Let me tell you a little something about where I grew up!
Puglia is a vast area in the south of Italy. It’s known as the heel of Italy’s “boot” and in my opinion (but maybe I am a little biased) it’s the most charming region in Italy. Its land is touched by both the Adriatic and the Ionian seas, its landscape is flat and dry but absolutely majestic!
It has been 5 years since my last trip to Puglia and more specifically to my hometown of Brindisi and as you can imagine I was filled with a lot of different emotions! Brindisi is still my home. This place is the backdrop to all my happy memories and is where eventually I would love to retire, buy land and grow my own grapes or olives…anything really that will turn into something delicious! It is such a special place and I have never felt such a deep connection to this land and its people like I do now!
Brindisi has the potential to become a great holiday destination. It has everything and more so let me tell you all about it!
When visiting Brindisi here’s my recommendations:
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- Where to shop
- Sightseeing
- Relax on the beach
Where to stay
There are plenty of hotels around but this time we opted for a charming Airbnb in the heart of the Centro Storico (in Via Marco Pacuvio). This apartment is spacious, clean and only a short distance away from the Porto, Piazza Duomo and all other major attractions. Only downfall if you have a car, parking is very hard to come by! Most evenings we spent a good part of an hour going around in circle to find a space!
Where to eat
The food is incredible and there are plenty restaurants and bars for you to try all the local cuisine & wines! Our favourite is L’Antica Osteria La Sciabica, situated in the old fishing village.
The specialty is fish, but they also do incredible tasting pizzas and pasta dishes. The good thing is that the menu changes regularly so even if like us you decide to eat there every night you won’t get bored with the food selection! I am salivating just now thinking of how delicious and authentic the food is. Unfortunately, the pictures don’t do it justice as I was more interested in eating the food presented than photographing it!
The added bonus was that every night owner and chef Ernesto together with his wife Rosalba sat down with us over a slice of watermelon or a bottle of rosé reminiscing about the good old days from when my dad and Ernesto were teenagers to the time we were in Italy and dad had Bacco’s. We really had a blast!
Where to shop
Just outside Brindisi there is a massive centro commerciale/shopping centre called Le Colonne where you can find just about everything you need! We stopped at Bialetti shop for a look and €70 later we went away with 2 espresso machines, espresso cups and 3 mugs…I know what you are thinking!
If you are into something more vintage, I would recommend La Valigia delle Indie in Brindisi city centre where you might pick up an old postcard or even an artwork from the owner Galiano, a very interesting and intriguing character for sure.
Sightseeing
In Brindisi there are a few places that are reach-for-the-camera spectacular, like the Duomo, il Porto, the Monumento al Marinaio and the famous Colonne Romane. I took a walk down memory lane seeing all these places and the roads and alleys that link them. Let me show you what my camera captured:
Relax on the beach
There are also so many beaches to choose from and only 20-30min driving distance from Brindisi city centre. From la conca all the way to Torre Guaceto you are spoiled for choices.
As a child our family went to Lido Granchio Rosso and still to this day, we have a cabin there where every year my uncle takes the family for the summer holiday. The special thing about this place is that it hasn’t changed! It’s not fancy nor pompous. It is a family run beach for families and being back there and seeing everyone was very special!
It’s really hard to be objective when you are talking about a place which means so much. To me it is an incredible city, but don’t just take my word for it. If you are travelling to Puglia go and check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!
For more tips and recommendations drop me a line or two and I can help you plan your trip to Brindisi.
Dani
Dani ♥ Hearts 