This year we decided to explore southern Italy, starting from the buzzing city of Naples. On the agenda: pizza, Vespas, historic sights, a national park, beaches, gelato—in short, a packed schedule that was pure pleasure.
Day 1: Naples#
Flight into Naples, taxi to the apartment to drop the bags, then a walking tour of the city plus the Naples underground (Napoli Sotterranea). We wrapped up with Neapolitan pizza by the sea.
It’s only about two hours in the air from Belgium; the taxi to our flat ran us something like €25–30. We’d booked via Abritel (HomeAway) and were greeted by Gaëtano. We wandered from Piazza del Gesù Nuovo through the centro storico. San Severo Chapel was closed—it’s shut on Tuesdays—so we headed underground instead on an English-language tour that was really worth it.
Day 2: Ischia#
Breakfast at Il Chicco D’Oro, then off to Ischia. We docked at Casamicciola and spent the afternoon at the Negombo thermal baths. Back to Naples for dinner at Trattoria da Concetta.
Day 3: Vesuvius & Pompeii#
Breakfast at Bar Augustus, then up Vesuvius and through Pompeii. Dinner at pizzeria Al 22.
Day 4: The Itria Valley & the trulli#
Takeaway lunch, taxi to the airport to pick up the rental car, then on to Trito, just outside Locorotondo. We strolled Locorotondo and had dinner at Pizza Casa Pinto. We stayed at Truddhi Casa e Cucina di Puglia in Trito.
Day 5: Martina Franca & Alberobello#
Morning in Martina Franca—pastry break during the Belgium–England match—then Alberobello. Dinner at Il Guercio (pinseria).
Day 6: Cisternino#
A slower day: pool time, Cisternino, and gelato.
Day 7: Polignano a Mare#
Again pool plus an outing—Polignano a Mare—with gelato at Caruso.
Day 8: Bari & Monopoli#
Bari first, gelato at Martunicelli, then Monopoli; we had dinner there.
Day 9: Matera#
The Sassi di Matera (UNESCO World Heritage, European Capital of Culture 2019), Grotta di Vico Solitario, gelato at I Vizi degli Angeli, and a taste of the heart-shaped bread Matera is known for.
Matera sits in Basilicata rather than Puglia proper, but the detour was worth it—the cave districts are UNESCO-listed and the city was ECOC in 2019, one of the stand-out stops of the trip.
Day 10: Ostuni & Locorotondo#
Ostuni, gelato at Ciccio, then dinner at Casa Pinto in Locorotondo.
Day 11: Salento#
We checked into Masseria Lu Iundulu near Lecce, visited Porto Cesareo, beach time in the afternoon, dinner at Cantine Don Carlo.
Day 12: Otranto & Lecce#
Otranto in the morning with excellent granita, then Lecce (near Porto Napoli). Dinner at Dall’Antiquario.
Day 13: Gallipoli bay#
A hidden-feeling swim spot near Gallipoli, Punta Pizzo, then Gallipoli itself—spritz and fish antipasti at La Spingula, Martinucci gelato for the kids, dinner back at Cantine Don Carlo (Lequile).
Day 14: Gargano National Park#
Road trip toward the Gargano, coffee (and pastry) stop in Trani, then on to Mattinata—dinner at La Terraza.
Day 15: Mattinata to Vieste#
National-park focus: boat tour of the sea caves (Grotte Marine di Mattinata) with Matteo Silvestri, half an hour swimming break, drive toward Vieste with a pause at Baia San Felice, then Vieste (jellyfish in the water, trabucci offshore). Dinner at La Scapetta d’Oro back in Mattinata.
Day 16: A Gargano beach#
Vignanotica Beach—you can add a scenic walk—and gelato at Gabrielino in Mattinata. Then we pushed on toward Caserta for the night and dinner at Tre Farine.
Back to Belgium#
After looping through Campania, Puglia (and that Basilicata side-trip), one last meal in Caserta and a flight home with full memory cards—and stomachs.
What we would have liked to squeeze in#
- A visit to Castel del Monte
- The Castellana Caves
- The Tremiti Islands
- Hikes in the Murge
