Hire a car if you can. Puglia's best trulli stays and masserie are scattered through the countryside between towns, and public transport won't get you door to door.
• Book well ahead for July and August. This is peak season on the Adriatic and Ionian coasts, and beach-town rooms sell out early.
• Pick your base by what you want from the trip. Alberobello and Ostuni suit slow, inland exploring. Polignano and Gallipoli suit beach days. Lecce suits city nights out.
• Ask if a pool is included before you book a summer stay inland. Puglia gets properly hot from June through August, and not every trullo or masseria has one.
• Consider May, June or September. The sea is still warm, the towns are quieter and room rates drop from the August peak.
• Book an apartment or a masseria with a kitchen if you want to shop the local markets. Fresh burrata and just-pressed olive oil are two of the best souvenirs Puglia offers, and neither travels well if you can't keep them cool.

Craving more of Italy's south? Check out hotels across Italy on Traveloka to compare Puglia against the rest of the country.